Kindergarten-6th Grade Information
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Information in this article:
Setting Up Your Home as a Learning Environment
Getting Started as a Learning Guide
Calvert Getting Started Resources for Families
Edgenuity: FAQs and Resources
Supplemental Platforms
Additional Resources
Setting Up Your Home as a Learning Environment
The key to creating an effective learning environment is to build it collaboratively with your child. The more your child has a say in their workspace, the more ownership and pride they will take in their daily work. The learning environment goes beyond just the physical workspace, it involves tools students need to take charge of their own learning. For example, students need the boundaries of a set work schedule. Consistency in this schedule sets the structure necessary for students to thrive. If the learning environment is one in which they feel comfortable, have the necessary tools/supplies, and can independently utilize the space, you’ve set the tone for learning and the foundation for growth this school year. As you start the conversation with your child, use the following tips to guide the co-construction of your at-home learning environment.
- Designate a comfortable place free from distractions as a work area for your student.
- Offer structure, such as focus time, to increase engagement and promote progress. Build a daily schedule together and post it!
- Here is an example schedule.
- A daily checklist will be provided by your Trojan Connect teacher as well.
- How can materials be stored in a way that is easy to access? Your child should be able to access these independently - again, student ownership in the space is important.
- Are materials labeled in a way the student will understand? Color coding and pictures are helpful - especially for our younger learners.
- How is the lighting of the space? Is a lamp needed? Proper lighting for Google Meets promotes accountability and emphasizes the importance of presence in the learning process.
Lastly, ensure your student has access to Wi-Fi and a charged device. If you do not have access to Wi-Fi, a hotspot is available for checkout at the TSI building on Central Campus (location and times on the Technology Help page).
In the virtual learning environment, parents are also referred to as the Learning Guide. The name suggests exactly what the role entails - the adult supporting and guiding the student through their daily work. This support and guidance vary by grade level and by each individual student. For example, Kindergarten students will need constant, side-by-side guidance through the lessons due to early literacy needs and the support needed to build self-regulation skills. On the other side of the continuum, some 6th graders may be able to complete the daily schedule without much intervention other than Learning Guide check-ins for understanding and quality work completion. No matter where your child falls on the continuum, the Learning Guide has daily involvement in the learning process. Learning Guides monitor the daily learning to ensure students are actively working, understanding the content, and providing additional help when needed. And with our youngest learners, the Learning Guide facilitates learning day-in and day-out. For more information about how to get started as the Learning Guide, CLICK HERE.
At-Home Learning: Setting Up The Learning Space
Getting Started as a Learning Guide
We are all familiar with the role of parent, teacher, and student in the traditional classroom environment, but the virtual environment presents new ways of viewing these traditional roles. Here’s how the family learning guide and teacher support the Calvert digital curriculum.
As you can see, the roles of teacher, Learning Guide, student, and Calvert curriculum are woven together in a way that without one of these roles fulfilled as intended the effectiveness of the design falls flat. As the role with the most student interaction, the Learning Guide is the glue that holds the learning process together for the student. It is crucial each Trojan Connect student has a strong team around them - teachers, the Learning Guide, and site resources such as counselors and specialists. Although parent-teacher partnerships are important in the traditional classroom, this partnership is of the utmost importance in the virtual setting.
As the Learning Guide, the Calvert Learning Getting Started Page for Families will be helpful throughout the school year. This website includes numerous resources supporting effective virtual learning for your family. From a blog about how to balance working from home while your child learns from home to submitting assignments and instructional resources - this website has the resources you need to be the Learning Guide your child needs.
Aside from the Calvert website, there are a few more resources that may be helpful to you as you navigate virtual learning. They are linked below...
Calvert Getting Started Resources for Families
Edgenuity: FAQs and Resources
Students at the intermediate level have specific classes on Edgenuity, an alternate content management system (or CMS, see Student and Family Guides for definitions). 6th grade Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and electives, as well as 5th grade Algebra Fundamentals, are completed through Edgenuity. While the roles of teacher, student, and Learning Guide (called the caregiver’s role in Edgenuity) remain the same, the platform functionality is different from Calvert Learning. Please visit Edgenuity’s website HERE to learn more.
Edgenuity FAQs coming soon!
Please contact your Trojan Connect teacher to be added to your child’s Edgenuity account. You will receive progress emails regarding your child’s learning.
Supplemental Platforms
Coming soon!
Additional Resources
Coming soon!