Classroom cameras considered for distance learning
AMBLER » Brainstorming ideas to maximize student engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to be a top priority for the Wissahickon School Board during a recent call to gather input from parents as the district prepares reopening plans for the fall.
Board member Marshall Bleefeld asked during the Mon
day night virtual meeting about the possibility of having a “camera” in the “classroom” for remote instruction.
Bleefeld said he envisioned using a platform often used in office settings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Believe it or not, our kids know how to use this technology better than we do, and I would think within a minute, they could be online watching their courses with their teachers and ... interact with everybody as opposed to being in a program where they don’t feel like they’re part of the school district, and to me that’s counter intuitive with what we’re trying to do,” Bleefeld said.
After Superintendent James Crisfield introduced three reopening options, he also offered guidance on a myriad of topics ranging from cleaning practices to face coverings.
Nearly 1,000 people watched the meeting online while more than 100 others submitted questions and comments about the fate of their children’s education.
“A lot of people are throwing up their hands, but the fact of the matter is we’re not dealing with a once a week episode, a once in a year episode, even a once in a generation episode,” Bleefeld said. “This is a once in a century experience.”
Board Vice President Tracie Walsh reacted to the idea of including cameras as part of a hybrid learning option at the high school level.
“We don’t have to have all the kids in the school at the same time so we can do the social distancing part of it, but every kid that’s in that class can participate every day with live teaching,” she said.
Walsh was particularly concerned with ensuring students finishing their secondary educational careers stay on track and remain “accountable.” She added that an initiative involving a set class time and session could help them stay on track.
“I think if we try to do it any other way, they’re not going to get the education that they need to get,” she said.
Wissahickon High School rising seniors Paige Benning and Olivia Welsh agreed. Benning and Welsh serve as student representatives on the school board.
“I think that if we have the cameras in class it’s really gonna be more beneficial because I know personally when we were doing just the assignments over the last school year it was a lot harder to keep yourself motivated, and I also felt like i wasn’t necessarily learning as much as I would if I was in an in-person session,” Benning said. “... I didn’t really have a lot of synchronous classes, and I felt that was kind of a downfall, and I think that if we can keep the kids on a schedule, even if they’re at home, they’re gonna benefit so much more because I know I wasn’t on a schedule in the spring, and I suffered from that.”
With respect to having a camera in the classroom, Crisfield said he “like[d] that as a standalone program,” and would make further inquiries. Several school board members also raised concerns about technological expectations including available bandwidth.
Crisfield said that he needed to bring this proposal to the teachers and teachers’ union to get a better sense of their interest.
While the idea seemed to gain a following, Bleefeld stressed that it’s “still in the early stages,” he said in a phone interview on Wednesday, adding that education officials are “looking into whether it’s feasible,” and other “media capabilities” associated with the initiative.
No decision has been made on the subject.
Although a myriad of topics and scenarios were addressed during Monday night’s meeting, Bleefeld stressed that providing top notch educational services and maintaining safety is key.
“We’re not gonna eliminate risk. It’s clear from a large percentage of our families that they want in-class learning. We also have a large percentage that doesn’t,” Bleefeld said. “If we simply focus on finding ways of reducing the risk as best we can, I think that’s our best course of action.”
“I think if we try to do it any other way, they’re not going to get the education that they need to get.” — WSD School Board Vice President Tracie Walsh