by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th
In the MS eNews on August 28th, I shared our expectations for students are not at school (see the entire post, below). Students who are home from school, not feeling well or taken out of school by parents for a trip should not expect to join Zoom lessons that our teachers are providing for remote learners who are in quarantine or remain outside of Thailand.
Teaching in this “dual” manner is demanding on teachers and no matter how effective they are, teaching students in multiple locations and formats impacts the learning environment in the classroom. Teachers will not create Zoom sessions for absent students and we ask that students who are absent from school do not request to join existing Zoom classes. Whatever the reason a child is away from school, that should be the focus of that time – recovering from illness, joining the family in whatever they are doing, etc. If it was important enough to pull the child from school, then we imagine the child should be focused on that.
We firmly believe that the best format for learning is for students to be in the classroom with their teacher and peers. Zoom is not a replacement for this, when being in class is possible. It is for our remote learners only, because they have no other viable access to the classroom learning.
Teachers are supporting students when they are absent , by providing screencasts, lesson materials, and assignment details.
Thank you for your understanding of this. Our teachers are doing an amazing job and it’s important that their focus is on the students in their classroom as much and as often as possible.
The post from August 28th:
The global pandemic has impacted practices around the world as schools adjust to virtual school, on campus safety regulations, and hybrid learning (a combination of at school learners with remote learners). ISB is no exception. Here on campus our teachers are delivering lessons for students in the classroom while connecting with students, both synchronously and not, online as well. This has required adaptability, changes in practice, and hours of additional time each week for every teacher to provide online learning for students who are studying remotely.
On this last point, it’s important to understand that the intent and implementation of this program is FOR remote learners who are unable to access campus. It is NOT for when a child is home away from campus because they aren’t feeling well or for other family reasons.
If your child is sick, their time at home should be spent resting and recovering so that they may return to campus sooner rather than later. If there are other reasons a child is staying home, then we do not want the student connecting to live zoom classes. If they can attend the live zoom and aren’t unwell, they should be at school.
We firmly believe that learning is best for students when they are at school. We also believe that students who need to rest and recover at home should do so. Students will learn important self-management skills when they return to school to make up work, as they self-advocate and interact with teachers. This is a skill that is important for their entire lifetimes.
Zoom classes are not in place to encourage removing students from class during school times, nor having them try to do school work when they aren’t well.
Thank you for your understanding and support of our students and teachers.