by Dennis Harter, MS Principal
dennish@isb.ac.th
While we are excited to reopen on-campus learning on Monday, we understand that there are some students who are still unable to join us at this time. Our focus during school hours will be on in-class instruction, observing and ensuring safety measures, and making the most of in-person interactions and learning. As such, Virtual School will not continue with online “zoom classes” any longer.
The learning model for off-campus students will focus on providing resources and assignments online through our usual means of PowerSchool Learning and/or Google Classroom, along with direct email contact between teachers and students. Teachers will also maintain office hours immediately after school so that off campus students can connect personally with their teachers through Zoom.
Teachers will determine the best means with which to deliver learning for students unable to join on-campus classes.
The main guiding principles of our model for off-campus 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 in to watch a class in session is not the same as being there and can often be detrimental to students’ social-emotional wellbeing
- We must ensure online students feel connected and engaged with their classmates and the learning
- Clear communication between teacher and student is essential
- Teachers will be available for off-campus Zoom during scheduled office hours after school.
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.
Teachers will communicate the model to best match the learning. We believe with good teacher to student communication, it is better for learning than a one-size-fits-all approach.
We appreciate the support of our parent community, as our teachers repeatedly adapt with professionalism and care to the frequently changing circumstances.