What to Expect When You're Expecting...A Nutshell Guide to Pandemic Education 2020
/
Here we are, at the threshold of starting school 2020 with online learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That is A-OK with me…protecting students, school staff and families is paramount. In the meantime, families need to make the best decisions that work for them right now. There are a lot of different factors that each family will need to consider regarding their child’s education.
There is no one-size fits all but it’s important to understand your options to figure out how and where your student can learn and what they need to be successful academically, socially and emotionally. With the situation constantly changing, the method you choose now may not be what you end up with but knowing your options will help you make the most informed decisions. Here is a list of different learning options to consider.
Distance Learning
Distance learning is the default instruction method this fall for all public schools (and some private) in California. It’s not ideal for all children but for now it is a good option and the safest way to teach. Your students regular teacher provides instruction as they normally would but using online tools like Zoom or Google Classrooms. Each district’s plans could change depending on the coronavirus outbreak, so it’s important families receive updates from their child’s district and school. Various models of learning in and out of classes are currently being evaluated. Every school will be different. Make sure you are signed up for all alerts with your school and school district. School may plan to change when the state allows them to open up.
Homeschool
The primary teacher is a parent or guardian. Homeschool families recognize that there are many ways to learn about any subject matter without having a formal teaching background. They use online resources such as Outschool, Khan Academy, Brain Pop and a multitude of other sources on the internet. You can also find mentors within your community — people who are passionate about their work and interests are often happy to share their knowledge with a curious kid. For many families, one of the main goals of homeschooling is teaching our children how to learn and fostering a lifelong love of learning.
Contact Ten Toad for information.
Pandemic Pod
Families are forming “pods” with other families they have an established relationship with and who are willing to expand their “social bubble” (English - PDF, Spanish - PDF). Sometimes it’s led by an educator or tutor or by parents, trading shared supervision duties, lessons and costs.
Bay Area Facebook Groups have formed a matching + resource page to support Marin and Bay Area families and have a lot of excellent information available.
Micro School
Micro Schools are small neighborhood schools that are the reinvention of the one-room schoolhouse, where class sizes are small groups of 5-8 students. Companies like the Micro School Coalition or SchoolHouse can help organize a group too. This works well if you have multiple children and combine 2-3 families.
Online Schools
If you’ve had a child who could not attend a traditional in-person school for one reason or another, you might be familiar with this option. These virtual schools have been providing state-approved, full-time, accredited support for students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Some schools include: Bridgeway Academy, Calvert Academy, Christa McAuliffe Academy School of Arts and Sciences, Connections Academy, Florida Virtual School, Forest Trail Academy, K12, Laurel Springs School, Oak Meadow and Time4Learning.
Hybrid Learning
Children with an individualized education program (IEP) and need additional educational and possibly emotional and behavioral support are likely best in a hybrid model instead of all virtual. That would be a combination of online and in person learning. This varies greatly depending on the students needs and would need to be handled on a case by case basis.
Blended Learning
This is something that I made up but I have adopted for my own student. It is simply a combination of 2 or more of these ideas above. I am asked frequently what my plan is which for now, is to have my daughter continue distance learning with her public school. She loves her school and has formed a very strong bond with her teachers. What is missing is friendships and community which, as her parent, I will create with her friends families that will adhere to the social bubble guidelines above. And I will include some homeschooling in addition.
What ever path you choose now, keep yourself open to change and have honest and frequent conversations with your child to find out what works and what doesn’t. It is also very important that if you send your child to an enclosed classroom situation and there is an outbreak to prepare a backup for the possibility of exposure or positive test results.
We all learn from each other. If you have had an education revelation we can learn from please comment below! Stay safe.
