^{Encourage students to move beyond basic reading comprehension. Get them to tie what they are reading to their own lives and experiences, self to text.}

1. ^{If desired, hang the posters of the journal process in your classroom. You can find this process in the teacher resource notebook.} 
2. ^{Each time students read, they should journal after each chapter of the book, have them write down the page number, their reaction, and questions based on that section. We want students to tie their reading to the interview process.}
3. ^{Write questions that draw out the author or specialist beyond the "generic" author questions they are usually asked, a more in-depth question is what the author/specialist is expecting. Have the student ask the author/specialist to explain or describe things they did not understand or are curious about from the book.}

^{In Summary: Interviews are conducted with authors of books and with "specialists" whose occupations, interests and experiences bring credibility or a better understanding to a particular literature selection.} 

^{How does this program correlate with the Common Core standards?}

^{The below standards are taken from the ELA Unit Framework from the “A Crosswalk to the Michigan High School ELA Unit Framework and High School Content Expectations Michigan Department of Education.}

• ^{Reading: Text complexity and the growth of comprehension}

• ^{Writing: Text types, responding to reading, and research}

• ^{Speaking and Listening: Flexible communication and collaboration}

• ^{Comprehension and Collaboration}

• ^{Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas}

 ^{How the Common Core and the 4 C's integrate with Interactive Distance Learning through Video Conferencing}

 Communication:

^{*Effective communication in our digital age requires the students to learn new skills and adapting these skills in relation to audience, task and discipline.}

^{*Students need to understand other's perspectives and cultures through reading, listening and communication of various backgrounds and settings.}

^{* With these new communication skills students can justify their conclusions and respond to others ideas and responses of the same topic.}

 Collaboration:

 ^{*Collaboration is an essential part of communication so that students can share with each other to reach a common goal.}

^{*Students have to prepare for the common goal and effectively include conversation in a collaboration that includes a wide range of audiences that build on other's ideas and to express themselves clearly and persuasively.}

 Creativity:

^{*Creativity is probably the most important of the 4 C's. Creativity brings out the inventors and innovators to help the student for their college and career readiness.}

^{*Technology will give students the opportunity to be more than a passive content consumer to content creators with real audiences.}

 Critical Thinking:

^{*Critical thinking goes hand in hand with problem solving which helps to navigate and manage the overwhelming amount of information in today's technical world.}

^{*Integrate, Evaluate, Delineate, Analyze, Reason, Validate, and Compare are some main concepts for students' to work with to build their knowledge and present ideas in various media types to collaborate with peers or to an audience.}

If you would like to receive information about any or all of the interactive distance learning programs offered by the MISD please join our listservs. We will be using these to announce our programs and their availability.

The Following Listserv is under the ASK Program. 

With so many different programs coming and going the ASK program Listserv will only be used to make announcements about all the MISD Distance Learning programs which includes the ASK program, Interactive Programs and the Playful Engineering Programs. 

Follow this link to Join the MISD Distance Learning Listserv or copy and paste the following url into your browser http://www.misd.net/distancelearning/subscribe.htm

This listserv is private, we will not share your information or send you emails that do not pertain to the Distance Learning Programs.

How to use the Interactive Distance Learning Registration page:

• Fill in the appropriate information on Step 1. Be sure the e-mail address is correct, email is how you will be notified if you have been accepted and registered for the program along with reminders and schedules throughout the school year.
• Continue on to Step 2.
• Under Choose a Program choose the program you are interested in.
• Under Choose a Topic choose the title of the book/program you would like.
• Under Choose a Session choose a date and time you would like to participate.
• Continue on to Step 3.
• Review the information and if correct press submit.
• If you would like to register for another program click on Use this link to submit another program request.

Registrations are on a first come first serve basis.

Duplicate requests will be deleted so please do not register for another teacher unless you put in their name and email address.

DO NOT DOUBLE UP CLASSROOMS FOR ONE SESSION / PROGRAM.... REGISTER EACH TEACHER THAT PARTICIPATES IN THE PROGRAMS.

Reasons why we don’t recommend teachers doubling up or using your name for other teachers. 

1. Only the teacher who registers for the program will get materials.

2. One class of 35 students or less 99% of students will be able to ask questions and be on camera, if more than one class not all students will be able to ask questions and it is not fair to the other classrooms involved in the program. 

3. It is bad for our statistics, the more teachers that register for a program the more we can offer the program in the future. We go by teacher registrations and not the count of students.

 4. The more we have registered the more funding will be available to support the authors and specialists we use for our future programs.

READ YOUR EMAILS CAREFULLY!! Yes, sometimes you will be put on the waiting list or rejected for a program. Do not assume that you have been confirmed for the program! 

Check your school Calendars!!!!

Here is a pdf that explains the STEP BY STEP PROCESS OF YOUR PARTICIPATION IN A INTERACTIVE VIDEO CONFERENCE

Here is a pdf that explains the Distance Learning Email Structure of who gets what emails that is sent out from the MISD.

The registration page is or copy this URL, https://www.misd.net/dl/ to open in your browser. 

Find out more about ASK

An Important Note about the ASK program below:

Reasons why we don’t recommend teachers doubling up:

1. Only teacher who registers for the program will get materials.

2. With one class of 35 students or less then at least 99% of the students will be able to ask questions and be on camera, if more than one class in one room not all students will be able to ask questions and it is not fair to the students.

3. It is bad for our statistics, the more teachers that register the more we can offer the program in the future. At the end of the school year I set up the next year's programs by how many registered for what program. We go by registrations and not the count of students for a program.

4. The more we have registered the more the MISD will support the authors and educational specialists we use for our programs and therefore we have funding for future programs.

A program we have for the younger students, 1st and 2nd graders is "Tinkering with Forces and Motion" and is with a science consultant, Paul Drummond. This program will enhance the learning experience for students in Physical Science while tinkering with recyclable and reusable materials. Students will work with team members, engineer and design an object that is balanced, has motion, discuss the design & redesign, collaborate, and reflect their understanding of forces while making a wind turbine. Some materials will be provided for you along with instructions in a teacher notebook. 

One book each will be included “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” and “Wind Energy Blown Away”.

For the higher level grades of 3rd, 4th, and 5th is still in them making so information will be updated when all the details are worked out. 

We use Zoom as our cloud base software program to make the distance learning connections. 

All you have to do is download the Zoom software, free of charge. Then when the meeting room link is emailed to you all you have to do is click on the link and we will be connected, put in the Meeting ID# and the Meeting Pass code. If you have an account in Zoom, then you login to your account and put in the Meeting ID#, you will not need the passcode.

The meeting room information does change with each program so do not save the link that will be sent to you for one program because it closes out at the end of the day after the programs are done. 

You will need speakers and a microphone hooked up. It is highly recommended to have an USB microphone because the computer microphone does not pick up audio well for the students questions. If you use a laptop then all you have to do is make sure your camera and microphone from the laptop is on and in sync with the meeting room. If you use a desktop computer make sure you can connect a microphone and speakers to your computer. 

An extra good thing to do during the program is to make sure your laptop is plugged in for the battery and that you are hardwired (computer Ethernet into the wall Ethernet plug) to your internet Lan or router which will give a stronger signal.

Also make sure you have all of your equipment turned on BEFORE connecting to Zoom This way Zoom will automatically find the equipment you are using for the program.  

Technology Tips & Guides for a Successful Video Conference

Know how to operate all of your equipment before your video conference begins. This includes your Codec, Video Projector and wireless Microphones.

• Have technical help standing by or make sure you can phone a tech person right away.
• Have your party’s telephone number in case problems arise.
• Do a test call prior to the date before your event with someone outside of your network to verify incoming and outgoing audio and video.
• Know how to mute when not speaking. You will be asked to do this throughout the program.

All of the school districts technical coordinators have been instructed on how to use Zoom. Contact them to learn how you can use it in the classroom if needed.

For more help you can contact the Macomb ISD technical person, Brian Boudreau at bboudreau@misd.net or 586-228-3422.