Podcast Episode: Distance Learning

Episode Two of Things to Come: Distance Learning

Podcast

I think it may be time to start a podcast.  Maybe to collect all the ideas we are seeing, maybe to reduce the isolation.  I have given the Anchor system a try.  The first attempt went pretty well.  There is not much audio editing at all, but the process is pretty intuitive.

You can hear the podcast here.  This was just a test.

Day 3 - COVID-19

Here is an update:

1. Each of my classes meets for 30 minutes (basically a 1/2 day schedule).  Each kid must "check-in" using a one question task on Google Classroom.
2. I just launched Smartmusic and will push much of our work there.
3. I expect to "rehearse" two days per week and "practice" three days per week.  When we rehearse we will use Google Meet.  I will lead/conduct and students will play with their microphones off.  I may ask questions and ask some students to perform.  It will also be a time for students to ask questions and chat by video.
4. I created a Spotify playlist for listening/studying

Thoughts:
1. This is exhausting.  I am used to moving around.  Too much staring at screens.
2. How long can we keep this up?

Day 2 - COVID-19

Today was a day of work (like report to duty, get paid, etc...) but at home.  I have moved into a bedroom where I hope to work from 9am-1pm every day.  Students are expected to check in according to a schedule (A Block, B Block, etc...).

I am working out issues with Smartmusic and at the moment think this will be my main platform if I can get over the hurdle of getting accounts created.  I also think Soundtrap and Google Meet will get use.  Our LMS is Google Classroom which is an awkward system but much better than a few years ago.  Yes, I wish I had gotten these platforms out when I was in school.

I will make an effort to make much of our learning the first few days to be asynchronous then move more to a schedule (percussion lessons on Monday, etc...).  I hope to have full rehearsals for choir and band at least twice a week and I am working on how to make that happen.  With every band and chorus director in the country out of school there is lots of experimenting.

Day 1: COVID-19

This is Day 1 of the COVID-19 "break".  We did report to work today, just teachers, although I am not sure if it counts as a day of work.  We picked up chromebooks and cleared our belongings from school.  I don't know if the chromebook pick-up is an attempt to meet digital learning requirements. 

This break is looking more and more like "the end" of the school year.  However, I believe most are still working on the two weeks assumption.  I believe tomorrow we will be tasked with creating digital school and basically reporting to work at home each day.

So far I have read Isaac's Storm and have started The British Are Coming.  Isaac's Storm is about the great hurricane in Galveston in 1900 and definitely had echos of what is happening today (lack of technology, poor forecasting, bickering leadership, etc...).

At home today our schedule was:
11:00: Chores
12:30-1:30: Family Reading
2pm: Art Class
4pm: Workout (girls ran 2 miles--I walked).
730pm: Met Opera

I do not what the teaching will bring.  It is a much different task to create activities to return on April 1 than to return on June 1 (or Sept 1).  For example, do we work on current band music?  Do we switch to more of a music theory or music listening class?  If students do not tune in who is my audience? 

I do expect to be doing some track coaching (if we can leave the house, staying 6 feet apart) and posting lots of videos with the girls (ukulele, piano, etc...).  I also hope to eat right, exercise, and read a ton.

Everything has been changing rapidly.  For the moment everyone I know is healthy so I think nothing else really matters.