Students will need: 

-a working electronic device that can operate both Zoom and the Nearpod website. 
-a pencil and a notebook, to write down new vocabulary (OR the printed vocabulary list, see below).

A one-page handout containing all the vocabulary for each unit will be provided for students who wish to print the vocabulary, instead of writing down words during class. Please note that this class contains 12 units, so there will eventually be 12 handouts.

In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Canva
Nearpod
Kahoot
Youtube
Blooket
Quizlet
Gimkit

NEARPOD

Please note that I use Nearpod for my lessons. Nearpod is a website that allows teachers to create slide presentations with interactive activities for students. A link will be provided via the Zoom chat box during the live class to access Nearpod. I will also provide the necessary 5 digit code to access the lesson. If students wish, I can also provide them with a link to access the lesson on their own time after class. STUDENTS DO NOT NEED A NEARPOD ACCOUNT TO ACCESS THIS FEATURE.
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KAHOOT

I may use Kahoot in this class, or I may not. Kahoot is a website where teachers design quiz games for students to test their knowledge and review what they've learned. If I use Kahoot in class, I will provide students with the necessary link and Game PIN to access the Kahoot game. I will also include this information in the virtual classroom, for students who wish to play the Kahoot game at a later time. STUDENTS DO NOT NEED A KAHOOT ACCOUNT TO USE THIS FEATURE.
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CANVA

I may need to use canva to present the class material in the event that the NEARPOD website is down. This would be a rare event and only in an emergency. Please note that students do not need a Canva account for me to use this feature. Students will not need to log into Canva. In the event that I use canvas to present the lesson, this will only be via screen share.
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YOUTUBE
occasionally my classes include a very brief YouTube video. This is only in a class or two, but it adds to the class experience when I choose to use it. YouTube videos that I use are very short, usually under 2 minutes long. Students do not need a YouTube account and they do not need to sign into YouTube for me to use this feature in class. I will simply share a video that is embedded into the near pod material that is sourced from YouTube. This will be used only on the screen share and students do not need to sign into YouTube to use this feature.

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BLOOKET and GIMKIT

I use Blooket and Gimkit to do review games. These are websites where I create review games based on what we've studied. Students don't need an account for these games. I send links to both in the Zoom chatbox, where students can sign in and play. 
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ZOOM LINKS

Please note that I cannot provide Zoom links for students to enter the session. Outschool does not allow this. 
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TECHNOLOGY NOTE

Children should be able to handle technological functions like accessing the Zoom chat box, turning on or off their microphone on Zoom, clicking a link to open the Nearpod website, navigating to the Nearpod website, and opening a new tab on their internet browser to see the Nearpod website. They should be able to click answers to questions on their screens. It would also be good for them to know how to navigate between Zoom and an external website, since they'll need to do this during class to participate in the Nearpod games. 

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PARENTS EMAILING OR MESSAGING THE TEACHER DURING CLASS

Please note that I may not receive your messages if you are emailing or messaging me during a live class. For example, if you child is not able to enter Zoom due to a technical issue, and you message me during a live group class, I may not be able to check your messages or respond right away. My attention is naturally focused on the students in my classroom at that time, and I am not closely monitoring my email or messages. I try my best to check on messages is a student has not joined us, but I can't always check immediately. 
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SKILLS REQUIRED

Students need to be able to read to participate in this class. 

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BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS

Students are expected to raise their hands to share their thoughts, or ask/answer questions. Interruptions will be handled with patience, but I may need to mute a student who constantly interrupts the teacher or his/her fellow classmates. I do not like to mute students, because I want to encourage free and frequent participation, but on rare occasions it's necessary to preserve the class flow and environment. 

Profanity will not be tolerated. This is extremely rare of course, but any students using profanity will be immediately muted.
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POLICY REGARDING CLASS RUNNING OVERTIME

Rarely, class may run overtime by a minute or two. If your child needs to leave right on time, and for some reason I haven't wrapped up, they may leave immediately without asking permission. I understand that students have other classes, obligations, and activities. 
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POLICY REGARDING EATING AND RESTROOM BREAKS

Please let your kids know that they do not need to ask me for permission to go to the restroom. They may just get up and go when they need to.

I am perfectly fine with kids eating or drinking in class, as long as they are able to swallow their food before speaking to the class, and please turn off their microphone while chewing.
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PARTICIPATION POLICY

My classes are student-centered, meaning that I try to let kids participate and speak as much as possible during class. This gives them more opportunity to use Spanish, and get involved in the lesson. Students who come to my class are expected to participate frequently.

If your child is shy, don't worry; everyone is welcome to participate in the chat box, rather than speaking aloud. Speaking aloud is preferred, but not mandatory. I understand that every student is different. 

I grade students based on participation for every class. Students who participate in the chat box and those who speak with me aloud are graded equally. 

If your child is ill and cannot participate, or if you would rather they simply observe class and NOT participate as a rule, please write me a message to tell me. I will waive the participation grade in their case.
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CAMERA POLICY

Please note that children are NOT required to keep their cameras on during class. They are, however, required to turn their cameras on for a split second at the beginning of class, so I can verify that they are children. This is an Outschool safety policy. The exception to this rule is verified learners. Please make sure that your child has a working camera so I can verify who they are. If I cannot see them at all, and they are not verified learners, I am required to remove them from the classroom, even if I recognize their voice.
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STUDENT NAME POLICY

Please make sure your kids understand that their name is important when they sign in to the classroom. For their safety, their name must match exactly what it is on their Outschool profile, OR it can match their parent´s name on their Outschool profile. I am not allowed to admit students with other names into the Zoom classroom.
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REFUND POLICY

Each class type here on Outschool has different refund policies. Most (if not all) are refundable if you cancel within 24 hours of purchase. Some are also automatically refunded if you cancel up to 1 week before the class start time. There are many circumstances where a refund is up to the teacher's sole discretion. For example:

-student technical or Zoom trouble that prevented them from joining class
-last-minute requests for cancellation due to vacation or family outings
-emergency situations, like a run to the hospital or a death in the family
-a student gets sick and can't join us at the last minute

Refunds are generally given for:
-emergencies 
-student illness 
-death in the family
-funerals
-other special circumstances, at the teacher's discretion
-family trips or vacations, if I am advised 1 week or more in advance (In this case you can cancel the class, and Outschool will automatically issue you a refund.)

Refunds are generally not given for:
-family vacation, if I am advised less than 1 week in advance
-student technical issues
-student internet problems
-students arriving late to class
-students missing class because they forgot
-students or families mixing up the time because of daylight savings or a time difference between their region and the class listing

Please note that these are my general policies, and each situation will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Abuse of the refund policy may result in refusal of refund that I would generally issue.
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STUDENT NO-SHOW POLICY

Outschool has set up a policy to handle student no-shows. If a student does not show up to class, with no communicaton from the family,  for ten minutes after the class start time, the teacher may exit the Zoom classroom and end the class. No refund is provided in this situation. The teacher leaves a brief comment in the virutal classroom explaining that they are no longer on Zoom to advise the family. 
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CLASS RESCHEDULING POLICY

If I am at fault for class not taking place on time, I will offer to reschedule the lesson at no charge to the family. If the student is at fault due to technical issues, vacation, emergencies, etc, I may offer to reschedule the lesson on a case-by-case basis. I generally do not reschedule due to student internet problems, but I may do so if students rarely have this problem and do not abuse my refund policy.

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MISSED A CLASS? POLICY

If your child misses class for any reason, I expect them to watch the class recording and follow along with the Nearpod material, which I will give them. (I can't provide it in advance.) 

If your child misses a quiz or test day, I require them to make it up on their own time. I will also send you the Nearpod link so they can do the quiz/test. I need you to please write me a message and tell me once your child has completed the make-up quiz, because otherwise I won't know that they completed it.