April Showers

I'm just going to bypass all the usual thoughts we have these days, other than to say I hope you are trying to stay sane.  John and I are doing well; we teleconference almost every day with our daughters and their families.  My stepmom is by herself in Ottawa (how I wish I could 'rescue' her) but at this point, despite her saying that she's 'tired of herself' she is willing to stay on her own in her apartment.

Enough about me.  This will be a short post in terms of what you see from me but do check out this link for Wide Open School from understood.org.  I know we've been bombarded with lists of what to do with your child but this really is one of the best sites I've seen.  I've called this post 'April Showers' because showers in April bring things to life.  Fingers crossed the post gives you some cheerful thoughts.

"Understood has partnered with the best in education, tech, and media to launch Wide Open School. It's a free collection of the best online learning experiences and activities for kids curated by Common Sense Media to help families and educators adapt to online learning."

It is without a doubt, the best presentation of possible resources for you as an educator and/or a parent.  I've clicked on both being an educator and a family and the resources vary for the audience.  What I particularly like is that lists are not overwhelming.  Plus, it's a colourful setup.

Under 'educator' I found links to knowing how to use Google Classroom (as a parent you might want to check that out for more information).  I also found information on how to use Zoom - my go-to conferencing site for my tutoring sessions.  

In the same email that came to me from understood.org was a link to a diary written by a parent.  You might identify with some of her thoughts, especially if you have a child at home who learns differently!  

Finally, to both my parent readers and my friends who are educators (and there is definitely overlap) good luck with the upcoming assignments.  I hope the learning curve, just like the virus, levels off quickly.

Best to all,

Gerrie