Week One of remote teaching certainly brought some joy - we loved checking in with our students and hearing the creative ways that they have been spending their time in isolation. We also enjoyed learning new ways to use technology in the classroom and strengthening curriculum to suit an online model. By the time we finished our last lessons for the week though, our backs were a little stiffer and the glow of the screen seemed more florescent than the MCG light towers. How did it all go? Good, we think. But we also found that we were rubbing our eyes from excess screen time and longing to get away from the technology for a break.

Students also felt this. Many of the things that they are enjoying doing whilst in home isolation were off-the-grid activities (apart from watching Tiger King on Netflix of course). They loved baking, bonfires with their family, walks with the dogs, shooting hoops in the front yard. Whilst they loved connecting with their friends via Facetime and in their virtual classrooms, they said they missed the real thing.

We are presented with an opportunity for students now, more than ever, to do ‘the real thing’. To learn, in real time, in real ways, outside of their textbooks. Sure, the online quizzes and digital collaboration tools provide for very authentic learning opportunities (we have a blog coming up about some of the online tools we find useful, so stay tuned!). However, we need to provide our learners (and teachers) with the opportunity to step back from technology, connect with the environment around them and learn away from their screens.

To assist with this, we have created a series of activity cards that you can share with your classes. Over the next few weeks, we are going to be sharing literacy, numeracy, physical education and mindfulness activities to encourage learning to continue ‘off-the-grid’ If you want to turn these grids into a game, then the students then simply roll a dice and whatever number it lands on is the activity that they can do. To kick start us, here are some Mindful Moments that you can share with your students.

Mindful Moments

1. Re-write the lyrics of a song

   Play a song that you either cannot get enough of right now, or an old favourite. Spend the time to re-write the lyrics of the song based on how you are feeling that day. If you would like to use this for revision, put the things you learnt during remote learning for a particular subject into the song.

2. Fill a jar

   Find a jar (or container/box) that is not being used in the house. Empty pasta sauce glass jars are perfect. Decorate the jar. Each time something happens during the week that brings you joy, take the time to stop, write it down on a small piece of paper or post-it and place this in your jar. At the end of the week, open the jar and read your moments of happiness. If you would like to use this for revision, write a post it note of one thing you learn in each lesson for that week.At the end of the week, open the jar and read what you have achieved.

3. Draw!

   Grab those Derwent pencils and draw something that brings you happiness. If you would like to use this strategy for revision, create a cartoon or comic strip to explain something that you learnt in class that week.

4. Give Gratitude

   Who has helped you recently? Perhaps someone you love has made you food? Or maybe a teacher has been helpful? Did a sibling spend time to play a game with you? Whoever it is that you feel thankful for, write them a letter or card and give/send this to them.

5. Make yourself a hot chocolate or tea

   Go and make yourself (and perhaps ask the other people in your household if they would like one) a hot drink. Take the time to enjoy the drink whilst not doing anything else. No phone, no television, no device. Sit, switch off and relax. If you don’t drink hot drinks, consider making yourself a smoothie or iced tea instead - or make both!

6. Go spend time doing something you enjoy that is tech free

   Your pick! Do you enjoy being creative? Writing in a journal? Cooking? Walking the dog? Spend some time to do something you love.

You can download these images to use in your classes here and here.