I hope you are taking the time to upload your resources to your Google Classroom account. I have been very busy uploading, but I took the time to listen in to a COVID-19 preparation call this afternoon.
The call consisted of a shotgun blast of information that did not come to any definite conclusions. The orator spoke of how the next year will not be like any other we have experienced. There were many ideas thrown out as possible ways to mitigate the situation. One idea was to form cohorts of students that would not intermingle with each other. Another idea is to stagger student schedule, as to limit the number of students on campus at any time. Finally, the most talked about solution, was distance learning.
The subject of distance learning was compounded by several questions that arose from the subject. What educational resources do the teachers need? What technology resources do teachers need? What kind of technology support will teachers need? What will be the ultimate cost to school districts and the teachers?
The teleconference ended with a slew of statistics. 50% of teachers have never taught any form of distance learning education before this pandemic. 33% of teachers report to have a medical condition that could lead to a higher mortality rate due to COVID-19. 65% of all teachers say that we should continue to teach from home while NIH works on a vaccine.
The only message that I took away from the call was the one that was not spoken. After listening to the percentages of teachers that were not prepared for the distance learning, and how many of the guidelines will be set by local superintendents, I soon began to realize that the orator of the telephone call did not know what was going to happen this fall. More than likely, state officials are probably waiting to see the impact of the virus during the summer before making any decisions. All of this is happening while time is ticking away. The message to you and to me is get your own distance learning plan in place now.