COPLEY/GREEN — With the first day of school quickly approaching, area school districts are preparing for the year ahead and helping parents get ready, too, as some students will be starting the 2020-21 year remotely.
Whether a child is returning to a physical classroom or an online one, school officials advise making provisions in the home for remote education regardless, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
When readying for digital learning, being sure the home has consistent online access is crucial, said Julie McMahan, coordinator of communications, community outreach and student wellness for Green Local Schools.
“It is very important to be sure your internet is properly working,” she said.
The shift to remote learning in the spring revealed some homes have spotty Wi-Fi access. It is best to troubleshoot now so a similar situation does not arise as the school year gets started, said McMahan.
Lance Green, Copley-Fairlawn City Schools’ technology director, echoed the need for parents to have internet setup for the 2020-21 school year, and worked with local providers to secure the strongest possible signal where the distance learning will take place.
“In the spring, we did work with families and continue to work with families who may need assistance,” he said.
The technology team for Green Local Schools also is accessible to aid those with questions, said McMahan.
“We have an outstanding technology team available for phone calls and to assist. I just want parents to know we are there to support them and their child and that includes technology,” she said. “Stay in contact with us.”
Useful technology information for the upcoming school year can be found at greenlocalschools.org, as well, McMahan added.
Also helpful to parents, Green and Copley-Fairlawn districts provide in-school and distant learners with Chromebooks to use for increased education opportunities.
“I think one of the greatest things we have in our district is the 1-on-1 program,” said Green.
Copley-Fairlawn provides each district student with a Chromebook, ensuring access to technology, including educational tools, can happen inside the home.
The district allowed each student to keep his or her Chromebook through the summer months so they could stay familiar with it, said Green.
He encourages parents to explore the Chromebooks, as well, so they can assist their children with online instruction this school year. The Chromebooks offer tools parents may find beneficial for their students, including programs that can help a child struggling with reading or writing, Green said.
For the 2020-21 school year, both Green and Copley-Fairlawn districts are excited about the distance education they will be providing their students this year, both through a full-time remote program and if all students must eventually switch to remote learning.
Green Schools will be using an online learning platform called Canvas, which McMahan thinks parents will appreciate. The district is anticipating about 24 percent of its students will be starting the first nine weeks learning remotely, she said. The district’s online school for the 2020-21 school year is called Bulldog Digital Academy, and live, interactive lessons will be taught by Green’s educational staff, said McMahan.
Copley-Fairlawn also has put in place an independent online program for kindergarten through 12th grade students that will be monitored by a district staff member and will provide distance learning classes taught by district staff through Google Classroom if the district has to close due to the pandemic, said district officials.
Copley-Fairlawn Assistant Superintendent Brian Williams said the district is determined to help parents understand what their children will need to start this school year, for both the in-person and remote learning environments.
Green recommends parents identify a workspace inside the home now for the school year and be sure students learning remotely full time take “brain breaks, stop to get some exercise during the day, have snacks available and other things of that nature.”
McMahan said the district would like parents to set up a study area for their students, also.
“Think of it as a classroom,” she said.
McMahan asks parents to treat remote learning as a school day.
“Be mindful of breaks and make sure you are there for their support,” she said.
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August 06, 2020 at 07:33PM
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