A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A 6TH GRADE COBB COUNTY STUDENT PARTICIPATING IN THE VIRTUAL LEARNING PROGRAM: TUESDAY
Carlton’s virtual school day starts with a healthy breakfast and proper hygiene. He may not be meeting live synchronously with his teacher and classmates, but he still wants to look presentable on camera and ready to learn! Today is Tuesday, so last night, he made sure to complete his work for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd periods. He also made a list of questions for his 4th period Science teacher about the lesson they learned on Monday about water in the earth. He wants to attend the optional help session today so he can better understand how to complete his assignment.
At 8:55 a.m., Carlton logs on to CTLS and launches the morning meeting with his teacher. Today’s focus is on social emotional learning skills, and he looks forward to hearing more about responsible decision-making.
During his 5-minute break before 1st period, Carlton grabs a glass of water to stay properly hydrated. He launches his 1st period class at 9:20 a.m. and listens attentively as his teacher, Ms. Smith, introduces the topic. After her opening and demonstration of using action verbs in essay writing, Ms. Smith releases all students to their independent work time so that they can participate in peer reviews of their expository essay rough draft. Over the next 30 minutes, Carlton uses the Discussion Board in CTLS to receive feedback on his paper from his peer, Ariana. He is thankful for her feedback and will make edits to his essay tonight. Carlton steps away from his computer during his 5-minute break to rest his eyes before logging into his 2nd period class at 10:15 a.m. His math teacher, Mr. Jones, uses a tech tool called Monster Quiz in Smart Learning Suite to play a review game before their test today.
Last night, Carlton reviewed his past assignments and assessments to make sure he was prepared for the test. He also attended the optional help session last Thursday, so he feels confident that he will do well. Mr. Jones shares the test, and Carlton completes it during the independent work time.
During his 45-minute lunch time, Carlton eats and goes outside to play. The exercise helps him to stretch his legs, clear his mind, and refocus for his 3rd period class. He also connects with his family to update his progress for the day.
At 12:05 p.m., Carlton logs into his 3rd period Social Studies class. They are learning about Canada, and his teacher, Ms. Martin, starts class by sharing a video on the different provinces. While watching the video, Carlton chooses which province sounds the most interesting to him. Before releasing students to independent work time, Ms. Martin shares a graphic organizer in CTLS for students to use while researching their chosen province. For the next 30 minutes, Carlton uses the Cobb Digital Library resources to collect research and complete his assignment.
He has a short break before he joins the help session for 4th period Science. Carlton refills his water and gathers the questions he compiled about water in the earth so he can ask his Science teacher, Mr. Adams.
Carlton signs on to the help session at 1:05 p.m. and sees 8 other students who have also joined. They take turns raising their virtual hands to ask questions. Additionally, Carlton jots down notes based on other students’ questions about topics that he will need to know for their upcoming project. When the session is over, he takes 10 minutes to stand, stretch, and move before settling down to his homework.
Carlton’s 5th and 6th periods are Connections classes. He has Visual Arts and Introduction to Business and Technology. He’s moving along well with his art project which is creating a collage or other visual representation of his future career goal. When reviewing his assignment for Business, however, he realizes that he’s confused about the idea of a developing a “positive business image.” He therefore plans to attend the optional help session at 2:50 p.m. He sets his timer, so he doesn’t lose track of time.
At 2:45 p.m., Carlton takes a quick break from his art project before logging on at 2:50 p.m. to his 6th period help session. Ms. Taylor, his Business teacher, reviews the assignment and then asks if anyone has questions or needs assistance. Carlton speaks about what confused him and notices that several other students who joined the session are nodding their heads in agreement. Ms. Taylor takes the time to explain and reteach so that the students can move confidently forward with their assignment. Carlton continues to work on editing his essay based on feedback from his class that morning and finalizing his art project. He reviews his schedule for Wednesday to determine what else he needs to finish before going to his recreational activities (outside of school) later that evening.
