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(Describer) Titles appear over computer generated images of the rotating earth and the Covid 19 virus. Barbara Harrison Media. Kids speak out. Today.

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(Describer) Coronavirus. Covid 19. A floating medical capsule spills its contents.

Hello, everyone, and welcome to "Kids Speak Out," conversations with kids across the country and around the world about things they're thinking about these days. We continue our look at the coronavirus and some of the effects it's having on the way we live. And one of those ways, especially for kids, is how they're studying. We have a wonderful teacher, third-grade teacher from Montgomery County, Maryland, who's joining us today. Let's say welcome. Hi, there. Kristen Dunlap. Very nice to have you with us. Hi, good morning. This is Miss Dunlap. It's such a pleasure to be here. Thank you so much for the invitation, Barbara, and, kids, so great to see you as well. Okay, let's say hello to all the kids in the gallery today. Hi, my name is Lexi. I am eight years old, and I live in Los Angeles, California. Hi, I'm Natalie. I'm eight years old, and I live in Jacksonville, Florida. Hi, I'm Emily. I'm 11 years old, and I live in Jacksonville, Florida. Hi, I'm Allie. I'm nine years old, and I live in Jacksonville, Florida. Hi, I'm Drew. I'm nine years old, and I live in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Hi, my name is Brennan. I am ten years old, and I live in Rockville, Maryland. Hi, I'm Ella, and I'm eight, and I live in Los Angeles, California. Hi, my name is Sawyer, and I'm eight, and I'm from Bowie, Maryland.

(Barbara) So welcome everyone in the gallery. We're ready to get started, talking about this new technology, the one we're using today, which is also helping a lot of schools give their classes to kids who are staying at home during this period. You guys like it? Do you like learning from home?

(child) Yes.

(Barbara) Show of hands, who likes it? Who hates it? Who really doesn't like it? Okay, it looks like Drew is one who absolutely doesn't like it, and I think Sawyer doesn't like it either. But tell us, Drew, why don't you like it? I don't like it because I think it's easier for your teacher to be in the same room as you. And, like, if something-- if you have, like, a question, your teacher couldn't help you. And can all of you talk with your teachers from your homes when you're having your in-home learning? Can you all interact with your teachers?

(Drew) Yes.

(Barbara) Let's ask Miss Dunlap what she thinks about it. I know this is a whole new way for you. How's it going? Yes, absolutely. You said it perfectly. It's definitely a whole new way. And, you know, being honest, in the beginning, it was very challenging. Learning technology is, you know, hard for me, but learning it so quickly made it even harder. But, actually, I feel like, you know, the more that we get into the class, you know, the easier things are becoming. And really, Drew, just as you were saying, you know, it's hard to not be in the same room as your teacher. Well, it's really hard for me not being in the same room as my students. I'm used to walking around the room all day, doing small groups, different movement activities, and, you know, a lot of those things are limited with our distance learning. But, you know, over time, we're learning. And just as, boys and girls, you just said, you can still talk with your teachers. Well, Ms. Dunlap, I'm just noticing from my perspective here, using this Zoom technology, the kids can walk out and walk back in. Can you see them walking in and walking out?

[laughs] That's super interesting.

So, in the very beginning, I didn't realize what it would be like, and my students were getting up, walking to the refrigerator, getting a drink, coming back. One of my students even put on some scuba gear.

[laughs]

And it definitely made everybody laugh in the beginning. But once we got familiar with the technology, you know, I am pretty strict with making sure that students are very available for learning and that they are seated with the information that they need. Maybe it was their math notebook from something they did before or the book that they had to read. So, when I say "good morning" to them each morning, I make sure that they have the things that they need. And now they're really good about knowing the rules. Not just rules of the classroom, but rules about distance learning.

(Barbara) I want to ask Emily and Allie, who are sisters in Florida, do you have two separate rooms you go to for your studying? Or are you are you doing homeschooling or home learning in Florida right now? Yes. So we do it from home. I usually stay in my room and work at my desk, And I sit here where we're doing it right now. So we have our own--

(Barbara) Refrigerator-- get something to eat while your teacher is talking? No, I don't. No.

(Barbara) 'Cause she can see you, right? Yes. But does it feel a little bit weird to be there and to know that she can see you? But she's seeing a whole lot of kids, just like I'm looking at a whole gallery full of people right now. But do you think she can see everything you do?

(Emily) Probably not. Like, if you lean down to pick up something, then you'll just be gone for a second.

[chuckles]

(Barbara) Well, you know, I'm wondering, in Los Angeles, you guys are doing the same thing, but at some grades, I understand, that your moms are teaching you at home or some family member. You don't actually go on the computer to learn. Is that right, Ella? Well, my parents are helping me to learn. But when it's, like, on Wednesdays, they help us.

(Barbara) So just one day a week? Yeah. And is it the same way, Miss Dunlap, at your school? Do the parents do one day a week? Or how is that working? It's a little bit different at my school. At the school that I'm teaching at, we do live lessons every day, so I get to interact with my students each day, which is wonderful. And then we also have some opportunities after the whole class lesson to talk to students and families individually. But, you know, absolutely, just like you had said, Ella, it's, you know, the students-- as much as I try to do everything I can to help them, you know, boys and girls do need a little bit of support from home sometimes as well. Sawyer, what about at your school? Are you having lessons on the computer, or are your parents teaching you?

(Sawyer) Mostly it's on the computer.

(Barbara) And what do you think of that? How do you like it? Mm, harder. Because it's hard to write.

(Miss Dunlap) Sawyer, some of my students in my class said the same thing as you. They love being able to do some of the reading on the computer, because that way, they can annotate their own texts, they can highlight things, and they love that. But when it comes to the writing part, they said the same thing, that it's a lot harder to do the writing. If you're typing, you know, that's okay. But sometimes, let's say for math, they have to be able to write fractions. And sometimes it's hard to do when you have, like, a little mouse or a trackpad on your computer.

(Barbara) Wow, that would be hard, wouldn't it? That's crazy. Natalie, what about you? Are you doing math on the computer?

(Natalie) Well, it's kind of on and off. I have some math games, but I also have to work in my math workbook.

(Barbara) Ah, I see. And then you turn in the sheets from the workbook to your teacher? Mm-hmm, and she just knows if I'm doing the math games or not.

(Barbara) Oh, how does she know? She knows that we're doing the workbook because we take a picture of it, and we upload it on, like, our Google Classroom that we're using. Wow, that's a lot of work, isn't it, Miss Dunlap?

(Miss Dunlap) Absolutely.

(Natalie) I just had a test yesterday.

(Barbara) Wow.

(Natalie) A math test. Wow, you're having tests already. That's really impressive. I want to ask Brennan, because I know he has two younger sisters who are always around. What's it like trying to study at home and having your sisters wanting you to play with them? Well, even though I'm on the third floor and I have my own desk up there in my own office, I can still hear them screaming from all the way downstairs, like, if I want an ice cream or something like that.

[laughter]

(Barbara) And what do you do then? Do you just slam the door and hope you don't hear them anymore? Well, I do that, and I have headphones so I can listen to my teacher from there-- that I plug into the Chromebook. And sometimes I just run downstairs and be like, "Be quiet!" Well, are you finding you're getting your work done, though, in spite of that? Yes.

(Barbara) Oh, Natalie has something she wants to add.

(Natalie) It's, like, the same, but I have two little brothers that are downstairs, and sometimes-- and mostly they come upstairs and start banging on my door with trucks. Lexi, what's it been like for you trying to study? Sometimes we use computers, like Ella said, like, once a week. And we-- and not everything's online. So we do worksheets and upload it to this thing called Seesaw. It's an app where it gets to your teachers, and then, like, they can comment on it. One of the things that I really do like about what you mentioned is the idea that I can comment, and when my students turn something in using the app that they're working with, I can give them feedback right away. And I think that that's something that I really missed about being in the classroom.

(Describer) Barbara Harrison Media.

(Barbara) Asking questions, sharing opinions, that's what "Kids Speak Out" is all about. Sometimes adults don't have all the answers. We invite students from around the world to speak up, to ask questions and offer opinions on a topic of the day. You can join us. For more information, go to www.kidspeakout.me. Drew, sometimes I think teachers have to get everybody to wake up. I mean, maybe they just start to have a lull in their learning time. What does your teacher do when she's online to kind of get everybody going again? So we do a Zoom every, like, Wednesday, and she reads, like, a story. And she also, like, goes over how everybody's been doing. Yeah, like that, and also just, like, how have your days been, and what have you been doing over the last couple of days.

(Barbara) Well, that's great isn't it? to be able to talk to teachers. Do you think about that, Emily, being able to tell your teacher how things are going for you? 'Cause we are in a very unusual time in our lives. All of us across the country, across the world, actually, many of us are having to deal with a new normal. What do you say to your teacher? Well, sometimes after a class, I will stay after. The teacher will say the say, "If you have any questions, you can stay after, and I'll answer them." So sometimes I'll stay after, and then we talk, and then they ask how we're doing and stuff, if we like it. And you can answer and talk to your teacher alone, or sometimes there's other people on the Zoom meeting.

(Barbara) I see. Sawyer, what do you like the most about this new learning method? I can do it all in, like, one hour, but... And then the rest of the day is free.

(Barbara) So you don't have to go to school for six hours and stay there. You can do everything in one hour? Mm, I can do it in, like, half a day. Half of it in about an hour? But do you have to do it all at the same time? If the teacher's sitting there, do you have to finish everything while she's there? No, you don't have to. I see that we have Ella, who's decided to find some pillows and lie down for a little while. You ever do that when you're actually having class, Ella? Sometimes when I wake up really early, I get really tired, so I just lay down like this. Ah, and you can take your classes like that? The teacher doesn't mind? No. Let's ask Miss Dunlap. Do you care whether the children are sitting up straight like they're in their desks? And is it okay if they lie down or, you know, get on the sofa or relax while they're having their lessons? Yeah, I mean, that's a really great question. In the classroom, the actual school-building classroom, we have flexible seating. And students have really been working all year to make responsible choices about their seating. So sometimes the students in my class are sitting at their desks. Sometimes the students in my class in the building are sitting on a yoga ball, or we even have two couches in our classroom. So they're working, you know, really all year to make choices about flexible seating and making sure that they're still able to focus and do their assignments. So, when we're doing our class online, I just communicate those same expectations. But I do tell them that they do need to be sitting up with their materials. Now, if they're sitting on their couch, that's fine. If they're sitting at a table, that's fine. And I just talk to them about making sure that they pick a place where they know they can best focus.

(Barbara) There are so many things happening in the world today that you want and need to talk about. Speaking out is a privilege and a responsibility. When you see something, sometimes you want to talk about it, ask a question, share an opinion, and hear those of others. It can help us to build a better world. "Kids Speak Out." I think we have another-- We have someone joining us now from South America. So we really are an international group now. I think that we have Francisco. Are you there with us, Francisco? Hi, I'm Francisco, six years old, from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Hi, I am JF, eight years old, also Sao Paulo, Brazil.

(Barbara) Great, we're so happy to have you guys with us. Thank you for joining us. Francisco, are you taking classes with your computer in Sao Paulo, Brazil? Yes.

(Barbara) What's that like? It's... like I'm doing homework but in home.

(Barbara) Ah, you're doing schoolwork but at home. Yes.

(Barbara) Does your teacher see you? Yes, sometimes. Best part of homeschooling, that I can stay playing with my friends online.

(Barbara) So are you looking forward to the quarantine being over? Yes, I'm looking because I do want to see my friends at school. Yes.

(Barbara) Yeah, well, but it's okay, studying at home for now?

(both) Yes.

(JF) It's okay. So one of the things that I was wondering is, obviously, you're doing a lot of really good work at home, and I'm sure that when you were in your classroom at school, you were doing great work there. But what's the thing that you miss the most about being in school? My friends and my teachers.

(Miss Dunlap) Yeah. I can imagine that's really hard. Can you still talk to your friends in any kind of way now that you're at home?

(Francisco) Yes, I can. I use an app for my school. Well, I just go on Google Hangout or Zoom with them. And, yeah. Well, I can't see them in person, of course. But, yeah, I go on Zoom with them, Google Hangout, stuff like that.

(Barbara) Are you guys getting to know your siblings? I guess maybe Emily and Allie can tell us. You guys getting to spend more good times together? I think we're spending more time together since we're always in the same house.

(Barbara) Is that a good thing?

(both) Yes.

(Barbara) Oh, good. I know that Sawyer has a sister, too. Are you guys playing together? Has she become your best friend since you've been at home, Sawyer? No.

[laughs] Do you get along, though?

Are you finding that you're fighting more?

(Sawyer) Fighting more.

(Barbara) Yeah, I know. I had a bunch of brothers, too, and I was always fighting with them. I get along with my siblings better. I, for sure, see them more. And... I feel like they're being-- Like, when we go to school, usually they tease me. But now that we spend more time together, they're, like, nicer to me.

(Barbara) Oh, well, that's a good thing, then. So not a lot of fighting, huh? 'Cause siblings do tend get on each other's nerves sometime. Right, Miss Dunlap? I've been making some masks for all of the little animals.

(Barbara) Oh, and you made these animals, is that right? Yes.

(Barbara) Tell us how you made them. Well, they're made out of empty toilet-paper rolls.

(Barbara) Ah, those are wonderful. They're so colorful and beautiful. I've also been doing some crafts. I've been doing painting and drawing. But I agree that it's also really important to have, you know, some downtime and have some time to do things with your family and virtually with your friends. Some of my students right now are playing games with each other on Zoom, which is kind of cool. I don't know exactly how it works, but one of my students was telling me about that just yesterday. And then we're also, I don't know, I think really recommending for boys and girls to be able to do things to make sure that your body is moving. In my class, we do a lot of GoNoodle, which is just kind of, like, different types of dancing to a little video. I see some people making connections that are doing that at home as well. And even if you're not able to go outside, just doing things in your house to make sure that your body is moving as well so that you're still staying active.

(Barbara) Yeah, okay. Well, okay, I think that Drew has something he wants to say.

(Drew) So I just want to say thank you for you guys, like, putting us together and letting us be on this YouTube thing-y.

(Barbara) And we really want to thank Miss Dunlap for joining us today. It's so great to have a real live teacher with us here to talk about all the things that she's going through, trying to make sure your lives are better and that you continue to learn. So thanks again for joining us. And to all of you in our gallery, will you come back again another time?

(all) Yeah.

(Barbara) Good. I hope you will. Okay, we look forward-- Well, this has been a fun day. I enjoyed hearing from our students from across the country and around the world and from teacher Kristen Dunlap, Miss Dunlap, as she explained to us how she plans her lessons and reaches out to the kids. And it seems that children across the country are maybe not enjoying it, but they're certainly doing it and learning and continuing to learn. So, if you'd like to join us here on "Kids Speak Out," you can do that. Find out about how you can by going to our website, kidspeakout.me. We'll see you the next time, and stay safe.

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(Describer) Titles appear over computer generated images of the rotating earth and the Covid 19 virus. Barbara Harrison Media. Kids speak out. Today.

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(Describer) Coronavirus. Covid 19. A floating medical capsule spills its contents. Accessibility provided by the US Department of Education.

Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.