Hi, everyone. I'm sure you are wondering what remote teaching and learning will look like for your children. Our remote teachers will be working closely with one another as well as their in-school colleagues to create engaging learning experiences for their students and deliver a consistent curriculum across grade levels.
Synchronous vs. Asynchronous
Two words that best describe our approach to remote teaching and learning are synchronous and asynchronous.
- Think of synchronous learning as a "real-time" experience. Teachers will use video conferencing tools like Zoom or Google Meet to connect with their students at regularly scheduled times.
- Think of asynchronous learning as an "on-demand" experience where students will be assigned tasks that they can complete independently or with parental support.
Expectations for Grades K - 4
Students in grades K-4 can expect daily synchronous interaction with teachers with at least 30 minutes for math instruction and 30 minutes for English Language Arts. Teachers may also schedule short synchronous sessions to meet with individual students, small groups, or the whole class at various points throughout the day. When they are not online with their students, teachers will design asynchronous activities for students to complete independently or with the support of a parent or guardian. Daily student attendance is required.
Expectations for Grades 5 - 12
For grades 5-12, students will be scheduled in classes similar to their in-school friends, with some students attending regularly scheduled synchronous classes (i.e. class periods) via video conferencing tools on Mondays & Tuesdays and others attending on Thursdays & Fridays.
- For freshmen and sophomores, synchronous learning will take place on Mondays and Tuesdays with a "bell schedule" that mirrors that of the high school.
- For juniors and seniors, students will attend synchronous classes on Thursdays and Fridays with a "bell schedule" that mirrors that of the high school.
- For students in grades 5-8, the breakdown of synchronous/asynchronous instruction will be designated by students' last names--A-K are synchronous on Monday and Tuesday; L-Z are synchronous on Thursday and Friday. The "bell schedule" will mirror that of each middle school. Please note that expectations for 5th grade will be more like K-4 than 6-12 in terms of a daily schedule.
Attendance
Daily student attendance in required, even on asynchronous days. It is the students' responsibility to check in with their teachers to verify their attendance. One strategy teachers may employ to verify attendance, for example, might include posing a question on Google Classroom for students to answer.
Flipped Instruction
In an effort to get the most out of their synchronous interaction with students, many teachers may be "flipping" their instruction. Check out the video below for a brief overview of Flipped Learning.
Chromebook Pick-Up
Teachers will be leaning heavily on a variety of instructional technology tools to design engaging learning experiences for students as well as establishing a workflow to evaluate student work and provide feedback. While the tools teachers leverage will vary by grade level and subject area, one thing is certain--students will be using school-issued Chromebooks to access their digital class materials. The "pick-up" date for Chromebooks and other learning materials will take place on September 9th at each building.
- East Hill: 1:00 - 3:00 PM
- Onondaga Road: 12:00 - 3:00 PM
- Split Rock: 12:00 - 3:00 PM
- Stonehedge: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
- CMS (grades 7 & 8): 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
- WGMS (grades 5 & 6): 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
- WGHS: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
