As we approach the 2020-2021 school year, many students are receiving news about how their schools plan to manage classes in the face of COVID-19. Even though the schools have had an entire summer to face the crisis, school districts across the country are not yet fully prepared for the complications that the transition to online learning pose.
Following are various approaches to education that schools are currently taking:
- In order to bridge the gap between the students’ various access capabilities to stable internet service, the schools are implementing PBS’s Nova program to teach students about science.
- Some schools are delivering education to students’ doorsteps by dropping off schoolwork in a paper bag, along with meals.
- Other schools are creating Wi-Fi hotspots and delivering electronic devices to students who do not have access to technology. Many devices are being donated by local businesses and citizens.
- Teachers are adjusting their expectations regarding what they can achieve via an online platform, compared to what they can accomplish when teaching in-person. Schools are advised to keep the technology simple to make things easier for the teachers and students alike.
- Boarding schools are faced with unique challenges since their students live on campus. These schools are taking many of the same precautions as public and private day schools in terms of implementing social distancing, requiring everyone to wear face masks, cleaning common spaces per CDC guidelines, etc. However, since boarding schools have students who arrive on campus from states other than just the one in which the school is located, and have students who arrive from countries outside of the United States, the schools have to stagger the entry of students to campus, so the entire student body doesn’t descend upon the schools at one time. Boarding schools have to prepare housing facilities suitable for quarantine for those students who arrive from high-risk states and countries. And lastly, boarding school students must submit to COVID testing and other health protocols as mandated by the schools and health departments of the states in which the schools are located.
- Finally, teachers and staff are taking extra steps to stay connected with their students and their students’ families. Providing a support system to all involved is very important during this unprecedented time of crisis.
If you are seeking alternative educational options to your child’s local school, contact us at Global Academic Consultants.