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Nothing good comes on the Ides of March. Yet, for some reason, in the 2019-2020 school year, I scheduled our National Latin Exam for that exact day. I should have known better but Caesar neglected to beware the Ides of March, and people have written plays about him. Two millenia later, the aforementioned ancient omen still delivered – this time in the form of COVID-19. My students did not end up taking the NLE on that ill-omened day. The governor had shut down Montgomery County Schools in Pennsylvania. None of us knew then that we wouldn’t return to the school for the rest of that school year. Following the Ides, our district started a two-week shutdown. In those two weeks, schools, teachers, and states all over the country were busily crafting the solution that best fit their students' needs. Teachers and students were scrambling to keep up with an ever-changing learning situation.
No school for two weeks – I knew I would have to make learning incredibly attractive. In addition, I wanted to help others – I sat and considered what I could create that might offer assistance to other teachers and my colleagues all of whom could use some extra time to re-imagine their courses or take precautions to protect their families.
Because we were asked not to teach new content, I decided to use my tech skills to create fun learning opportunities that operated more like extension activities for students. This scenario led me to Joe Goodkin, a modern bard who performs a one-man show of his interpretation of The Odyssey.
Joe was facing a multitude of canceled performances and an unexpected loss of income. I suggested we move his in-person performance to an online venue. We met online, adjusted the audio, and explored the features of Zoom together. Of course, my microphone wasn’t working great, so Sherwin Little, Executive Director of the American Classical League, came to the rescue. By serving as the voice of the session. The session drew a crowd of over 500 registrants. Joe’s Odyssey was even more powerful online than it was in person- it felt like Joe was singing just to me on the screen. Without the dark faces in the audience peering back at him, Joe was singing blind much like Homer would have done in his actual performances. As an added bonus, I was able to do something for the students that I wouldn’t have had time for in my normal curriculum.
I decided to continue the endeavor of providing engaging educational activities as extension content, but I needed more help.
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ETC LIVE Comes Alive
ETC LIVE UPDATE· PRIMA · FALL 2020
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