August 26, 2020
Wednesday Words Update
Dear Fenton Families,
I want to share portions of an article with you regarding Remote Learning. The article is from the Institute of Digital Media and Child Development - Helping children lead healthy lives in a digital world. In summary, the article provides 10 tips for parents navigating online education:
With COVID-19 causing widespread school closures, children across the country are being given alternate resources, some online, to study outside of the classroom. Temporary solutions being devised for remote education range from online classroom tools like Google Classroom, to Zoom and podcasts by teachers.
“This is a stressful, unpredictable time for everyone, including families, parents and children. You can help your children by providing them with a structure and routine, and being a positive force in their education,” says Dr. Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra, President of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development.
With that in mind, Children and Screens has put together 10 tips for families as they adjust to the new reality of learning at home.
1. DIGITAL QUARANTINE: Consider limiting your children’s use of cell phones and tablets until their schoolwork is done satisfactorily, so that it can receive their undivided attention.
2. MAKE SPACE FOR LEARNING: Your children will achieve their best work in a quiet, comfortable, and dedicated space devoted to learning. Ideally, this will be a different set-up than where they normally play games or watch television.
3. MONITOR THE (COMPUTER) MONITOR: In this new learning milieu, you can help by monitoring your children’s levels of interest and engagement. The simplest way to do this? Observation. Look at your child’s eyes to see if they’re following along with the screen. Check if they’re taking notes or zoning out. Ask questions at the end of a lesson. While this may require taking an hour off from work or stepping out for an early lunch, it’s important to confirm that your children are indeed learning.
4. DIGITAL RECESS: Encourage your children to get up, get some fresh air, go for a walk during the regularly scheduled school break times so they are not sedentary for the entire day.
5. FACETIME: In-person interaction is ideal for kids, but until it’s safe for them to return to school, encourage your children to video chat or text message with friends rather than simply scrolling through social media news feeds. You don’t want your children to feel socially isolated, but at the same time be cautious of the risk of becoming overly reliant upon their devices.
6. KEEP IT OLD SCHOOL: Overuse of screen time can have adverse impacts on young brains. If available, request textbooks from your child’s school along with other print materials in order to offset the amount of screen time. Stimulate self-expression by having discussions with your children about what they are doing, and also encourage creative writing and imaginative storytelling.
7. WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER: Remember that you’re not alone in this journey. Check in with other parents to see what they’ve found effective or to ask if they need help. It is important that we all work together as a community for the good of our children and families.
8. PLAN YOUR WORK AND WORK YOUR PLAN: Good planning can relieve stress for both children and parents. Check in with your kids about their plans and help them develop a written schedule not only for the day, but for the week as a whole. Help them prioritize and learn to create goals, tasks, and deadlines, just like adults do when they go to work. Offer incentives for healthy behaviors.
9. THIS AIN’T NO VACATION: Even though staying home from school might feel like a holiday, remind your kids that they’re not on vacation.
10. DON’T FORGET TO HAVE FUN: Plan off-screen activities for the whole family. Between school and work obligations, it’s rare for parents and children to have this much time together, so turn it into an opportunity for bonding. Write predictions for a TV show that the whole family watches. Organize a tournament, family card games, charades, or chess, or get outside for a hike or walk together after school.
Second, attendance is important. If students are not present, they are not learning If a student is not able to participate in any part of the virtual school day, his or her parents must call Fenton’s attendance line to report the absence. The attendance phone number is (630) 860-4948.
Lastly, if you need help or need assistance with anything, please contact us at fentonhelp@fenton100.org.
Let’s go Bison!
James Ongtengco, Superintendent
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