Learning at Home Resources

Kids can continue learning

With the CoronaVirus pandemic closing schools and non-school programs in Chicago, throughout Illinois, and in other states, parents and students are searching for sources of on-line learning, engagement and recreation.

Here's a link to the homework help section of the Tutor/Mentor Library, where I've been aggregating links for many years.  The challenge for most families is that there won't be a trained teacher, tutor or mentor to coach kids to use these resources.

One solution is for older siblings to tutor younger ones.  The other is for parents to try to learn about some of these resources. The best would be for kids to be pointed to learning sites, then figure out which ones they like best. Probably a combination.

One type of mentoring and tutoring that has been growing for the past decade is eMentoring and eTutoring, where the youth and volunteer do not meet in person, but online, in an activity that is facilitated through well-organized programs.  In this section of the tutor/mentor library I point to some eMentoring programs that I know of.

Because so many schools have suddenly closed, due to the CoronaVirus, many people are scrambling to learn how to teach on-line or to find on-line resources.  Social media is meeting that need, with many people sharing ideas, or aggregating links, to a collection of learning resources.

Here are a few Tweets in my @tutormentorteam feed today. If you search some of the #hashtags shown in these Tweets, you can see the same information as I am, and much more.

Check this out on Wakelet - Learning at home https://t.co/SnHVW42iSu via @wakelet @HeritageECS #TheTinyCouch #WEareinthistogether

— Faye Harp (@harp_faye) March 16, 2020

We have compiled a list of resources for our pupils during the school shutdown. Thanks to @MsNiamhBrady and @MaggieMGreen for the inspiration https://t.co/3uSDFzIl7Q via @wakelet

— KilmacthomasPrimary (@KilmacPrimary) March 16, 2020

Parents, if you’re looking for a FREE and easy way to keep the education train going please check out this #LearnAtHome program https://t.co/NQR6zEudZK

— Cierra Carere (@MsCThriving3s) March 16, 2020

Did you know The Resource Bank has a new Mathematics Hub? There are collections of resources for school and home available. My favourites are the Math Games, Videos & Tutorials, and DLC Blended Math Lessons by grade. https://t.co/IBiMGawRGE #OER #learning#learnathome #math pic.twitter.com/h4CbVfkcJB

— Melissa Lander (@landermrs) March 16, 2020

These are just a FEW of the MANY free virtual learning resources available!!! #learnathome #athomelearning #StayAtHome #virtuallearning #teachersofinstagram #QuarantineLife pic.twitter.com/nR76RALgpY

— A Cupcake for the Teacher (@Cupcake4Teacher) March 16, 2020

These same resources are probably being shared on Facebook, LinkedIN, Instagram and other sites. I like Twitter because you can narrow your search using a #hashtag, then scroll through Tweets you find.

For teachers looking for ideas about teaching on-line here's a list aggregated by @VanceS of the Webheads in Action community. https://t.co/MMuI2vaUfp #clmooc

— Daniel Bassill (@tutormentorteam) March 15, 2020

I hope you find this useful. You can share what works by posting your own Tweet, using one or more of these hashtags.  If you point to @tutormentorteam, I'm sure to see your post.

I've been working from home most of the time since 2011, and have spent much time in on-line learning since 1998, so I'm not as inconvenienced as many are from being forced to stay at home.

I hope that this virus passes over most of us, and harms as few people as possible.  If you're able to share ideas and help others who need someone to talk with, or to help with food or other tasks, please do.  We're all in this together.

4/10/2020  update - A group from the University of Maryland has been creating a list of Covid19 visualizations, which is updated daily on this GoogleDoc.

4/10/2020 update - here's another resource to stay updated on Covid19. It's created by CrowdTangle. Open this link and see maps of various countries. Click on any map and a dashboard, similar to TweetDeck, opens for that country.

5/6/2020 update - EducatingALLLearners is another resource. click here  Hashtags where people are sharing ideas on Twitter include #TeacherReady,  #RemoteLearning, #NextGenEdu