Dear Parents and Guardians, I hope this message finds you well and discovering creative ways to cope with our current reality during Shelter in Place. Please read the following document that reflects some of the comments I made during the April 14th Board of Trustees meeting where I discussed our distance learning program. I provided an overview of the program, rationale for the decisions we have made, and addressed questions that have been asked by some parents during our transition to a distance learning model. Vision for Distance Learning: The RUSD Vision for distance learning remains consistent with our RUSD Mission and Vision, Mission for the Reed Union Student and Statement of Diversity and Inclusion. It is more important than ever that we create and sustain an inclusive, equitable and respectful environment in which each person has a sense of belonging and is provided the support to thrive. Continuing to challenge and inspire students to reach their fullest intellectual, social-emotional and creative potential to positively impact the world is our daily goal and focus as we move further into our distance learning program. We are committed to teach our students the skills and tools they will need to re-enter our physical schools as seamlessly as possible.
What did RUSD consider in the development of the Continuity of Learning Plan (Distance Learning) that is being implemented? RUSD has followed the guidance of the California Department of Education, educational organizations and experts, and lessons learned from the field to make decisions about our Continuity of Learning plan for students. Additionally, parent and student feedback has been invaluable in making on-going adjustments to continually evolve the program. Best practices that have influenced our program design have included: ~ Use existing technology platforms in which teachers and students are already familiar. In our classrooms, teachers and students frequently use Google Classroom and SeeSaw to share work projects. By expanding to Google Meet for live format sessions, we have built-in safety measures which protect our student’s privacy and security since they access these meetings through their school email account. ~ Teachers provide a blend of asynchronous and synchronous opportunities for our students to better meet the needs of all learners. Teachers facilitate live opportunities to connect with students using Google Meet for purposes which may include to clarify assignments, respond to questions, hold morning meetings, provide student engagement and support, and to check-in with students on their progress and well-being. Most content lessons and introduction to new concepts occur via videos, podcasts or app recordings which can be paused and reviewed by the student and viewed at any time during the day. ~ Utilizing apps such as Zearn, Dreambox, IXL, Raz-Kids and Lexia provide differentiated learning for our students. Each of these programs modifies and adjusts to your child’s level so their program is individualized for them. ~ The learning day is composed of elements which are recommended for distance learning, including a mixture of short lessons chunked into smaller increments; individual student work time; hands on activities; multiple modalities for students to engage with their teacher and other students; and teachers holding office hours. When students attend school, educators are purposeful about the amount of screen time our students have during the instructional day, therefore we are cognizant that we do not require students to be on their screens all day. It is important to maintain a healthy balance. ~ Distance learning is not the same as learning in the classroom. It is more exhausting both mentally and physically, therefore it is important to break up the day with other activities, exercise, and engaging with family members. ~ Teachers have collaborated to determine the most essential standards for students to learn to be successful in the next grade level and they are providing the majority of their focus in these areas. Why did RUSD decide not to provide live instructional lessons for students for 3-4 hours each day? ~ Education has undergone many transformations in the past two decades. One very notable change is much less time spent on lecture, which not only created passive learners, but did not produce effective student learning outcomes. Today teaching and learning requires students to be more actively engaged, use their critical thinking skills and take ownership over their learning. These shifts have made students more accountable for their learning which has resulted in improved achievement and independence. Enabling students to be independent learners during distance learning supports this pedagogy. Live streaming lessons for the majority of the day would divert back into the lecture mode of instruction, which would not advance our students to the level they will need to be to enter the next grade level. ~ The decision to not facilitate live stream lessons to students for an extended period of time was made intentionally to further our commitment to equity, access and inclusion for all students. The school day cannot be replicated in a distance learning model, so we created a plan that would include multiple ways for students to engage in their learning throughout the day. Additionally, the age, maturity and attention span of our students was considered to ensure equal access to instruction. Even during our Google Meet times, some young learners wonder off and do not engage in the session. ~ Teachers and administrators considered several factors prior to our implementation of live sessions to determine the content that would be the most effective and purposeful in this format. The necessity that all students need to be present at the same time was a concern as this can be an obstacle for students and their families. To not be present at that specified time means that students miss the instruction. Additionally, classroom management, which can at times be a challenge at school, is further exacerbated by different expectations at home than in school and variations in home structures, schedules and expectations. Although teachers create behavioral rules and expectations for students in this model, the maintenance of these rules is considerable. Keeping track of who is present and who is not throughout the lesson can be difficult especially when attempting to deliver content. In school districts that are using live streaming for most of the instructional day, teachers have developed management tools such as muting all students so they cannot speak or interrupt the lesson (which does not eliminate the distraction that some students will exhibit for others); remove students from the lesson who are disruptive which means they miss out on the instruction; and students who are late are kept out of the session until the teacher is at a transition point to let the students enter the lesson. Because of these limitations and others, our teachers are primarily using the live format for student connections, clarifying assignments, checking for understanding, and engaging students in opportunities to further their bonding and social-emotional experiences. ~ It is our imperative to always provide equity for students by removing barriers to their learning. Requiring students to be present at a specific time for a significant portion of the day to participate in live instructional lessons does not serve students equally. By providing instructional videos, apps, podcasts and other methods for lesson delivery we allow more flexibility for students, ensure access, and allow students to review the lesson numerous times if needed, free from distraction, and provide best models of instruction. We are grateful for your support and partnership as we continue the educational program for our students so they will continue to be challenged and inspired to reach their fullest intellectual, social-emotional and creative potential to positively impact the world. We are grateful for and value your partnership more than ever! Stay tuned…a new website page is being developed to provide you updated information on our Distance Learning program and resources for families. Coffee Chat: Please join me for the Superintendent’s Coffee Chat scheduled on Tuesday, April 28 at 9:30 AM. Email [email protected] with the subject COFFEE CHAT, and provide your name and grade level of your children. Keith will email you the link to join the Google Meet. I look forward to checking in to see how you are doing! Reminder - We Need Your Photos & Stories! Please be sure to send Ms. Simontacchi your pictures and stories (with your parent's permission) that show new things you have learned while sheltering in place at home. We're looking for positive stories to share on Instagram. Thank you to those of you who have already sent in your great photos and stories! Note: Ms. Simontacchi will double check for parent approval before we post. Kindest regards, Nancy Lynch, Ed.D. Comments are closed.
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