Online learning mostly smooth sailing.
Nova Scotia’s at-home learning 2.0
SYDNEY — Vicki Gerrow's days are busy with four children with very different needs all learning at home.
Ages seven, 10, 14 and 18, two are in elementary school, one in middle school and one in high school.
Everyone's schedule is different and everyone needs Gerrow in different ways.
Gerrow's oldest is in Grade 12 and needs little help. Her other three need her more, particularly her 14-year-old and seven-year-old, who have special needs.
"My Grade 1, they only have one hour a day, so I stay with them for that then pretty much spend the rest of the day with my Grade 9er," she said, adding she makes lunch when she gets a moment.
Overall, Gerrow finds this at-home learning strategy implemented by the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Childhood Development better than last year's work packages.
Mixing synchronous (teacher instructing) and asynchronous (student working on own) learning, Gerrow sees benefits for some students like her oldest child.
If they understand the lesson and work alone efficiently, they get longer breaks between classes.
Students also have easy one-on-one access to teachers, through chat rooms during their work independently slots.
"I have one child that doesn't like to stand out so in class they would never ask a question in front of the class," she said.
"But with this, they can go into a chatroom and talk to their teachers, ask the question one-on-one."
However, for Gerrow's two children with special needs, who have teaching assistants at school, the online classroom isn't as good as the real thing.
"My (child) in Grade 1 has severe ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). At school he has a full-time TA. I'd rather he be in class where he gets more support," she said.
BETTER THIS TIME
With more time to prepare, a model was created which took into consideration data collected by the department of education after the first emergency at-home learning switch. The data was collected from parents across the province who expressed their views on the work packages sent home during the first school shut down.
Sherwood Park Education Centre principal Paul Gartland said staff at the Sydney school have been preparing since the beginning of the year, teaching students how to use Google Classroom and learning how to deliver online learning.
"The teachers have been spending a lot of time developing their own skills in delivering courses online," he said.
"You can't just take one course and mimic the classroom experience. Being in school is obviously the best place for students to be."
Students, at the same time each weekday, sign into their virtual classrooms for attendance, greeting and their first lesson. Videos are generally required to be on, digital hands raised for questions and students pause to turn on mics when randomly called.
For each period of teacher instruction there is a workalone period that usually follows. There are also physical education classes and music classes.
"Other than walking out the front door and getting on the bus it's very much like an actual school day," Gartland said, praising both students for adapting easily and teachers for their extra work.
However, there have been challenges for some families like weak internet connections.
"For the most part, that has been addressed and if anyone that has some concern and needs some help we've done our best to make a request, for example, a more robust internet connection. Those requests have been few but they've been met positively," he said.
Gartland also said he and school staff are there for any other further challenges students and families may be dealing with, providing as much support as they can.
LEFT BEHIND?
Jodi McDavid wonders if some special needs children might be left behind with the current model.
These children include ones who are marginalized for reasons like poverty, domestic abuse or drug/alcohol use disorder.
They also include students like her 13-year-old son Jackson who is on the autism spectrum and struggling to learn in the virtual classroom.
"Last year, he didn't participate in at-home learning. It was too difficult to do it," she said.
"This time it's not as challenging but timing is challenging, you have to encourage them to be online and stay online. I try to work from home as much as I can but sometimes I have a Zoom meeting or have to go out and I can't always be there."
A benefit for Jackson, who is in Grade 7 and reads at a university level, is that he is able to socialize with the students and teachers.
However, the virtual classroom is too stimulating. Students appear on the screen in their different rooms, with different lighting. People speak at the same time and for Jackson this is extremely distracting.
He also doesn't have his teaching assistant with him.
"The level of education he's getting, I'm not sure," McDavid said. "Teachers are doing their best. I'm not blaming the school or the system. It's just not the best for him."