Robust. That's the catch-term being bandied about by school division officials when it comes to the latest version of online learning rolling out for students across the Lakeland.
Starting this week, students across the division and across the province from Grades 7-12 will begin three weeks of virtual classroom learning as part of the provincial government's latest attempts to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This will be the second time the province's students have been forced to leave classrooms and learn from home since the pandemic began in February. In March, students in all grades were offered online virtual learning with daily check-ins from teachers and assignments given through online portals. In the last go-round, that lasted from March until the end of the school year in June, students who had been in line to pass the grade level they were in were allowed to pass regardless of their virtual learning work. This time around, local and provincial school officials are saying all students will be properly evaluated for their individual virtual class work.
"There must be a certain level of robust-ness that may not have been there in the spring," says NLPS superintendent Rick Cusson.
But what does robust mean, exactly? For at least one member of NLPS board of trustees, it means student will have to worry about marks and attendance, and won't be able to slack off just because lessons are moving out of classroom.
"I think we kind of have to put the fear of God into the Grade 7s and up that this isn't going to be a free ride like it was in the spring," says Cold Lake area trustee Ron Young.
While some plans were still being finalized towards the weekend before the online lessons begin, the idea is that teachers will continue to be the faces of the classrooms, and lessons will continue as they have been in the classrooms — they'll just be online. Attendance and logging onto the online classrooms on time will all remain factors in the virtual learning.
Because the teaching is remaining constant this time around, diploma exams are also being made available to students who wish to take them.
It's going to be a very busy and unique three weeks, says Cusson, admitting that some parental involvement may still be necessary, even though the Grade 7-12 student were chosen for the virtual change because they generally require less supervision. He said long days in front of a screen doing classwork will take some getting used to.
"A seven or eight hour Zoom meeting is a bit of a challenge at times for me..." the superintendent said with a laugh, but added that he's looking for "minimal reductions in instruction time" compared to in-classroom learning for students in the virtual classrooms.
The division's Teaching and Learning associate superintendent Jimmi Lou Irvine says some level of parental involvement will likely be required, mainly to follow up with assignments and assigned projects.
"We strongly encourage parents to reach out to their teachers, so we can support them as they support their child," she said, adding that additional resources are expected to be available for families to help with social, emotional and stress-related conditions associated with the new changes.
Additional resources relating to technology are also available if required, say division officials. A recent sale of Chromebook laptop computers by the division saw 700 of the computers sold to families. Additional Chromebooks are available for families needing computer access.
There is a lot of new information for students, parents, staff and administration to digest, says NLPS chairperson Arlene Hrynyk — but the goal remains constant; to offer the best education to students across the division, whether they are in a classroom or on a computer screen.
"The Board believes it is important for students to have access to robust programming that aligns as closely as possible with the learning opportunities they would have if they were in a classroom with other students and a teacher," says Hrynyk, emphasizing the changes taking place in this next round of virtual learning. "To be clear, the learning expectations for Grades 7-12 students over the next three weeks will look very different from what occurred in March to June of last year. Our teachers will continue to cover the curricular outcomes in the program of studies for all subjects students are currently enrolled in. Attendance will be taken and students will be expected to follow a daily timetable, participate in online classes and complete and submit assignments and assessments."
While students in Grades 7-12 will be learning through virtual classrooms for the next three weeks, the province is allowing students from K-Grade 6 to remain in schools for in-class learning until the Christmas break on December 18. Following the Christmas break, students in all grade levels will begin a week of virtual learning from January 4-11. In-school learning is scheduled to re-commence for the week of January 11.
Hrynyk says school administrators learn new information on an almost-daily basis, so the dates and schedules are all based on how well the next three weeks go.
"We know there could be an extension to these dates, so it will all depend on what happens with numbers and then the provincial government will give us more direction."
More information about the new learning scenarios can be found at the Alberta Education website at www.alberta.ca/k-to-12-school-re-entry
Information from Northern Lights Public Schools
For K-6 Parents
K-6 students will continue with in-person classes until December 18, and will transition to online learning
from January 4 to 11. We will share further details about this transition closer to the Christmas Break.One area that will be affected by the grades 7-12 shift to online learning will be transportation. Due to having fewer students on buses, ride times may vary, which might alter pick-up and drop-off times. NLPS Transportation will provide parents whose schedules might be impacted with more information about these changes.
Expectations for Online Learning - Grades 7-12
Google Classroom
Instruction will be primarily provided online using Google Classroom. Students in grades 7-12 should be familiar with how to log in and access assignments and resources in Google Classroom. Students will need access to a reliable working device such as a Chromebook, laptop, or desktop computer. It is encouraged that each student have their own device as they may need to be online at the same time. Schools will have procedures in place for families to sign-out Chromebooks if students do not have devices for use at home. Please contact your child’s school if you would like to sign-out a device for your child.
Parents who are unfamiliar with Google Classroom, or accessing Google Classroom for the first time, are encouraged to view one or both of these videos. This will help parents support their child in their learning.
- Video: Google Classroom for Parents (2020 remote learning overview)
- Video: Google Classroom: A Guide for Parents
In the event that online learning is not possible in homes due to a lack of connectivity, parents can contact the school to make arrangements to seek alternative solutions.
Timetable and Instruction
Generally speaking, teachers will be following timetables consistent with the one that would be followed at school. For instance, if students normally have Language Arts from 9:10 to 10:40 in the morning, teachers will be providing instruction and assignments in Language Arts during that time.
Students will receive instruction in all subjects they are currently enrolled in. High school students will continue with all of the classes they are enrolled in according to their regular schedule.
Teachers will continue to deliver and evaluate curricular outcomes. Students will be assessed on what they have learned and their next report card will include assessments and evaluations already completed and those undertaken during the four weeks of Scenario 3 learning. Assignments and projects will demonstrate a high level of academic rigour.
At the high school level, students will work to complete the course requirements to earn the credits associated with the courses they are enrolled in. Student marks will be based on the work completed before, during and after the Scenario 3 period. Expectations for completion of assignments and assessments will be similar as when students are attending in-person classes. Diploma exams are optional for the rest of this school year. Students are encouraged to discuss the option to write diploma exams with their parents and teachers.
Generally speaking, it is not expected that students will spend their entire day online connected to their teacher in a synchronous learning environment. Instead, instruction will likely be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities. For instance, students may connect with their teacher and the rest of their class online and participate in a synchronous learning opportunity followed by a period of time spent completing an assignment on their own, watching a video or accessing a resource. They may also have opportunities to connect with their teacher one on one or in smaller groups throughout the day. When instruction is synchronous it will be recorded and shared so that students who are unable to connect at that time can view the content later.
Attendance
Teachers will be taking attendance on a regular basis (daily, twice daily or by class). Students will be required to check in with their teachers during scheduled classes.
If students are unable to attend a class due to illness, or any other reason, parents should report their absence the same way they would if they were absent from an in-person class (using School Messenger or calling the school directly).
Attendance notifications will be sent to parents if students do not check in with their teachers at the designated times and parents have not reported their absence to the school.
Resources
Students will be bringing supplies and resources home with them tomorrow. This might include Chromebooks if necessary. If there are items that are left behind, parents will be able to make an appointment with their child’s school to pick up those items.
Student Support Services
Students will continue to be able to access some of the services they currently receive through their school such as counselling services or therapy. Some supports may be modified to better assist students with online learning.
Schools may also offer some supports on site, specifically supports that cannot be provided or accessed online. Schools and teachers will communicate with parents to make arrangements if necessary.
Expectations for Parents
Parent support will be important for students to be successful with online learning. While some students in grades 7-12 are able to work independently with little supervision, others may need more assistance. Parents are encouraged to provide the appropriate level of supervision and support given the age and needs of their students. It remains important for parents to check in regularly with their students to ensure they are participating in learning opportunities, and completing assignments. Parent assistance may also be required to troubleshoot issues with technology and connectivity.
Regular communication with your child’s teacher will also be important both to ensure student progress and to advise the teacher of any challenges you are experiencing and what additional support or assistance your child may need to be successful.
Questions?
Email [email protected] or submit a question in to Northern Lights Public Schools Questions and Answers.
