So That Was E-learning (A Documentation)

Before you once again develop that nervous twitch and run screaming crazy-like to nowhere in particular at the mere mention of E-learning, let me simply say that the main objective of this particular blog entry is to document aspects of the past three months for posterity's sake.  Once our school district saw that we would be implementing remote E-learning for the long haul, it was decided that we would expand from providing opportunities for students to completing standards for the year.  While the teaching career has always meant going above and beyond the "working hours" (I’m not sure that most of us even know what that is or means), time, energy, and life in general became amped to a much higher degree.  

Most days were spent collecting scores from Google Forms and i-Ready lessons while constantly communicating with parents and students through emails, GoGuardian, and Zoom Meetings.  It was suggested that we should hold office hours so we could “turn the constant off.”  Bwahaha (insert hysterical laugh)!  I usually would take a break at some point during the day to take time for myself, and then sit back down after dinner to work late into the evening preparing lessons for the following day.  This routine went on for weeks and months as many of you well know.  Burning stored energy, finding hope to carry on, and continuing to create connections became my quest.

To stay sane I typically started most days running at the first rays of light.  The half marathon I had signed up for in May was postponed, but the “training show” went on.  Sometimes I ran solo, but most times I ran with friends under the guise of what I like to call “lateral distancing”.  This meant that I was on one side of the trail, while friends were on the other.  We were rewarded when we completed a “virtual half marathon”; running when and where we wanted and then sending in our finish time to a website.  Running helped me to burn energy.

On occasional free nights or weekends, together with my wife and daughter, we would often load up in our vehicle to take a drive further into the country.  We’d pretend to escape while enjoying a beautiful sunset, occasional wildlife, or the rebirth of springtime; sometimes with a shake or ice cream cone in hand.  Country drives helped us have hope.

I never made it into the outdoors strictly to “get away” during this period of time.  I did, however, enter into natural surroundings to make videos for my math and science lessons.  When it came to hauling in equipment or editing the videos, it was a lot of extra work, but it also allowed me to feel as though I was talking directly to my students and teaching a lesson; albeit often alongside a moving form of water in a river or creek as opposed to being between the four walls of my classroom.  It’s how I’d like to teach in the perfect world anyways.  My outdoor lessons helped me to have a small connection to normalcy as a teacher and the natural world for my soul.

And so it was through physically burning energy, finding hope, or looking for connections that I tried to clear my head of the cluttered thoughts of what I underwent throughout the educational world of E-learning; by running, taking country drives, and creating lessons in the outdoors.  I don’t want to lose track and forget how I survived teaching during the spring of 2020.  Because of this I’ll simply document the lessons I had posted on YouTube here in this blog entry.  Perhaps I’ll use them as videos I can refer to when I’m teaching from within the school building next year, or maybe others will have their child watch them to learn about water, gravity, integers, or the surprise of classroom gerbils giving birth to three litters of babies.  True summer adventures now await!  Yes!

See you along The Way…

______________________

VIDEOS & PICTURES BELOW:

VIDEOS (Click on the # to watch)

Science ("Professor Rhines Out In The Elements"):

#1-Pectentages of H2O (@ Dry Run Creek)

#2-Graphs & Salt (One graph error I correct in #3-@ WMS's "Odonata Pond")

#3-Graph Review (@ DalSanto's Creek)

#4-All The H2O On Earth (@ Dry Run Creek in Hononegah F.P.)

#5-All Of The Fresh H2O On Earth (@ Kinnikinnick Creek)

#6-From the Book "A Drop Of Water" - Water Tension (@ DalSanto's Creek)

#7-From the Book "A Drop Of Water" - Adhesion & Capillary Attraction (@ Turtle Creek)

#8-From the Book "A Drop Of Water" - States Of Matter In A Coming Storm" (@ Rock/Pecatonica River)

#9-From the Book "A Drop Of Water" - Evaporation & Condensation (@ Sugar River)

#10-From the Book "A Drop Of Water" - Snow, Frost, And Eagles (@ Rock/Turtle River)

#11-From the Book "A Drop Of Water" - Reflection, Refraction, & Water Cycle (@ Sugar River Channel)

#12-Gravity-Inertia-Orbit (In My Willowbrook Middle School Classroom)

#13-Newton's Three Laws Of Motion (My Final Farewell) (@ Sugar River)

Math ("Mr. Rhines' Math In The Woods"):

#1-Integers (@ Dry Run Creek)
#2-Adding Same Sign Integers (@ DalSanto's Creek)
#3-Adding Different Sign Integers (@ Dry Run Creek in Hononegah F.P.)
#4-Reviewing Thre Addition Of Integers (@ Kinnikinnick Creek)
#5-Subtracting Integers (@ DalSanto's Creek)
#6-Review Subtracting Integers (In the woods up behind WMS's "Bird's Grove Prairie")
#7-Operations For Integers-Review & Application (My Final Farewell) (@ Sugar River)

Extras-

#1-Animal Husbandary (Classroom Pets @ My House)

#2-Two & A Half Week Old Gerbils (Classroom Pets @ My House)

Earth Day WMS 2020 (Presented By The Willowbrook Middle School Science Team)

PICTURES

RUNNING:

Scott & I On The Last Snow Fall Of The Year (4-17-20)

Justin, Scott, Louie, And I On Our 14 Mile Long Run
Practicing What I Coined "Lateral Distancing" While Training

After Running The Half Marathon
"BigFoot-The Social Distancing Champion's Running Challenge"
(The Last Sub-Freezing Day For The Spring-May 9th, 2020)

Finally Some Warm Weather To Run in-Following A 10 Miler in June

COUNTRY DRIVES:

 

 

LESSONS IN THE OUTDOORS:

Gerbil Litter#1 on Saturday, April 18th (6 pups : )
Apparently The Christmas Gifts From Two Students Were A Male & Female

 

At Turtle Creek

Heading Into The Rock-Pecatonica River Confluence Before A Thunderstorm

Well Earned Hot Chocolate After A Lesson

Nature Tells A Story - You Often Find Cool Things While Out & About

Litter#2 (5 Pups) Born Wednesday, May 20, 2020
I Actually Had A Parent Email Me To Explain How I Can Prevent Such Things!
Bwahahaha!  : )
There Really Is A Story & Explanation To The Whole Thing
Classroom Pets @ Home During The Pandemic...Who Knew?

Prairie Lupines

Flowers On A Hickory Tree

The End (Of E-learning) Was Near!
Hiking Through Backwaters To Video My Final Lessons In Math & Science

I Cooked A Brat & Asparagas To Celebrate The End Of My Lessons
And The Beginning Of Summer Soon To Come!

Gazing Up Through The Canopy Of An Ironwood Tree

From A (Caring) Student : )

Litter#3 (The Final One For A While)
Friday, June 19, 2020

Summer Is Here!  : )

Closing The Gap On Social Distancing

Crazy.  That’s probably one way to describe the last week or so.  Scary, frustrating, and stressful could possibly be other feelings used to illustrate how we’ve felt, and what has happened, since the coronavirus-19 suddenly became more real (COVID-19).  I’m not sure anything has ever happened like this before. A friend of mine remembers being off from school seventy years ago, when he was in 1st grade, due to the polio epidemic. My own parents don’t remember being off from school, as they themselves were in the 4th or 5th grade at the time, but like my friend, they remember having limited activities throughout the summer months and waiting for a vaccine; soon enough presented in a sugar cube.  Of course there have been other events in our world’s most recent history that have “stopped the presses;” from measles and world wars, to the attack on September 11th. Each was catastrophic in their own right. But this virus seems far reaching beyond any boundaries, and without any care of who is infected. Hence the worldwide shut downs.

Somehow when all is said and done, we’ll look back at this pandemic and recognize our health care providers, and those working in essential businesses, as gold medal recipients like we did our first responders after 9-11.  The coronavirus has been a violent disruption of what we’ve come to expect. When you think of those who have suffered from the disease, and maybe even died, the loved ones left behind who couldn’t be around them in the final moments, businesses that have had to close, events canceled, lives and livelihoods turned topsy-turvy, it can be downright depressing.  Humanity has been sucker punched. One of the hardest things to swallow is how quickly we’ve moved forward without any time to properly process what’s happened. While some of that was necessary to protect ourselves, and stop the spread of the virus, we’ve not allowed ourselves to mourn the loss. In the midst of being forced to step back and not be engaged with others, people find themselves substituting time with constantly being connected to social media and e-learning.  Something is going to give way at some point, over an extended period of time, and you can probably guess it will be in the realm of mental health.

And so we have social distancing to try to “push down the curve” that would otherwise reflect the escalating spread of the disease.  It has been with that in mind that I’ve run the local trails; sometimes with friends but always at a distance. It has also been with that in mind that I went out and cut firewood the other day.  But it was mostly with that in mind that I chose to go out for an outdoor adventure. It is, after all, our Spring Break. And since we’re not traveling, or even visiting our own parents or son & daughter-in-law to prevent any contamination, I went to the woods.  I was technically walking the dog and exercising, but quite simply it was essential to my well being. Regardless, I didn’t see a living soul, so social distancing was a moot issue.

By midmorning I had filled my backpack with the necessary gear, and along with an older pair of waders, lashed them both to an old sled that I intended to use as a sledge over dry land.  After hiking a respectable distance, I knew I was going to need to slog through some deeper sloughs, in some backwater areas, so I had to have something to help me haul the equipment it would take to get me through and up onto higher ground.  Together with our dog Kora, and my Silver Jeep (now equipped with new shocks and tires), I headed out.

It wasn’t hard to drag the sledge, but I wouldn’t say it was easy either; it was a workout for my back and legs.  I was fueled, however, with the desire to try something new to get to someplace familiar. With the area to ourselves, I stuck to fairly worn trails until I came upon a (Northern) bayou draining off an oxbow; swollen from a nearby river that was approaching flood stage.

The Sledge

I unlashed the gear, took off my tall boots, and put on my waders and backpack.  I left the sledge against a silver maple, and Kora on the bank, until I had found a respectable way across the water.  Fortunately I had brought along one of my hiking sticks; this one a relic my Dad had carved for me a few years back. Using it as a staff for balance in the current, I prodded the creek bed in front of me to regulate the depth and determine if there were any underwater structures in my way.  About halfway across the slough channel, when the water level was at my chest, I realized I had a slow leak in my waders. I felt cold water seeping down my right leg. It was still better than swimming across this time of the year!

Once I had made it to some higher, dry ground on the far bank, I unloaded my boots and backpack and tried to call Kora over to me.  Instead, she looked at me from afar, with an expression that said, “Are you crazy?” and stood her ground. I made my way back, just short of the main channel and managed to coax her into the water and up to me; encouraging her as she swam.  She really is a good swimmer, and reminds me of a little otter. I decided the sled turned sledge was fine where I had left it on the far bank until I returned later. Together, Kora and I continued the last 100 feet to where I had dropped my gear.  From this point it was a small jaunt back to the river itself. It was running high, which was the main reason I had needed to traverse the runoff of its water in waders. To get back into this section of the woods, however, it was what I had had to do.

CLICK BELOW FOR A VIDEO OF

KORA & I CROSSING THE SLOUGH:

I quickly unpacked, cut up some wood (chiefly hickory), and started a fire on the riverbank.  While the coals were forming, I took a few pictures and then began preparing our food. I also toweled off Kora and gave her a dry spot on which to lay down.   I was determined to enjoy this outing, and try not to rush from one thing to the next without taking the time to ponder and reflect on what’s been happening. Moreover, I felt fortunate at this point to be able to get out and have a chance to enjoy nature.  In the distance, and occasionally overhead, we were serenaded by the booming calls of several barred owls, the loud rattling of sandhill cranes, the honking of Canadian geese, the quacking of mallards, and the wailing cries of the shy wood ducks.

Once I had eaten and shared some of the food with Kora, I added cocoa to my hot water and tried to sit for a few minutes.  I often feel like a squirrel that is always on the move, but sitting still without having to constantly be doing something is important.  Through one mug of hot chocolate I sat and watched the water of the river sweep by, while occasionally adding wood to my small fire.

CLICK BELOW FOR A VIDEO OF

THE CRACKING FIRE ON THE RIVERBANK:

In addition, I journaled for a spell, took a few extended videos of the fire burning, and then had another mug full of cocoa while reading excerpts from the Bible.  Although I skipped around to various versus, I finally found myself centered on Hebrews#11; the chapter called, “The Hall of Faith.” The word faith is mentioned about 27 times in that chapter, and highlights those who came before us who both endured hardships and persevered.  Imagine that! Of course while they were living through their trials of life, they didn’t know how things would turn out in the end. Perhaps that’s why the very first verse at the beginning of chapter#12 states, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses [those mentioned in chapter#11)], let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (NIV)  And what a race life is right now; resembling an ultra marathon, an obstacle course, or perhaps the swamps surrounding the backwater areas of a river. I think that’s why I keep seeing and hearing people refer to the mantra of, “Faith over fear, and Peace over panic.” True that! Until then, find the thing that refuels you. For me, on this outing, it was being nearer to nature, and creatively coming up with new ways to do what I like to do. And then, with that energy in your tank, reach out in some way, shape, or form to encourage somebody around you.  It will safely help to close the gap on this social distancing.

See you along The Way...

CLICK BELOW FOR A VIDEO OF

QUIET REFLECTIONS DURING

SOCIAL DISTANCING:

See you along The Way...

Father Daughter Springtime Dance

Pictures In The Shadows

Sunshine abounded and fell unencumbered.

Winter’s cruel bite fled and ran back to the North.

Although ice still clung to trails on the ridges,

Layers of soil shown forth to the heavens.

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Lichen and mosses popped out in stark contrast.

Branches against blue rattled bones to the wind.

While the xylem pushed up the sap from the roots,

Phloem brought vital energy to the trees.

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Liquid silver gurgled South rushing noisy.

Banks under water peeking up through Spring’s flood.

As breezes are filtered through needles of pine,

Birds call and make boundaries fresh from the flight.

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Jodi and I walked and talked within that realm.

Riverside woodland - sanctuary escape.

When we reached the margin ‘tween water and land,

Fire was brought forth adding song to the day.

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Food was then cooked on a mid-morning skillet.

Kora sniffed scents from invisible wilds.

Since time stood still as we conversed in the warmth,

Daughter and I danced to the birth of the Earth.

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See you along The Way...

A Bend In The Swollen River

Moss Spore Pods

Waiting For The Food To Cook

Cooking On A River's Bank

Kora Dining In Style

Topping Off Brunch With Mugs Of Hot Cocoa

Bone White Branches Of A Sycamore Tree

Father Daughter Springtime Dance