'Tis Not Too Late to Learn a Zoomer World

I first became a student when I entered kindergarten at St. Paul’s Elementary in Peterborough, Ontario in the fall of 1969. I’ve been involved in education ever since. For 18 years I was a student through elementary, secondary and post-secondary studies. In turns, I coached hockey, soccer, volleyball, sailing, swimming, ropes course, and rowing. In that time I was able to both observe and practice the art and science of face-to-face instruction with students and mentors. Three weeks ago that pedagogical rug was pulled out from under my feet. After an excellent - but brief - one day of instruction in the technicalities of Zoom, my Brentwood teaching colleagues and I plunged into the deep end to face our students thousands of miles and several times zones away. I think that everybody, both teachers and students, have been making a genuine effort to optimize this new medium. When Muazam logs in from Saudi Arabia or Bo joins the lesson from Bangkok, I know there’s buy-in. But we still have so much to learn. My Grade 12s, over the last two weeks, have studied several Victorian dramatic monologues - “My Last Duchess”, “Ulysses”, “Dover Beach”. If we were back on campus, they would have done this in groups of three or four. They would have brainstormed, discussed props, costumes, setting, delivery, and editing. Last Thursday, they had 25 minutes and whatever resources they could find at home. And they were delivered: from Revelstoke, Mill Bay, Parksville, Bangkok, Calgary and Seattle.
Below are some examples of their work which warmed the sinews of my teaching soul. I trust they will do the same for you. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hxHUXrfrb4vvzDU-3s65B5eV1HuZATS-/view https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y_PpVm35on5JlSp2pwTOK3n0EgdPhOL3/view
Jim Ganley, English Teacher & Novice Zoomer