With the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine in Stanislaus County and the “Education/Childcare” part of the Phase 1B distribution plan coming soon, we thought this would be a good time to address some frequently asked questions. We enlisted the help of retired Turlock High School science teacher Eric Julien who helped break the science down in a way that everyone can understand!

What is the difference between the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines? The Pfizer vaccine has 30 millionths of a gram of mRNA and Moderna has 100 millionths of a gram of vaccine. Pfizer’s vaccine has to be stored in a super cold freezer because it is less than one third the amount of active ingredient in Moderna’s vaccine so any of it that breaks down, significantly reduces the dose.

What’s being injected into you anyway? As a former science teacher, this brand new type of vaccine is exciting. In the past, vaccines were made from crippled viruses. It was like you shot the virus in both legs and then injected them allowing you to get a little sick but most people survived and developed immunity. Vaccines have improved in that we can inject the outside of the virus into you or do very significant damage to the DNA (genetic instructions) so you generally don't get sick from the virus and build immunity.

Corona Virus (“crown” virus) is so named because of the protein “spikes” that protrude from it. If you are infected with a virus, your immune system recognizes the outside coat of the virus and not the DNA or RNA (both are found inside the protein coat). It then, randomly, makes combinations of antibodies that will attach and immobilize the invading virus until it finds one that sticks to the virus. This can happen quickly or take some time as it is a random process.

What’s the science behind these vaccines? Emmanuelle Charpentier won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020. She discovered a process to assemble DNA or RNA in any order you want. Using the process she developed, called CRISPR, scientists at Moderna and Pfizer were able to mass-produce mRNA chains (messenger ribonucleic acid) that are the instructions for making the “spikes” of protein found on the Coronavirus. When your body finds a foreign protein in your body, it produces an immune response (makes antibodies) that stick multiple copies of the virus together and sends out cells that digest the cluster of invading cells, preventing you from getting your cells invaded.

These new vaccines put the instructions (mRNA) and not the virus into your body. Your cells make the spike proteins, your immune system screams, “stranger danger” and makes antibodies. The antibody making process takes some time so your immune system is “primed” for a real invasion of COVID. A “booster” shot 3 - 4 weeks later causes your immune system to totally ramp up the production of antibodies so you are prepared to defend against the real COVID virus.

Will I be immune immediately? No, it takes a few days to a week or so to build your defenses to an invader, so keep wearing your mask, distance, and wash your hands. 

Technology, especially this past year, has become a link which connects us with our students. Recently, I have been reading and listening to many discussions about how we as teachers can help

our students through this difficult time. A repeated answer, that has been echoed in most articles and online webinars, is playing games with our students to help them connect, laugh, learn, and hopefully reignite their motivation for learning.

Playing a game is a great way to reduce stress, laugh, and connect with your students! Use Kahoot, Quizlet, Quizizz or play Jeopardy. These are amazing apps to get the competition flowing while also hitting on major and core concepts in your classes. Have students complete a scavenger hunt, or a digital breakout room using Google Forms! Run a Socratic seminar or just have students share what is happening in their life. Have students read an article and reflect whole class about how they relate to the article! Talk about why the game Among Us is so popular. Build some time in the week to have your students share their thoughts and their feelings by using NearPod or PearDeck so they feel safe in their space. Marshall and I have created many videos showing how to utilize these platforms with students, and you can access them on our YouTube Channel.

By utilizing technology tools for fun, we can try to bring back the excitement and motivation within our students. Reading these articles from EdWeek really helped me understand all aspects of reality that our students, and ourselves are going through. Learning should be fun, as we create lifelong learners who thrive on new information and facts. If we don’t take the time to laugh and smile with our students, then who will? Who is going to bring back the joy of learning? Who will let them share their thoughts and ideas if we solely focus on our pacing guides and calendars? This is an unprecedented time, and our students are right where they need to be, in line with everyone else in the country.

These articles really helped stimulate some thoughts and ideas, and they are linked below in case anyone would like to read them. Bringing games into the classroom and integrating them into the learning process and curriculum will help uplift your students.