SnowDay Flashmeeting
3:55 pm on the 7th of January, 2010Following on from yesterday’s post, there was a short flashmeeting last night where we discussed ideas and possible solutions for what might be done on snow days.
A big thank you to everyone who took part: Julie, Ian, Joe, Sinclair, Alan, and Alan, and particularly to John who joined us from Dubai. Also thanks to Theo who joined in right at the end, sorry you missed it all Theo.
As was pretty much guaranteed to happen, we arrived at no conclusions, but there were a few important points.
The main difficulty I saw was that snow days come unannounced usually, so getting word to pupils would be difficult. It was discussed that it would be great if a class were so used to using online materials at home that they would perhaps know to go to a certain website for ideas for work tasks or messages from their teacher. Julie has found that the wiki she is using with her classes had been visited by pupils while the school has been closed – in fact it was a class that she expected not to have looked who seemed to have made most use of it!
Other than having a well trained class it might prove difficult to spread word around, though often on snow days pupils and parents are desperate for information on whether the school will be open or not, and so check school websites and local radio pretty often – these could easily be used to notify people. It seems that some schools in Aberdeenshire are already doing this and are directing pupils to Glow to access things to do.
Ian suggested a few tools such as wikis and wall wisher that could be used as a way of operating a session, and that it might be good to focus on one particular topic, or exam question. It followed that the sort of thing that might be delivered in a ‘live’ session is possibly quite likely to be similar to what might be done in a revision session, whether online or in person, near to exam time.
There were I’m sure a great many other points discussed, but unfortunately the meeting wasn’t recorded, and I didn’t make as good a set of notes as I might have done, perhaps those who took part could add to this in the comments?
Once again, thanks to those who took part.
January 7th, 2010 at 6:56 pm on the 7th of January, 2010
The very fact that you set this up, Stuart and got a group of people together in just a few hours via your PLN demonstrates the effectiveness of the tools at our disposal.
I think the issues for isolated, ill, disadvantaged or pupils requiring specialist input are the most important (snow days should be sacrosanct and participation in school work voluntary!!!) and the fact that educational practitioners are the cutting edge of available technologies are looking into this can only be a good thing.
We’ve got to find the best tools, methods of informing students and colleagues about what’s available, and, as was mentioned during discussions, ways of forming the habit of using online, anytime, anywhere interaction.
Well done.
Alan
January 7th, 2010 at 7:10 pm on the 7th of January, 2010
Kinds words indeed Alan.
Most years I would agree with you that snow days should be for fun, this year though I’m sick of the sight of the stuff!
Still, some sort of fun activity that can be fed back to a group online would be quite a nice way of keeping in touch on these days I think. After all school is about far more than just learning things for exams, they are pivotal places for the social lives of the pupils, and staff, who go there each day.
January 7th, 2010 at 7:57 pm on the 7th of January, 2010
I should point out that our schools are not due back until Monday 11th. So although we lost three days at the end of term we haven’t lost any this year (so far). So I do understand your frustrations and the urgency to make more use of the time.
Alan
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