by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th
As we enter week 3 of Virtual School, the middle school will be making shifts to the structure of our days, with the understanding that we will be learning in this environment for a longer period than originally planned. These shifts are in response to feedback collected from parents, students and teachers after the first week, advice from schools around the world who have engaged in online learning for longer stretches, and our own experiences over the past 2 weeks. We believe that this new structure will allow for more contact and connection amongst teachers and students, provide greater routine at home when possible, and better manage the time spent on computers by making follow-up timely.
Firstly, please remember that there will be no virtual school on Monday, March 23rd as teachers prepare for these changes and the longer commitment to online learning.
Beginning on Tuesday, March 24th, a Day 5, Middle School will shift to the following schedule, using the calendared “Days” and following a block schedule, using the following BKK times:
- 8:45 – 9:45 am – 1st Block
- 10:15 – 11:15 am – 2nd Block
- 12:15 – 1:15 pm – 3rd Block
- 1:45 – 2:45 pm – 4th Block
That would mean the day schedule will look like this:
This shift will create more interaction between teachers and students. We expect students to be online with their classes at the start of each block.
Student Expectations:
-
Students will follow their schedule and be online during the assigned time with their class, as directed by the teacher.
- Students will communicate with the teacher if they are not able to attend a live meeting. If it’s a larger, repeated issue, administration will receive parent communication.
-
Students will complete “in class” tasks as expected by the teacher, either by the end of class (if that’s doable) or by the time designated by the teacher as appropriate for the assignment.
-
Students will complete assignments as expected for submission by the teacher.
-
Students will adhere to the following Digital Safeguarding student expectations as it pertains to live interactions in Zoom or Google Meet.
- Dress appropriately, as if you are attending school on a non-uniform day.
- Select a neutral space away from distractions for online learning–preferably at a desk or table that is a comfortable workspace with easy access to materials, laptops, internet, etc…. Avoid personal spaces, such as a bedroom.
- Ensure others in the household are aware that there will be a live video recording with an individual from ISB occurring at the given time.
- Maintain respectful, attentive behavior and engage in positive interactions with everyone in the session.
- Refrain from using unnecessary technology during your online learning (eg. mobile phone)
- Contact the teacher/assistant prior to the online learning session if you are having technical difficulties.
We do not expect teachers to stay on live Zoom or Google Meet environments for the entire class block. In fact, we know that this is distracting for students and counterproductive to learning in this environment. Teachers will check in at the starts of lessons with students, often through live video and ensure students understand the instruction and work expectations. Teachers will stay online in chat and other formats for the remainder of the hour-long lesson to respond to questions from students.
Teachers and students will follow the day’s schedule according to the order of periods and times published.
Our hope is that these routines and a formal schedule will help students move forward in their learning while also providing structured time for work and more time for balance away from the screens. Please support your child in taking breaks as built into the schedule and finding time to engage in activities off of the computer.