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I have been “under the weather” lately. After I wrote that sentence, I had to tab over to Google search where that idiom comes from.
“To be under the weather is to be unwell. This comes from a maritime source. In the old days, when a sailor was unwell, he was sent down below to help his recovery, under the deck and away from the weather.”
This cold that came on with laryngitis sent me below deck. Our gifted program is a pull-out academic program, so my students just stay with their regular teacher when I am not there. I sent an email to all the teachers asking that my students be allowed to use the computer. There I can keep connected with them through our kidblog site.
I know a lot of schools have become Google schools, but our district isn’t there yet. But kidblog works. Here is the screen to my posts this week. I can send an assignment with links as well as individual messages for students. And I shared that we won Douglas Florian’s book on Today’s Little Ditty! Yay!
Through our kidblog site, we can also connect across the miles with other kidblog classrooms. As we approach the March Slice of Life Challenge, I am pushing my students to pay more attention to these connections. If you want to connect your class with mine, let me know.
In what ways do you stay connected to your students?
Do you know about Digital Learning Day? Sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education, #DLDay is scheduled for February 17th, 2016.
Share your digital literacy posts below.
Reflections on the Teche 
This is so much more than just the Kidblog site. It’s the relationships you have built. The emotional connections. You know each one as a person and as a writer, You are present with them even when you’re not there. This, I believe is necessary to make cyber connections so fruitful.
Thanks for seeing beyond this post. I felt it was lacking something but you saw it anyway.
Making connections — tech/no-tech — that is the key.
Kevin
I agree with Kevin and Julieanne. Relationships are the glue that encourages students to be all they can be. Stay well Margaret. Under the weather is what you have been for sure. I love that you are staying connected to your students whether you are in a face to face environment or not. Thanks for the info on #DLDay.
You’ve had a rough time of it, haven’t you?! First your injury, now a nasty cold?! Yuck. I have a pull-out program, too, but they always get me a sub. Last year, when we were out for a week for subfreezing, dangerous temps in Feb., I connected with kids on Padlet. It’s another great way to interact. Kidblog is awesome!