Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[TJA]

First day was yesterday (New York). My kids were happy to be back. BUT.... the rules seemed extreme to them, though they understand the logic and would never complain. They have to wear masks the entire day except during lunch while seated, and they are used to masks and were fine with it. Also, the halls are now one-way, so when they leave their classroom, even if their next class is right across the hall, they still must exit to the right and go up/down stairs and then continue to follow the one-way halls until they get back to where they started except across the hall. They understand, honestly, but seems like with masks and only 10-ish kids in each class that they could cross the hall to their next class. Our school is reassessing on October 1, so we are ALL praying there will be more normalcy added back in.

 

[3boymthr]

My favorite case in point: they're talking about doing one-way hallways in the schools. Sounds great! Until you realize that our buildings are shaped like the letter H, and there's not really a way to actually do one-way hallways...

They still haven't responded to my query of how those will actually work.

I think that's part of the reason our school has elected to go fully remote on the academics. The school is a stylized J with vocational classes on the first floor and academics on the second with the auditorium and cafeteria in the middle of the J. Kids climb to the second floor through the cafeteria, which is multilevel. There are escape stairways on the ends of the school but they lead out doors. There is no way to hold the academic classes with one way hallways.

 

[Turn the Page]

This part here really captures a lot of my feelings on the back-to-school plans. The plans in my district have all sounded good on paper, until you realize that the devil is in the details, and so many of the details aren't there.

My favorite case in point: they're talking about doing one-way hallways in the schools. Sounds great! Until you realize that our buildings are shaped like the letter H, and there's not really a way to actually do one-way hallways...

They still haven't responded to my query of how those will actually work.

Mmhmm. Our school said for lunch time they were going to utilize the cafeteria and some extra spaces so kids could social distance while eating. Their solution was to put a huge tent, like the kind you see at outdoor weddings, behind the school. We live in Michigan. It was 50 degrees today. The kids do not have access to their lockers to get coats during the day but are supposed to eat lunch in a tent in the middle of winter? I don't think anybody thought that through.

 

[Kitty 34]

Mmhmm. Our school said for lunch time they were going to utilize the cafeteria and some extra spaces so kids could social distance while eating. Their solution was to put a huge tent, like the kind you see at outdoor weddings, behind the school. We live in Michigan. It was 50 degrees today. The kids do not have access to their lockers to get coats during the day but are supposed to eat lunch in a tent in the middle of winter? I don't think anybody thought that through.

Here at a Michigan school my brother teaches at do not even allow lockers so kids are carrying coats; possibly umbrellas, plus all their school stuff everywhere with them.

 

[3boymthr]

Ugh. Well still don't know everything but they finally published the remote learning protocols. Not a full on plan but at least they are heading in the right direction. It would have been great if they shared by email but rather they just posted quietly to the school website. I only know they exist because one of the teachers jumped the gun and sent out a welcome to my class email ( we don't have schedules yet). I think they've shared a bunch of stuff with the teachers that they haven't shared with parents/students and this teacher had a fully developed plan for her classes - but she just may be more on the ball than the administration.

While I agree with most of the remote protocols (be on time, pay attention, no phone, etc.) some of the requirements kind of stick in my craw. 1) They are not supposed to be in their bedrooms - we'll be violating that one - open floor plan combined with 1300 sf house - I'm not adding on a room just so he can adhere to that rule. 2) There is not to be any background noise where they are working - yup, that would be why he's in the bedroom - of course he shares a bedroom so that may complicate matters and it's an old house, the walls aren't soundproof. 3) They are supposed to have a headset with microphone - that one cost me $100! I did buy the noise canceling ones which may help with the background noise issue - who knows. 4) Must have the video camera on at all times so teachers can see them - violating that one as well - as noted he shares his bedroom. There's no way middle DS is going to want to be on camera for the rest of my other son's classmates, especially if he needs to get ready for work. I emailed the teacher back to say in as much diplomatic double speak as I could manage, that yea, uh, huh, I read it, but that's not going to happen. waiting to see what she says.

 

[JM23457]

I’m surprised at this point that schools are unaware of this issue and don’t set up password protected sign ins.

A lot of schools are aware and have responded. I'm a teacher & we're not allowed to use Zoom with students. We can only use Schoology or Google Meet via a protected nickname setting.

The PP's school administration seems unusually clueless.

 

[JM23457]

While I agree with most of the remote protocols (be on time, pay attention, no phone, etc.) some of the requirements kind of stick in my craw. 1) They are not supposed to be in their bedrooms - we'll be violating that one - open floor plan combined with 1300 sf house - I'm not adding on a room just so he can adhere to that rule. 2) There is not to be any background noise where they are working - yup, that would be why he's in the bedroom - of course he shares a bedroom so that may complicate matters and it's an old house, the walls aren't soundproof. 3) They are supposed to have a headset with microphone - that one cost me $100! I did buy the noise canceling ones which may help with the background noise issue - who knows. 4) Must have the video camera on at all times so teachers can see them - violating that one as well - as noted he shares his bedroom. There's no way middle DS is going to want to be on camera for the rest of my other son's classmates, especially if he needs to get ready for work. I emailed the teacher back to say in as much diplomatic double speak as I could manage, that yea, uh, huh, I read it, but that's not going to happen. waiting to see what she says.

I understand needing to use the bedroom & think that's a silly & unreasonable rule. And of course, there will be background noise in a home: that's why students typically have to keep mics muted unless they're called on to speak. The school is too rigid in regards to those rules: they're poorly thought-out.

However, keeping the camera on is important for class participation & to help the teacher gauge how well students are getting the material. Even if your son has to share a room, the camera should stay on. The brother can change clothes in the bathroom instead of the bedroom.

 

[JM23457]

Mmhmm. Our school said for lunch time they were going to utilize the cafeteria and some extra spaces so kids could social distance while eating. Their solution was to put a huge tent, like the kind you see at outdoor weddings, behind the school. We live in Michigan. It was 50 degrees today. The kids do not have access to their lockers to get coats during the day but are supposed to eat lunch in a tent in the middle of winter? I don't think anybody thought that through.

My favorite is the people saying to have "outdoor classes as much as possible", and/or keep windows open to ventilate the classroom.

I think the people coming up with those suggestions mostly live in coastal California & don't understand what coping with extreme temperatures is like.

A class of kids shivering in the cold, or dripping sweat in 90+ degree heat, isn't going to learn anything. Aside from it being inhumane.

 

[3boymthr]

However, keeping the camera on is important for class participation & to help the teacher gauge how well students are getting the material. Even if your son has to share a room, the camera should stay on. The brother can change clothes in the bathroom instead of the bedroom.

It’s not just because he needs to change. He will need to open the closet door to get uniform, work boots, etc and in said closet live some things that don’t need to be seen by those in a school environment. Such as a safe and, well, you get the picture. I did not tell her it would be off all the time just in moments when his sibling “needs privacy”.

 

[siren0119]

However, keeping the camera on is important for class participation & to help the teacher gauge how well students are getting the material. Even if your son has to share a room, the camera should stay on. The brother can change clothes in the bathroom instead of the bedroom.

There's been a fair amount of discussion around students being on-camera here. It's NOT important for class participation or to gauge connection to the material (I train for a big corporation and we had to convert all of our trainings to virtual learning, and there are TONS of very creative ways you can maintain learner engagement and check for understanding without having learners on camera). There are concerns around privacy, students being forced to allow other students to see their living situation (which can be a gateway to bullying, and a distraction point for the student), eye fatigue and what's been called "zoom fatigue" (having to stare at faces on camera while processing a verbal lesson engages continuous partial attention - that's mentally fatiguing which can cause the student to miss something).

 

[quandrea]

Ugh. Well still don't know everything but they finally published the remote learning protocols. Not a full on plan but at least they are heading in the right direction. It would have been great if they shared by email but rather they just posted quietly to the school website. I only know they exist because one of the teachers jumped the gun and sent out a welcome to my class email ( we don't have schedules yet). I think they've shared a bunch of stuff with the teachers that they haven't shared with parents/students and this teacher had a fully developed plan for her classes - but she just may be more on the ball than the administration.

While I agree with most of the remote protocols (be on time, pay attention, no phone, etc.) some of the requirements kind of stick in my craw. 1) They are not supposed to be in their bedrooms - we'll be violating that one - open floor plan combined with 1300 sf house - I'm not adding on a room just so he can adhere to that rule. 2) There is not to be any background noise where they are working - yup, that would be why he's in the bedroom - of course he shares a bedroom so that may complicate matters and it's an old house, the walls aren't soundproof. 3) They are supposed to have a headset with microphone - that one cost me $100! I did buy the noise canceling ones which may help with the background noise issue - who knows. 4) Must have the video camera on at all times so teachers can see them - violating that one as well - as noted he shares his bedroom. There's no way middle DS is going to want to be on camera for the rest of my other son's classmates, especially if he needs to get ready for work. I emailed the teacher back to say in as much diplomatic double speak as I could manage, that yea, uh, huh, I read it, but that's not going to happen. waiting to see what she says.

So much micro managing. They are removing all the benefits of online learning in an effort to replicate in class learning. They have missed the point. Boils my blood.

 

[quandrea]

It’s not just because he needs to change. He will need to open the closet door to get uniform, work boots, etc and in said closet live some things that don’t need to be seen by those in a school environment. Such as a safe and, well, you get the picture. I did not tell her it would be off all the time just in moments when his sibling “needs privacy”.

Your house. Your rules. I agree with you.

 

[quandrea]

There's been a fair amount of discussion around students being on-camera here. It's NOT important for class participation or to gauge connection to the material (I train for a big corporation and we had to convert all of our trainings to virtual learning, and there are TONS of very creative ways you can maintain learner engagement and check for understanding without having learners on camera). There are concerns around privacy, students being forced to allow other students to see their living situation (which can be a gateway to bullying, and a distraction point for the student), eye fatigue and what's been called "zoom fatigue" (having to stare at faces on camera while processing a verbal lesson engages continuous partial attention - that's mentally fatiguing which can cause the student to miss something).

Agreed. The whole thing is ridiculous. I question if these school boards consulted anyone with experience in online platforms. Dd has been taking online courses for years. There is zero synchronous component, yet high student engagement through discussion groups, office hours, submission of work for feedback Without marks. I could go on. These are superb courses. The online options being offered, at least here in Canada, seem to be simply an effort to bring the classroom set up home. They’ve completely missed the point that the beauty of online learning is at your own pace, anytime, anywhere, self directed. The whole thing is a sham.

 

[quandrea]

My favorite is the people saying to have "outdoor classes as much as possible", and/or keep windows open to ventilate the classroom.

I think the people coming up with those suggestions mostly live in coastal California & don't understand what coping with extreme temperatures is like.

A class of kids shivering in the cold, or dripping sweat in 90+ degree heat, isn't going to learn anything. Aside from it being inhumane.

This reminds me of the days I’d open the portable door to try and get a tiny bit of air into the 95 degree room. As soon as the first wasp flew in, I lost every kid in the room.

 

[amylevan]

Agreed. The whole thing is ridiculous. I question if these school boards consulted anyone with experience in online platforms. Dd has been taking online courses for years. There is zero synchronous component, yet high student engagement through discussion groups, office hours, submission of work for feedback Without marks. I could go on. These are superb courses. The online options being offered, at least here in Canada, seem to be simply an effort to bring the classroom set up home. They’ve completely missed the point that the beauty of online learning is at your own pace, anytime, anywhere, self directed. The whole thing is a sham.

At least around here, it’s kind of the parents fault. We were set up to be asynchronous but parents have been hounding administration for fully synchronous classes. So now we’ve got K-5 chained to a computer from 8-2:30 with a handful of breaks for lunch and recess. Yuck. My DD is in 2nd and I withdrew her. At least my DS is in 6th. 6-12 remained asynchronous due to scheduling issues with the hybrid in-class counterparts.

As for cameras on, they are required for K-5 here so that the kids can raise their hands and ask questions and be “monitored”. However there is a lot of discussion about how it can be embarrassing to the child for others to see the state of the house.

 

[quandrea]

At least around here, it’s kind of the parents fault. We were set up to be asynchronous but parents have been hounding administration for fully synchronous classes. So now we’ve got K-5 chained to a computer from 8-2:30 with a handful of breaks for lunch and recess. Yuck. My DD is in 2nd and I withdrew her. At least my DS is in 6th. 6-12 remained asynchronous due to scheduling issues with the hybrid in-class counterparts.

As for cameras on, they are required for K-5 here so that the kids can raise their hands and ask questions and be “monitored”. However there is a lot of discussion about how it can be embarrassing to the child for others to see the state of the house.

I agree with this too. Parents, as well as the government, here too have latched on to synchronous learning. It’s Ming from a misinformed place. The powers that be should not have bowed to this pressure. Like so many things with Covid, people want it to be business as usual when it’s not. Instead of opening their minds to new ways of doing things, they get stuck with forcing the old way of doing things. Ultimately, depriving their kids of new opportunities. Online learning could have been a huge growth opportunity for so many kids had parents, teachers, school boards, government be open to it. All I’ve seen is a can’t do attitude.

 

[siren0119]

Agreed. The whole thing is ridiculous. I question if these school boards consulted anyone with experience in online platforms. Dd has been taking online courses for years. There is zero synchronous component, yet high student engagement through discussion groups, office hours, submission of work for feedback Without marks. I could go on. These are superb courses. The online options being offered, at least here in Canada, seem to be simply an effort to bring the classroom set up home. They’ve completely missed the point that the beauty of online learning is at your own pace, anytime, anywhere, self directed. The whole thing is a sham.

Well and online learning CAN be synchronous and be highly successful (our ILT is all synchronous right now, with only portions being asynchronous). But you have to break out of the idea that it needs to look exactly like a live classroom. Yes it can be harder to read a room when you can't see their faces, but it's a skill you learn just like anything else. There are TONS of resources to guide trainers and instructors on crafting lessons online with creative and fun engagement. It doesn't have to be one or the other, but it DOES have to be different from in-classroom learning.

 

[Turn the Page]

My favorite is the people saying to have "outdoor classes as much as possible", and/or keep windows open to ventilate the classroom.

I think the people coming up with those suggestions mostly live in coastal California & don't understand what coping with extreme temperatures is like.

A class of kids shivering in the cold, or dripping sweat in 90+ degree heat, isn't going to learn anything. Aside from it being inhumane.

Yep. Windows are supposed to be open on the buses and in classrooms weather permitting. School started Tuesday and it was 39 degrees when I dropped DD off for band. No windows open this morning.

I did find out that the outdoor lunchroom is only going to be used until late October then they are having kids eat in the gym. Why they aren't doing that from the get go I don't know.

ETA: I heard through the grapevine yesterday they are already having trouble with mask compliance at the high school. I'm feeling better and better about about our decision all the time.

 

[sk!mom]

At least around here, it’s kind of the parents fault. We were set up to be asynchronous but parents have been hounding administration for fully synchronous classes. So now we’ve got K-5 chained to a computer from 8-2:30 with a handful of breaks for lunch and recess. Yuck. My DD is in 2nd and I withdrew her. At least my DS is in 6th. 6-12 remained asynchronous due to scheduling issues with the hybrid in-class counterparts.

As for cameras on, they are required for K-5 here so that the kids can raise their hands and ask questions and be “monitored”. However there is a lot of discussion about how it can be embarrassing to the child for others to see the state of the house.

Absolutely, last spring, teachers got lots of flack over asynchronous lessons..."Must be nice to get paid while I home school." The reality was that those asynchronous lessons took WAY more time to plan and get posted in a user friendly format. It seemed the best option since most families were also complaining about the difficulty of getting students online at specific times. The asynchronous allowed for viewing and completion when best for each student/family. We also provided 2 hours daily of synchronous. Out of 45 students, I had seven regulars for the synchronous with a max attendance of 9. We tried different times, let them sign up for a preferred time, and still could never get more than that.

This year, my district purchased "seats" in an existing online school. I believe that most of it is asynchronous with a virtual assistant when requested. Families made the choice to be virtual or fully in person.

 

[DLgal]

So, my district will be welcoming back students on Sept 24 and 25 (we are doing a hybrid model so some kids will return 24 and the other half of the cohort the 25th).

I am happy about it. The distance learning has been SIGNIFICANTLY better than what we had in the spring, but it's not the same as being in class. Teachers are all onsite at the school and teaching from their classrooms. My kids are in high school and what I am seeing are live classes where the teacher is lecturing while SHARING A SCREEN with lesson slides, and in math and physics, using a platform that allows the teacher to do equations and demonstrations live as well. The kids don't really see much of each other since the teachers are screen sharing. There aren't faces to really see. When they need to do group work, the kids are placed into breakout rooms where there may be 3-4 other kids and they are given an assignment to do via a platform where they can put in answers in real time and all see everyone's contributions. They can also talk to each other there but the teacher pops in to monitor and make sure everyone is on task.

We have 4 days of online learning per week now. We follow a block schedule with odd period blocks on T & W and even periods Th & F. One day of the block is a 90 minute live lesson, and the next day is an independent assignment that is due the following week, so kids can either work on it during that time or it becomes homework. Most of these assignments are via online text modules or things like Nearpod lessons.

My son that is in a special day class gets a minimum of 90 minutes of live instruction daily. One hour is 1:1 to work on IEP specific goals and the other 30 minutes is a group live lesson. He also gets adaptive PE zoom classes twice a week. It's good, but not enough for him. He needs a more structured, longer day with intensive support, so when school resumes, he will be eligible to return full time, 5 days a week. I am very relieved. His class has 5 students, a main teacher and 2 additional teachers. I'm good with that class size.

Our district (at least our HS) has done a good job with the teacher expectations for distance learning. They all seem to be on the same page and TBH, I am remembering a lot from my high school classes just listening to my older son's classes. He does his distance learning at the kitchen table backed up against a curtain so no worries about people "seeing his living space." My other son works out of our guest room, which is full of Star Wars legos and Disney attraction posters, so he often gets inquiries about what is behind him, followed by "wow, that's awesome!"

It is sad to see how many districts seem to not even be trying to deliver a decent experience.