by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th
We have had a successful start to reopening campus in our two cohorts of students. With all of the information that was shared ahead of reopening, we know it was hard to keep track of all the details being shared. This post is an attempt to provide some clarity around our model of learning for students off-campus, when their cohort of classmates are engaged in on-campus learning.
The main guiding principles of our model for these students are:
- Teachers know the learning outcomes, the students, and the lesson plans best
- It is not always possible to match online learning to face-to-face learning
- Zooming into a class is not the same as being there
- We must ensure online students feel connected and engaged with their classmates and the learning
- Clear communication between teacher and student is essential
We believe a “one-size-fits-all” approach to learning for students who are off-campus is not good for learning. Instead, we ask our teachers to consider their lesson plans, the class activities, and most importantly, the desired learning outcomes.
Depending on the learning circumstances, subject matter, lesson plans for the day, etc. the best way to access class learning should be and will be different. Teachers share specific instructions with students who aren’t on campus that may or may not include joining live on Zoom through email or other school communication tools (google classroom, PowerSchool Learning, etc.).
Maybe students will be asked to work on things asynchronously and manage their own time. Maybe for some classes they will be invited to join “live on zoom” with their classmates on campus. Each class is different to match the learning that’s happening. Most students will not be on zoom the whole day, but possibly would have some classes this way.
Teachers communicate the model to best match the learning.
While we understand that this makes it more unpredictable for students, we believe with good teacher to student communication, it is better for learning than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Classroom teaching is necessarily different from online teaching and it is most important that our teachers – who know the learning, the students, and the circumstances – make the decisions about how off-campus students access that learning. Watching an 80 minute lesson from afar through the computer screen, as others interact with the learning and each other, is not positive for learning or for students’ social-emotional wellbeing.
Our learning model as we reopen is a new shift for everyone. While we adjust to this shift there may have been some hiccups, especially on these first days. We are confident that teachers will continue to ensure that students who are not able to come to campus still feel connected and have awareness of their learning expectations and assignments.
No matter what, on the Virtual School days, teachers will see ALL students in the same online environment and be able to work directly with our online-only students.
We are only in the first days of this incredibly complex new model for learning. We are very proud of how quickly our community has adapted. If there have been some questions or glitches, we have learned from them and are already better than we were just days ago.
We appreciate the support of our parent community, as our teachers repeatedly adapt with professionalism and care to the frequently changing circumstances.