Month: July 2020

Fisher, D., Frey, N. & Hattie, J. (2021). The distance learning playbook: Grades K-12. Corwin.

My Rating: 5 stars . . . 2 thumbs up . . . 10 out of 10 . . . Highly Recommended

I will start off by stating that this book was not what I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be like most resource books – full of strategies, some useful and some not. Don’t get me wrong – it does have strategies in it, but this book goes far beyond just strategies to use in distance learning.

This book is a PLAYBOOK. Think about what that means, particularly in the sports world. A playbook is used by coaches to develop plays or strategies for winning, and then coaches turn around and teach these plays to the athletes. The authors of this book are the coaches, and the teachers/readers are the athletes. Throughout the book the authors (through short videos, quotes by educators, and the writing itself) keep encouraging you by emphasizing, “You CAN do this!” It was like being in a huddle before a game and feeling the adrenaline rush. Not only did I feel like I could TEACH more effectively through distance learning, but I also couldn’t wait to start working on my class and implementing what I had learned from the playbook.

My overall impression of this book is that it is something you must interact with in order to get the most out of it. It is a workbook in that you really need to start at the beginning and work your way through it. Each module (there are 9 in all) builds off the one before it. You can’t cherry pick through this book. If you do, you will miss the connections between the modules. Module 1 starts off with the importance of taking care of yourself (interesting that this is FIRST), and Module 9 ends with how to make learning better for both students and teachers. The modules in between lead you through the steps of creating an effective distance learning classroom to the best ways to assess, grade, and provide feedback to students.

I believe that this is a great book for a teacher book club or used for PD – I don’t mean 1 session of PD, but multiple weeks! Throughout the modules, there are times to pause, reflect, and make connections. This is perfect for a group setting so that ideas can be shared with one another. Veteran teachers, however, have the background to dig deeply into these reflections, whereas, a first year teacher may find the reflection pieces a little bit more difficult to answer. But we can all learn from each other!

The book includes over 50 short video clips, and I can say that I enjoyed watching each one. Each has a specific purpose, and I gleaned so much valuable information from them. I must say I truly enjoyed watching the video of Nancy Frey near the beginning of the book encouraging teachers by letting them know that we got this! There are video clips of teachers describing how they handle distance learning – great information! Each video is short but packed full of encouragement and resources. What better way is there to learn than by listening to other teachers?

If you are thinking about getting this book . . . DO IT! No matter what the future looks like in teaching, this book will be a valuable resource to you. Hats off to Fisher, Frey, and Hattie! They did not let me down.

As we are nearing the beginning of a new school year, I wanted to give some hope to those who are concerned about the literacy gap caused by the COVID-19 school closings some 5 months ago. The concern by parents and teachers alike is that children have not retained the information taught to them before and perhaps even during the shutdown. There will be regression particularly in the area of literacy. This concern is a valid one, but giving hope is what I am here to do.

There is a simple way to start bridging the literacy gap. This is not a new idea. In fact, research has been done on this idea for decades and has shown its effectiveness on a child’s literacy development. If the idea has been researched for decades, then why am I writing about it now? Think of it like this. You know you should exercise and eat right. You plan when you are going to turn over this new leaf. You make your preparations: new exercise clothes, exercise equipment, recipes in hand to make healthy meals, etc. You make it through that first day. Whew! A little exhausting but you look forward to the next day. Right around Day 3, your willpower is lacking. You think, “I can skip just one day.” Then one day turns into 2 days which turns into 3 days. And before you know it, your exercise clothes are buried in the drawer, your exercise equipment is collecting dust (or laundry), and those healthy recipes are replaced with chocolate chip cookies! Who hasn’t been here? Some of us multiple times.

So here is the connection. The idea to bridge the literacy gap is to read to or with children. Really? That’s it????? I can hear the moans and groans since this idea is not anything you haven’t heard before. But really think about it. Think about its importance. Think about what it really means to read to or with a child. Let’s go back to the exercise example. There is great determination to exercise at the beginning, but as the days wear on, so does our enthusiasm. Exercise and eating right takes mental determination as well as physical determination. So does reading to or with a child. Things get in the way. Other priorities take precedence. At first, that time set aside to to read is actually looked forward to. But as the days wear on, the reading dwindles. And before you know it, there is no reading occurring.

As this new school year is about to begin in its many forms, let’s work together to make time each day (or if that is not possible at least every other day), to read to or with a child. Start slow – 5 minutes a day – and work up the stamina to add to that time. Just as consistent exercise improves our health, so will consistent reading be a step in the right direction for bridging the literacy gap.