Ask These Questions about Virtual Learning
The real count-down has begun. School as we knew it (pre-COVID) is likely to look very different, and it is steadily approaching. A lot of parents are uncertain about the upcoming academic year and are worried about how their children will deal with the changes. Here are some questions to ask your kid’s school personnel to get a better handle on the upcoming school year.
Are There Low-Tech Options?
We have all been forced to become more comfortable with technology and virtual-everything. So we know school this year will be no different. However, your student may do better if there is access to supplemental print materials to help him or her follow along with the lessons. Younger children or children with ADHD especially may benefit from paper corresponding lesson plans to reference as they may have trouble focusing on video lessons.
What Learning Platform Will My Student(s) Use?
Virtual learning is still very new to most districts, and school personnel are still figuring out which learning platforms work best for their lesson plans and their students. Unfortunately with the sharp pivot into virtual classrooms last semester, for some districts, each grade and sometimes each teacher used different platforms! That means parents and students have to remember multiple programs and passwords and how to navigate each. Ask now what learning platform your school plans on using so you can get comfortable with it now.
What individual Communication Will My Child Receive?
Building a teacher-student relationship will be even more important with virtual learning than with in-person. Its possible students may never actually meet their teacher in person this year. Making sure your child will have some one on one access to their teacher to motivate them to stay on task with assignments, discuss grades, and ask their teacher questions when they need help. Ask how often students have individual video meetings or phone calls with the teacher.
How Will My Student Be Graded?
Many schools last semester did away with grades, or instituted a ‘pass/fail’ policy. Ask your school how grading will work this year. Will attendance count simply by signing in or completing assignments? Will students be penalized for missing an online class? How will in-class participation be assessed? However your school determines it, you will be better off if you are in the loop on the expectations for your student’s performance.
How Do Teachers Plan to Make Learning Fun?
Teachers may need to get creative to keep kids focused and engaged during digital learning. Ask if your student’s teacher has a plan to incorporate games or other fun activities, costumes or antics that will keep the lessons interesting and enjoyable for students?