distance learning and virtual therapy

So...distance learning.

Here is what it has looked like for us.  The teachers had two weeks of planning before launching into distance learning, which I think was a wise decision.  Might have something to do with the fact that our governor was previously an educator!

To recap, the kids are at three different schools in two different districts, plus shared-time home school for Brett.  At the start, during the planning weeks and first week of distance learning, we were inundated with emails, voice messages, texts, and surveys from the schools.  Fortunately, that has somewhat leveled off now that we are starting to get in the routine of how things work.  The second big thing was new technology, and learning very quickly how to use it.  It seems like each school and even each teacher has different preferred platforms and we have had to learn how to navigate all of them.  Then the big launch day came and one of the platforms crashed because it was overloaded with users!

In our home district, two weeks' worth of materials are delivered to K-5 students by teachers riding the bus routes.  Technology is not required to complete the work because the district was unable to provide it to all students.  In our first delivery, Lydia's teacher had included her supplies from her desk (crayons, paints, headphones, calculator, etc.)  Reggie's teacher had included mechanical pencils just in case we didn't have pencils or a way to sharpen them.  Even though technology isn't essential, both of their teachers are having regular virtual whole-class, small group, and individual meetings that are encouraged.  Lydia has a "morning meeting" every day, and her teacher sends the same information out in an email.  Her class is reading a book "together", where her teacher sends out YouTube videos of portions of the book read aloud, and they are reading portions independently.  For Reggie, his teacher is doing a lot of differentiated learning, so he has a weekly whole class meeting on Monday, then he has various groups throughout the week, and an individual conference on Friday each week.

But since Lydia takes math at the middle school, she has a whole different platform in which that takes place (the district loaned out chrome books to middle schoolers).  All of her math lessons are through Schoology, which was a disaster at first, but is working pretty well now.  Lydia had the wrong login information at first and though she had done the work, I got an email from her teacher on Day 3 asking why Lydia hadn't logged in yet!

Brett, who is currently enrolled in two classes at a charter school in another district, is using google classroom for all of his work.  His school is very small, so they are able to make accommodations for individual families who need them.  For home school, I had my goals set for the year and I really wanted to keep them. But one-on-one intervention-level teaching doesn't work out as well when you are simultaneously facilitating the learning of two other kids.  We are still pushing through the reading and spelling curriculum at a bit slower pace, and math is hit-and-miss.  By that point in our day, the other two are finishing up or burning out on their work.  That's when we play a game, and I attempt to make it a math game most of the time.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Brett had private speech twice weekly and speech through his school twice weekly.  Now, he has his private therapy and one school session as virtual appointments, and I am supposed to do the other school therapy session using resources the therapist provides.

For both of the districts, "attendance" has been important.  Kids/parents are supposed to have some sort of contact with their teachers each day, even if it is just an email saying "hi".  From what I've heard and read, this is mostly a way for the districts to keep tabs on who is engaging in distance learning and, probably more importantly, who isn't.  Reggie and Lydia's elementary school has already informed us that all students will receive "NG" (no grade) for the third trimester and there is no system for turning in and grading work.  Students are encouraged to take pictures or share google documents of their work, but the school will not collect completed packets or books due to contamination risks.  Essentially, completion of work is inconsequential.  The only grades my kids will get during distance learning is Lydia for her math class and Brett for his two classes.  Brett's school openly acknowledges that they have cut their work demands in half, in hopes that  - despite the circumstances - students will engage in learning on some level.

As I am writing this, Minnesota has not officially closed school through the remainder of the year, although no one is expecting it to resume. Thirty-six states have made this call.  I'm guessing we haven't yet because our school year extends into June. I think there will be an announcement by the end of the week.