Virtual Learning Tips and Tricks from Pallen's
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As you all may know already, we are officially in a new world filled with nothing but virtual this and virtual that. It is a daunting task preparing for something that most people have never done or even considered doing. Pallen’s Martial Arts is here to help prepare both students and parents for the upcoming virtual learning school year! As a community, we have to work together to make sure our children are learning at school, keeping mentally healthy, and striving for their goals! We at Pallen’s Martial Arts would like to extend
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our experiences and our wisdom of virtual learning and hope it helps prepare you for this new school year! Parents, you help determine your child’s attitude! Be angry or sad in private. Discuss your frustrations away from your kids. Set them up for success by teaching them how to make the best of these situations. Be a sounding board for their worries and disappointments and most importantly, be positive and model perseverance! We believe that a community that strives together, thrives together!
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Student Preparedness
Our children will be facing a vastly different school year than the last so anxieties and fears will arise, but positivity and hopefulness is the best way to combat these fears and anxieties. Talk with your children and tell them the benefits of online learning such as the ability to do school from almost anywhere, the ability to familiarize themselves with a computer and how to use it, and the ability to see their friends from the comfort of their own homes!
Students should still follow the same schedule that they may have followed in previous school years. Make sure they sleep at a decent time, wake up at a decent time, get dressed, eat breakfast, whatever they did before school, it is imperative to keep them on that schedule. This will create the image that online school is just like regular school and it will help ease any fears or any insecurities. Make sure they have all the tools needed for them to succeed such as their computer, notebook, snacks, etc. It is also imperative that you create a “school space” that way whenever your children sit down or go to this place they know, it’s time to focus because it’s school time. This area should be quiet and free of any distractions like toys, tv’s or tablets!
It is now time to get to the heart of the matter and that’s online schooling. Make sure to prepare your students 15 minutes before school starts that way if any issues arise, you can troubleshoot it without having to sacrifice school time! Make sure there are no hidden distractions on your child’s computer like games or separate tabs they may be hiding from you. Remind them that this is like pulling out your tablet and playing a game while the teacher is talking and that is not appropriate for school, whether it’s online or in person. Remind your students that chatting to other their friends using a messenger app or the app in which they are learning online is just like talking out loud while the teacher is teaching. Bottom line: if they would not do it in regular school, it should not be done in online school. Setting down these rules is important for your student’s development because it teaches them the importance to follow rules later on in life.
Students should still follow the same schedule that they may have followed in previous school years. Make sure they sleep at a decent time, wake up at a decent time, get dressed, eat breakfast, whatever they did before school, it is imperative to keep them on that schedule. This will create the image that online school is just like regular school and it will help ease any fears or any insecurities. Make sure they have all the tools needed for them to succeed such as their computer, notebook, snacks, etc. It is also imperative that you create a “school space” that way whenever your children sit down or go to this place they know, it’s time to focus because it’s school time. This area should be quiet and free of any distractions like toys, tv’s or tablets!
It is now time to get to the heart of the matter and that’s online schooling. Make sure to prepare your students 15 minutes before school starts that way if any issues arise, you can troubleshoot it without having to sacrifice school time! Make sure there are no hidden distractions on your child’s computer like games or separate tabs they may be hiding from you. Remind them that this is like pulling out your tablet and playing a game while the teacher is talking and that is not appropriate for school, whether it’s online or in person. Remind your students that chatting to other their friends using a messenger app or the app in which they are learning online is just like talking out loud while the teacher is teaching. Bottom line: if they would not do it in regular school, it should not be done in online school. Setting down these rules is important for your student’s development because it teaches them the importance to follow rules later on in life.
Parent Preparedness
As we know parents, our job doesn’t just end with our child; we have to make sure all the little pieces in the background are set as well! First thing you should do is familiarize yourself with whatever application schools are using to teach online classes whether it’s google classroom, zoom, etc. If any problems arise, you can easily fix it! If a problem arises that you cannot fix, there are helpful FAQ’s and troubleshooting guides online to help. If the problem persists.
Good wifi is key to having a successful online school session! Make sure no one else in the house is streaming netflix or hulu or other streaming services. Streaming takes up the most data usage in an average household so refrain from watching your shows until after school is done! Having a second wifi as backup could also be very helpful! Nowadays our phones have built in hotspots so if wifi is down or isn’t working, I suggest using your phones to help supplement their schooling until wifi is back up.
If you can, be sure to make periodical checks on your student! Pulling up a new browser and playing a game or distracting themselves with the internet can be done in a matter of seconds. Teachers cannot physically look over your student’s shoulder so we must take it upon ourselves to help out as much as we can. Good ways to prevent this is to block any sites that your kids may use for games and to uninstall games such as roblox or minecraft from their computers so they do not use those either.
Most importantly parents, it’s important that we, ourselves, have a positive outlook on this whole new world we find ourselves in. Our children will find themselves looking at us to see how we react to the ever changing world we live in. Instead of finding holes to pick at, we should be adapting and embracing the change and one day things will go back to normal. Until then we have each other to keep strong and support us through this time! We must learn to strive together if we are to thrive together.
Good wifi is key to having a successful online school session! Make sure no one else in the house is streaming netflix or hulu or other streaming services. Streaming takes up the most data usage in an average household so refrain from watching your shows until after school is done! Having a second wifi as backup could also be very helpful! Nowadays our phones have built in hotspots so if wifi is down or isn’t working, I suggest using your phones to help supplement their schooling until wifi is back up.
If you can, be sure to make periodical checks on your student! Pulling up a new browser and playing a game or distracting themselves with the internet can be done in a matter of seconds. Teachers cannot physically look over your student’s shoulder so we must take it upon ourselves to help out as much as we can. Good ways to prevent this is to block any sites that your kids may use for games and to uninstall games such as roblox or minecraft from their computers so they do not use those either.
Most importantly parents, it’s important that we, ourselves, have a positive outlook on this whole new world we find ourselves in. Our children will find themselves looking at us to see how we react to the ever changing world we live in. Instead of finding holes to pick at, we should be adapting and embracing the change and one day things will go back to normal. Until then we have each other to keep strong and support us through this time! We must learn to strive together if we are to thrive together.
Extracurriculars and the Importance of Balance
Having a successful school year does not lie solely with being prepared with online school, but also being prepared with what we do outside of school! There’s no denying that students who are able to keep up extracurriculars and good grades are better prepared for life and what it entails! That balancing act between doing this or that is all too common in our lives now and getting your children involved with extracurriculars could not only give a fun release of energy for them, but unlock their hidden potential and hone their skills!
A good way to keep track of all these things is to have a calendar! This could be a daily, weekly or even a monthly calendar to help plan out their days and keep them on track! Knowing what their day entails allows them to adequately prepare themselves for whatever it may be! It’s not just important to have a calendar but to enforce it as well. Having your children follow the schedule will keep them accountable and prepare them for their future when they face deadlines in college or their workplace. It would also be helpful to make sure you spend some time in the beginning of each week to go over the schedule and talk them through it that way they know what they must do and this in turn will keep them accountable!
When you plan out these schedules, it’s very easy to fill it in with chores, sports, school work, etc, but it is imperative that you input break times as well! Times in which your child can decompress and relax after an online school day or some difficult chores. Many times, we adults can keep going and going, rarely ever taking a break, but sometimes our children need a little time to be a little goofy or have a little fun. Make sure you schedule those fun times in between the work times to keep your students healthy and happy!
A good way to keep track of all these things is to have a calendar! This could be a daily, weekly or even a monthly calendar to help plan out their days and keep them on track! Knowing what their day entails allows them to adequately prepare themselves for whatever it may be! It’s not just important to have a calendar but to enforce it as well. Having your children follow the schedule will keep them accountable and prepare them for their future when they face deadlines in college or their workplace. It would also be helpful to make sure you spend some time in the beginning of each week to go over the schedule and talk them through it that way they know what they must do and this in turn will keep them accountable!
When you plan out these schedules, it’s very easy to fill it in with chores, sports, school work, etc, but it is imperative that you input break times as well! Times in which your child can decompress and relax after an online school day or some difficult chores. Many times, we adults can keep going and going, rarely ever taking a break, but sometimes our children need a little time to be a little goofy or have a little fun. Make sure you schedule those fun times in between the work times to keep your students healthy and happy!
Online Preparedness
Checklist
Here’s a little checklist to help with the upcoming school year! We hope that we can all work together to make this school year even better! Don’t forget, a community that strives together, thrives together!
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