"Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later." Og Mandino

 

On January 20, I attended a meeting of Delta Kappa Gamma via Zoom.  Because of my 37 years of classroom experience, this was a presentation I was especially interested in seeing, as one of our members, Jade Leung, was presenting her experiences with remote learning, The Jungle of Education.  I was not disappointed.

First, Jade reviewed the terms we needed to know, like "hybrid" learning.  She talked about how she spent her own money on whiteboards and other materials to make a classroom in her house, and about how scary it was for teachers to go the a place they never had to teach from before.  jade honestly discussed the problems of trying to connect with kids, who may or may not be online with the rest of the class, and about how much extra time everything takes.  She talked about creating ways for fair evaluations that could not be shared with friends. Jade emphasized that CREATIVITY was a necessary ingredient of today's teaching during a pandemic.

Jade uses five platforms for learning that she shared with us.  She favors Jamboard, YouTube, Padlet, Kahoots, Gizmo Virtual Lab, and Menti Word Cloud.  Zoom participants were invited to interact with Kahoots and Menti, and I found both to be both fun and educational.  

My biggest takeaway from the evening was that I am so happy to be a retired teacher.  Having to learn all the new platforms, plus insure that the teacher is meeting every student's needs, along with the parental needs, is just overwhelming.  Jade Leung, who teaches Biology at Shaler High School, is an amazing teacher who makes it all seem easier than it actually is.  My hat is off to all the teachers who are working extra hours, doing their very best, to serve their students today, so that those students will be ready for tomorrow. 

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Please invite Grady Gets Glasses (and me) into your school.  if you are not in the Pittsburgh area, we do virtual field trips with a group called Field Trip Zoom or we will come into YOUR classroom via ZOOM.www.Fieldtripzoom.com  and a company called www.StreamableLearning.com GRADY GETS GLASSES was the winner of Best New Children's Book 2016 and 2018 (new edition) from The Authors' Zone.Grady also won a 2018 prestigious Moonbeam Award for Best Children's Book with Merchandise.

Visit Dede's web page for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading. Signed copies are available  www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics. 

I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books.  Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self.  However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired! 

Elementary teachers in Western Pennsylvania and beyond - I am willing to come into your classroom in person or as a virtual field trip through a group called Field Trip Zoom.  Check them out!  http://www.fieldtripzoom.com/ 

Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book.  I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading.  Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com  The website www.gradygetsglasses.com now has plush Grady bunnies for sale!

 Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl 

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