Sheltered Diaries: Who’s Zoomin’ Who?
Could one of the outcomes of this whole school-at-home, distance-learning, educating-during-pandemic experiment be a future workforce that knows how to mute a microphone when on a conference call?
A few friends and I mused about this in a Facebook chat the other day, but after watching Tiny navigate art class in a Zoom session today, deftly flicking to mute and raising his hand (by using the appropriate icon) when he wanted to speak, I can’t help but wonder if tomorrow’s meeting that could’ve been an email will at least be without the usual, “Dan, we’re going to need you to mute your mic unless you’re speaking.”
I asked Tiny if it was hard to pick up on what to do with Zoom, and he gave me a look. It’s the look he gives us when he feels we are being old and embarrassing. It happened overnight – one night I put a cute little boy to bed, and he woke up an eye-rolling pre-teen.
But all of this – the art, music, and PE classes in Zoom, the use of Google Classroom and other apps to communicate and post lessons – is mostly up and running. And a lot of this – the platforms and the technology – is thanks to Dallas ISD’s staff and teachers, who pulled off the Herculean yet again, just months after getting 3,000 students into classrooms within 48 hours after a tornado.
How incredible is the work the district is doing? Not only are they making sure that every student has access to laptops and internet, and making sure that teachers are connecting with students and counselors are standing by if families need them, but they’re also providing three meals a day, served grab-and-go style twice a week. As of last Thursday, the district had served more than 211,000 meals to 24,000 students.
On the second day of the bulk grab-and-go meal service on Thursday, March 26, Dallas ISD served more than 211,000 meals to nearly 24,000 students, providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for three days. This week, they’ll also be working with the Homeless Education program to transport meals to Budget Suites at 8150 North Stemmons Freeway, where housing insecure students and families can pick up meals.
Still looking for more enrichment? I would also suggest subscribing to our Fun Things To Do newsletter, where (for the time being) we’re sharing new ways to take in art, music, and more at home. There are plenty of options for families that would be great to augment what your teachers are already providing.
Have a young, budding writer in your house – or maybe just want to improve writing skills with something more structured? IndyKids is a free paper written by kids, and they are also seeking submissions. You can get details here.
Want to get some art classes in, but don’t have the talent to lead them yourself? North Texas Performing Arts is offering inexpensive classes in an ala cart format that allows you to pick and choose a class, and each class is about $10. Everything from music writing to piano lessons to acting classes to scriptwriting is offered, and even sewing and costume design classes are on the docket. Check here for details.
And of course, keep your eyes peeled on Dallas ISD’s social media accounts for more suggestions, too.
Parents, are you looking for fun things to do with your family? Check out the weekly Monday Message that highlights quick activities that families can do together to exercise the mental muscles and engage in fun family time. @dallasschools @dallasisdparent pic.twitter.com/vc6clYVEAx
— DallasISDMTSS (@DallasISDMTSS) March 30, 2020
Let us know how your distance-learning adventure is going by sharing in the comments, via the Preston Hollow or Park Cities Facebook pages, or through this link.
