Y3K Tutor In Your Home

Remote Learning: Do It Yourself Laptop Neck Pain Fix

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Do your kids have neck and back pain from remote learning because their laptops are too low? Here is a great way to make your own laptop stand easily while saving money. All you have to do is get an empty 3 ring binder and put the laptop on it so keyboard is slanted downward and the screen is raised on top of the rings. The larger the rings, the better it is to put less stress on your child’s neck without compromising their hand typing position.

What should your student do when using a laptop in a Zoom meeting to not put stress on the upper back and neck? Check back here soon for the easy solution.

Remote Learning: Laptop Ergonomics

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There two simple ways you can keep your students pain-free and in the right position while they are learning remotely using their laptops. The first method of maintaining proper screen height so your child will not strain their neck can be found in box stores and online. Proper back and neck ergonomics can be achieved with a laptop stand. A laptop stand will raise the screen to eye level so your child won’t need to slouch their neck. You can easily buy one wherever you find computer accessories.

Did you know that you could also make your own laptop stand at home using common household items, to keep your kids safe and pain-free? Look for our next post on the second method as we show you the how to make one easily while saving money.

Remote Learning: Laptop Neck Strain

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Using a laptop can put strain on a child’s neck and upper back when the screen is too low. A laptop is designed so the screen is close to the keyboard forcing the head to be tilted downward and slouching the back. This position can cause their neck to be flexed forward. This not only puts stress on their neck, but also the upper back muscles and joints as well.

There are some easy methods your child can do at home to decrease the stress on their body from frequently using their laptop. Our goal is to raise the screen height so your child doesn’t strain their neck. This can be achieved two different ways and both are easy to do.

Check back here next time for the simple ways you can help your students be pain-free while learning remotely on a laptop.

Remote Learning: Neck and Back Pain

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Are your children doing any remote learning this year? Many kids use a laptop computer in positions that may feel comfortable at the moment but are doing damage in the long run. Many students are suffering from neck and back pain due to long periods of time on their laptops sitting in unhealthy positions. Due to poor ergonomics, students are getting neck and upper back pain, which often includes pain into the shoulders as well.

Next time we will share some ergonomic suggestions to keep your kids pain-free while working remotely from home.

Reopening Schools: Where Are Extra Teachers Coming From?

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Due to social distancing measures, schools will need extra teachers for extra classrooms. The following is from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) about how to find more classroom teachers for reopening schools in the fall:

Staffing alternatives to consider for reducing class sizes:  Specialist teachers and other educators such as instructional coaches, reading specialists, and others who have appropriate certifications may be enlisted to serve as additional core teachers to reduce class sizes in schools.

Reopening Schools: In-Person Learning

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The following is the first of the three The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) plans reopening schools in the fall:

In-person learning with new safety requirements: Our goal to get as many students as possible back into schools for in-person learning safely. In this model, all students return in person to school settings that are appropriately modified to accommodate the health and safety requirements outlined (in previous Y3K Tutor In Your Home posts). Examples of modifications could include altered classroom configurations, setting up additional learning spaces, and schedule changes.

 

Come back next time as we will reveal to you how their hybrid learning plan would work if the in-person learning plan is not possible.

Reopening Schools: 3 Options

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There are 3 possible ways the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will be reopening schools in the fall.  They are as follows:

Components of district/school fall reopening plans: Each district and school will need to plan for three possibilities on the continuum of reopening:

1) In-person learning with new safety requirements (see previous Y3K Tutor In Your Home posts for the safety requirements).

2) A hybrid of in-person and remote learning.

3) Remote learning.

 

In our next installment, we will examine their in-person school reopening plan.

Reopening Schools: Student Groups

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Traditionally in the pre-COVID world, elementary school students would mix with students from other classrooms at recess. Middle and high school students would have different classrooms for each subject and different students in each class. To address the issue of student groups, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) issued the following guidance for reopening schools:

 

To minimize the number of students who would potentially be exposed in the event of a COVID-19 event, to the extent feasible, elementary schools should aim to keep students in the same group throughout the day and middle and high schools are encouraged to minimize mixing student groups to the extent feasible. Our initial requirements and related guidance are as follows:

•Cohorts: Schools should divide students into small groups that remain with each other throughout the day, with smaller cohort sizes preferred. Schools should look for ways to isolate cohorts of students and prevent inter-group contact to the extent feasible.

•Capacity: There are no required maximums on cohort or group sizes, so long as schools adhere to the physical distancing requirements.

 

Reducing the mixing of student groups: When in classrooms, all students should have assigned seating. At the elementary school level, students should be restricted to their grade level class to the greatest extent possible. At the middle school level, students should remain with their cohort throughout the day to the extent feasible. High schools could also consider ways to cohort or cluster students, though we recognize this is more challenging at the high school level:

•Placing students in cohorts. When grouping students into cohorts, a school should consider ways to keep families/siblings together (e.g., grouping students alphabetically, while recognizing that some siblings may have different last names).

•Limiting travel within a school. High schools may try to group students into clusters in the school (a “school within a school”) to try to reduce interactions with other groups when students move to their next class.

 

Check back here soon for the 3 possible scenarios they are considering for schools this coming September.

Schools Reopening: Social Distancing

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One controversial part of the Massachusetts plan to reopen schools is the section on social distancing. Before reading the plan, keep in mind that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended maintaining a physical distance of six feet between individuals to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.  Here is their social distancing plan for schools reopening:

 

●Distancing requirements: Schools should aim for a physical distance of six feet when feasible, and three feet is the minimum distance allowed. Schools should seek to maximize physical distance among individuals within their physical and operational constraints.

●Classroom and facility configuration: To the extent possible, desks should be spaced six feet apart (but no fewer than three feet apart) and facing the same direction.

●Alternative spaces in the school (e.g., cafeteria, library, and auditorium) should be repurposed to increase the amount of available space to accommodate the maximum distance possible. In these larger spaces, establishing consistent cohorts/classes with separation between the cohorts/classes provides another option to maximize these spaces safely.

●Additional safety precautions are required for school nurses and/or any staff supporting students with disabilities in close proximity, when distance is not possible:These precautions must include eye protection (e.g., face shield or goggles) and a mask/face covering. Precautions may also include gloves and disposable gowns or washable outer layer of clothing depending on duration of contact and especially if the individual may come into close contact with bodily fluids.

 

Although not as feasible, 6 feet social distancing is known to be safer. What do you think of them reducing the number to only 3 feet? Be sure to check here soon for the school reopening plan for how to manage student groups.

 

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