While schools will remain closed for the rest of this academic year to help contain the coronavirus pandemic, “We should put all efforts into strengthening our delivery of education through distance learning,” California State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond said in a March 31 letter to superintendents.
Life has been altered for students in preschool through college and their teachers, school administrators and families. Sheltered in place, they are learning to adapt with the help of online resources.
Online technology is being used for the youngest of learners.
“We have Zoom meetings for show and tell,” said Olivia Griswold, a preschool teacher at Saratoga Day Care. “As typical 2 to 4-year-olds, the kids giggle and laugh and have a wonderful time. The biggest challenge for them is understanding why they can’t go over to the neighbors or their grandparents if they aren’t sick.”
In Los Gatos, Hillbrook middle school students are going online to help stop the coronavirus from spreading. Eighth-grader Angie Zoric led a live Google Meet demonstration to show her peers how to make a non-medical mask using a few simple supplies like fabric scraps and elastic or rubber bands to give to neighbors and local nonprofits.
“In this unprecedented learning environment, structures to help students feel connected locally and globally are critical,” said Hillbrook’s Annie Makala.
Saratoga High Junior Katie Chen is finding ways to alleviate what she says can be an “extremely boring” home life during shelter in place.
“Despite missing seeing my friends every day, I look at it as a welcome break” from her rigorous academic schedule, Katie said. “Taking online classes is easy due to platforms like Zoom and Hangouts, and talking to my friends is one Facetime call away.”
Katie is also turning to the internet for recreation, and for planning life after high school.
“I encourage everybody to use this extra time to take a virtual tour of potential colleges they can no longer visit in person, embark on a virtual dive in Monterey Bay’s National Marine Sanctuary to catch a glimpse of the acrobatic sea lions, or look at the Shiba Inu Puppy Cam where the sight of adorable puppies is guaranteed to brighten your day,” she wrote in a letter to this newspaper.
College admission tests have been cancelled through May, putting this year’s junior class in an unprecedented position.
“All campus tours have been called off,” said Christina Kim, whose son Xander is a junior at Saratoga High. “Everyone is scrambling to get on the schedule for summer college admission tests.”
Kim said Xander learns better in a face-to-face setting than via online classes. It’s particularly challenging, she added, given that Saratoga High stopped hosting classes on Zoom after they were “Zoom bombed.”
“Now they post homework and conduct teacher office hours so students can talk to the teacher,” Kim said.
Dave Johnston is working from home and trying to help his son Austin, a fifth-grader at Saratoga Elementary School, stay on track academically.
“We’re moving ahead, but it’s not quite as easy as we thought,” Johnston said. “Austin has a Zoom meeting with his teachers every Monday. We start each day with a written schedule on the white board: 8:30 dog walk, 9-12 school and so forth. The school has been very good about connecting the kids and moving forward with on-board classes and assignments.”
A silver lining is that Austin has been able to continue taking violin lessons via Skype.
“Austin has played the violin for three years but now has time to practice, and his teacher noticed his advancement right away,” Johnston said.
While some school districts are finding the transition to online learning a bit bumpy, other campuses have successfully navigated the change.
“As it became more and more apparent that we might need to switch over to remote learning, we prepared and didn’t skip a single day,” said Dave Delgado, headmaster of San Jose’s Cambrian Academy. “Students in grades 5-12 quickly transitioned from sitting in a classroom to sitting in a virtual classroom via Google Meet at home. Parents have been relieved and appreciative that learning continues without interruption.
“At the beginning of week 3, students are still in good spirits, and the teachers are still smiling,” Delgado continued. “How will everyone be doing after four, five and six weeks? That’s uncharted territory, but we’ll keep learning together.”
Learning websites
Google classroom: Assignments from the teacher and a way to write and submit assignments to teacher. Classroom.google.com
Homeschool Planet: www.homeschoolplanet.com
Seesaw activities: Free learning websites for kids at home. https://web.seesaw.me/parents
Origo: Math. https://www.origoeducation.com
Lexia: Reading and activities. https://www.lexiapowerup.com
Achieve 3000: Reading and activities/questions. https://www.achieve3000.com
Scholastic Storyworks: Magazine with articles and activities. https://storyworks.scholastic.com
Twig: Science. https://www.twigscience.com