I don’t like the new concurrent plan (FCPS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

Also they basically end up with 1:30-3:20 as "small group" or "independent activities" is that even realistic for K-2? How does the teacher effectively run a small group with students online and interact with them while kids are in the classroom screen free but socially distanced entertaining themselves for almost 2 hrs. I've never been a teacher but at home with my K-2 that would require bribing and probably videos to watch. Seeing that I can understand why teachers are freaking out.

There can be centers and independent work at desks when your group is not meeting with the teacher. That is the standard language arts blocks even during non pandemic times in the lower grades. They don’t even need to re-invent the wheel.

Almost 2 hrs of independent desk work with 5 or 6 yos? Centers at home too? Or kids at home expected to do different stuff? This is why especially K-2 parents want dedicated online teachers for the kids who are doing full time DL. For the kids in person you can consider the afternoon they're online a wash because they'll get the same thing the day they're in person.

You rotate around. Sometimes you’re with the teacher, sometimes you’re around the room at different centers, sometimes you’re at your seat.
They can probably do the centers at home too. They’ll probably have to be boring ones like asynchronous time now so everyone can do it - like read, write, draw, ST math, have MYON read you a book aloud. This is why we need people to use their brains and try to come up solutions not just complain.

It seems like my 2nd grader's teacher has spent a lot of time basically setting up online LA and math centers, preparing for when students will go back in to the building and also working at home. Obviously she didn't know that concurrent would be the form of hybrid but she's well prepared for it already.

DP. Same here. Gatehouse probably set them up for it. I think this was the plan all along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

Also they basically end up with 1:30-3:20 as "small group" or "independent activities" is that even realistic for K-2? How does the teacher effectively run a small group with students online and interact with them while kids are in the classroom screen free but socially distanced entertaining themselves for almost 2 hrs. I've never been a teacher but at home with my K-2 that would require bribing and probably videos to watch. Seeing that I can understand why teachers are freaking out.

There can be centers and independent work at desks when your group is not meeting with the teacher. That is the standard language arts blocks even during non pandemic times in the lower grades. They don’t even need to re-invent the wheel.

Almost 2 hrs of independent desk work with 5 or 6 yos? Centers at home too? Or kids at home expected to do different stuff? This is why especially K-2 parents want dedicated online teachers for the kids who are doing full time DL. For the kids in person you can consider the afternoon they're online a wash because they'll get the same thing the day they're in person.

You rotate around. Sometimes you’re with the teacher, sometimes you’re around the room at different centers, sometimes you’re at your seat.
They can probably do the centers at home too. They’ll probably have to be boring ones like asynchronous time now so everyone can do it - like read, write, draw, ST math, have MYON read you a book aloud. This is why we need people to use their brains and try to come up solutions not just complain.

I've used my brain. They're not going to encourage kids to rotate around the room and use shared materials. Many of the classrooms barely have enough space to do 6ft distancing with just desks, let alone additional space for stations. They're not going to be able to expect the kids in person in K-2 to be taking laptops back and forth each day. Kids at home will be expected to do 30 min of ST math while kids in person get 30 min of actual math activities. Would you be as okay with that if they said instead kids in person would get 2 hrs of recess or extra PE while kids at home get small group and other learning activities every day?

I’m fully picking in person for social reasons and yes would be ok with recess. I support play based learning for all ages. I also think social skills are just important for a future job as academic skills.

I was also a teacher before I went to law school.

It's going to be a lot of what we call "seat work." There aren't enough resources at school to take classes outside for recess when the classroom teacher is in the room with the online students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

Also they basically end up with 1:30-3:20 as "small group" or "independent activities" is that even realistic for K-2? How does the teacher effectively run a small group with students online and interact with them while kids are in the classroom screen free but socially distanced entertaining themselves for almost 2 hrs. I've never been a teacher but at home with my K-2 that would require bribing and probably videos to watch. Seeing that I can understand why teachers are freaking out.

There can be centers and independent work at desks when your group is not meeting with the teacher. That is the standard language arts blocks even during non pandemic times in the lower grades. They don’t even need to re-invent the wheel.

Almost 2 hrs of independent desk work with 5 or 6 yos? Centers at home too? Or kids at home expected to do different stuff? This is why especially K-2 parents want dedicated online teachers for the kids who are doing full time DL. For the kids in person you can consider the afternoon they're online a wash because they'll get the same thing the day they're in person.

You rotate around. Sometimes you’re with the teacher, sometimes you’re around the room at different centers, sometimes you’re at your seat.
They can probably do the centers at home too. They’ll probably have to be boring ones like asynchronous time now so everyone can do it - like read, write, draw, ST math, have MYON read you a book aloud. This is why we need people to use their brains and try to come up solutions not just complain.

I've used my brain. They're not going to encourage kids to rotate around the room and use shared materials. Many of the classrooms barely have enough space to do 6ft distancing with just desks, let alone additional space for stations. They're not going to be able to expect the kids in person in K-2 to be taking laptops back and forth each day. Kids at home will be expected to do 30 min of ST math while kids in person get 30 min of actual math activities. Would you be as okay with that if they said instead kids in person would get 2 hrs of recess or extra PE while kids at home get small group and other learning activities every day?

I’m fully picking in person for social reasons and yes would be ok with recess. I support play based learning for all ages. I also think social skills are just important for a future job as academic skills.

I was also a teacher before I went to law school.

It's going to be a lot of what we call "seat work." There aren't enough resources at school to take classes outside for recess when the classroom teacher is in the room with the online students.

Ok drama lama.

My kids are doing hybrid with concurrent and none of these disaster fantasies have come true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You lost me at DL is going well.

Nice try, Brabrand. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOL.

DL is going well for plenty of us. Yes, we're parents. No, we're not teachers. We're sure as hell not Braband.

Your experience is yours and does not reflect everyone's experience.

When you make these baseless accusations, you sound like a buffoon. And "LOOOOOOOL?" I hope you're a 12 year old girl, but otherwise, how cringe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure, make parents do half your job, work four days a week, blame unsubstantiated claims about the danger of the virus, ignore the data, tank the economy - teachers in 2020 - greatest generation.

There's 49 other states in America. I'm sure they'd be thrilled to have your sparkling personality.

But ... that PP is right. You know she's right, that's why it stings.

NP, but no, she's not right and no, it doesn't "sting" (how absurd).

If you people hate everyone and everything about the school district, the administration, the teachers, then nobody is holding a gun to your head to continue to participate. Move, as you've been threatening to for months (but not doing). Go private. Just for the love of God, stop your everloving WHINING.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

Also they basically end up with 1:30-3:20 as "small group" or "independent activities" is that even realistic for K-2? How does the teacher effectively run a small group with students online and interact with them while kids are in the classroom screen free but socially distanced entertaining themselves for almost 2 hrs. I've never been a teacher but at home with my K-2 that would require bribing and probably videos to watch. Seeing that I can understand why teachers are freaking out.

There can be centers and independent work at desks when your group is not meeting with the teacher. That is the standard language arts blocks even during non pandemic times in the lower grades. They don’t even need to re-invent the wheel.

Almost 2 hrs of independent desk work with 5 or 6 yos? Centers at home too? Or kids at home expected to do different stuff? This is why especially K-2 parents want dedicated online teachers for the kids who are doing full time DL. For the kids in person you can consider the afternoon they're online a wash because they'll get the same thing the day they're in person.

You rotate around. Sometimes you’re with the teacher, sometimes you’re around the room at different centers, sometimes you’re at your seat.
They can probably do the centers at home too. They’ll probably have to be boring ones like asynchronous time now so everyone can do it - like read, write, draw, ST math, have MYON read you a book aloud. This is why we need people to use their brains and try to come up solutions not just complain.

I've used my brain. They're not going to encourage kids to rotate around the room and use shared materials. Many of the classrooms barely have enough space to do 6ft distancing with just desks, let alone additional space for stations. They're not going to be able to expect the kids in person in K-2 to be taking laptops back and forth each day. Kids at home will be expected to do 30 min of ST math while kids in person get 30 min of actual math activities. Would you be as okay with that if they said instead kids in person would get 2 hrs of recess or extra PE while kids at home get small group and other learning activities every day?

I’m fully picking in person for social reasons and yes would be ok with recess. I support play based learning for all ages. I also think social skills are just important for a future job as academic skills.

I was also a teacher before I went to law school.

It's going to be a lot of what we call "seat work." There aren't enough resources at school to take classes outside for recess when the classroom teacher is in the room with the online students.

I was responding to a hypothetical. And at any rate, I still think seat work is better than being home on a computer. Andplusalso- you don’t have to make stuff up about no recess for argument’s sake - you can look at the sample plan presented, which includes the usual 30 minutes of recess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

Also they basically end up with 1:30-3:20 as "small group" or "independent activities" is that even realistic for K-2? How does the teacher effectively run a small group with students online and interact with them while kids are in the classroom screen free but socially distanced entertaining themselves for almost 2 hrs. I've never been a teacher but at home with my K-2 that would require bribing and probably videos to watch. Seeing that I can understand why teachers are freaking out.

There can be centers and independent work at desks when your group is not meeting with the teacher. That is the standard language arts blocks even during non pandemic times in the lower grades. They don’t even need to re-invent the wheel.

Almost 2 hrs of independent desk work with 5 or 6 yos? Centers at home too? Or kids at home expected to do different stuff? This is why especially K-2 parents want dedicated online teachers for the kids who are doing full time DL. For the kids in person you can consider the afternoon they're online a wash because they'll get the same thing the day they're in person.

You rotate around. Sometimes you’re with the teacher, sometimes you’re around the room at different centers, sometimes you’re at your seat.
They can probably do the centers at home too. They’ll probably have to be boring ones like asynchronous time now so everyone can do it - like read, write, draw, ST math, have MYON read you a book aloud. This is why we need people to use their brains and try to come up solutions not just complain.

I've used my brain. They're not going to encourage kids to rotate around the room and use shared materials. Many of the classrooms barely have enough space to do 6ft distancing with just desks, let alone additional space for stations. They're not going to be able to expect the kids in person in K-2 to be taking laptops back and forth each day. Kids at home will be expected to do 30 min of ST math while kids in person get 30 min of actual math activities. Would you be as okay with that if they said instead kids in person would get 2 hrs of recess or extra PE while kids at home get small group and other learning activities every day?

I’m fully picking in person for social reasons and yes would be ok with recess. I support play based learning for all ages. I also think social skills are just important for a future job as academic skills.

I was also a teacher before I went to law school.

It's going to be a lot of what we call "seat work." There aren't enough resources at school to take classes outside for recess when the classroom teacher is in the room with the online students.

Teacher takes kids outside for 30
Minutes, virtual kids have a 30 minute break.
So simple and easy to solve this “problem”.

[Anonymous]

Our daily schedule seems like it will work fine currently. Kids are online for 4.5 hours. A lot of that time(30%) is spent doing work and exit tickets. The kids are at school for a
Bout 7 hours. They’ll get plenty of attention.

[Anonymous]

The only interactive part of the day with DL is morning meeting, and even then the kids have to take turns speaking and rarely show their faces. Then the teacher calls on kids after she presents some material throughout the day. she can do that and call on kids in class too. The chicken little mentality here is something else. Perhaps k-2 looks different but for the VAST majority of students this will work fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes 100 percent better than watching a streaming class and having the teacher’s attention split.

Sorry, it's not going to happen.

Prince William County is doing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DL is going well for us. We were on board with the initial hybrid plan that included 3 asynchronous days. At least that would be a break from virtual slides and presentations by the teachers. Kids would actually have time to complete work. I don’t like this new concurrent plan because it short changes both groups. I don’t think it’s worth the risk to send my kid in for 2 days, only to have the teacher trying to deal with both the virtual and in class kids simultaneously. This is totally ridiculous and will be a disaster. The only reason they have moving to this new plan is because SOLs aren’t waived. They need 4 days of instruction to even attempt the SOLs. Anyone agree?

Schools should be in person 5 days a week, if you want virtual you can watch a video of the class. end of thread .

This is not going to happen, so get over it. End of thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like it a lot. I hope they get it off the ground.

+1

I emailed my school board members and the at large members and told them this. I'll email again this week and repeat that the concurrent plan sounds good and say how poorly my kid is doing right now, academically and emotionally, with DL.

Cool. I just did the opposite. Not so much as "oppose" concurrent but urged a slow approach that doesn't punish DL kids by taking away their teachers (and some other concerns), as some on here seem to be suggesting. Looks like I'll be doing that on the regular until a decision is make.
Thanks for the reminder.

Good idea. I'll join you. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like it a lot. I hope they get it off the ground.

+1

I emailed my school board members and the at large members and told them this. I'll email again this week and repeat that the concurrent plan sounds good and say how poorly my kid is doing right now, academically and emotionally, with DL.

Cool. I just did the opposite. Not so much as "oppose" concurrent but urged a slow approach that doesn't punish DL kids by taking away their teachers (and some other concerns), as some on here seem to be suggesting. Looks like I'll be doing that on the regular until a decision is make.
Thanks for the reminder.

So that’s what is really going on, dl folks are unhappy. Buckle up folks, it is all downhill for dl from here.

Of course it's downhill. It WILL end at some point, and I'm ok with that. But, in the interim, if you think for one minute I'll accept a substandard DL experience for my child while you rush yours out the door, you can think again.

YES. *standing ovation*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Frankly, I don’t think the plan is going to be effective those two days at home....

That being said: why wasn’t this the plan we started with?

I suggested this months ago and was told multiple times it wasn't possible due to technology constraints.

We don’t have the technology yo do this well. We don’t have mounted cameras in classrooms, bandwidth for everyone to be videoconferencing, microphones for teachers...we don’t even have document cameras in most classrooms. Teachers are going to have to position themselves so they can be seen by their laptop’s built in camera while trying to project through a mask to be heard online as well as in person. How to keep the online kids engaged while you provide meaningful interactions in person? You can’t. It’s nuts. We knew it was a horrible decision from the beginning. This sudden shift in approach is a huge mistake.

You are way overthinking this. Sit at your desk, deliver the class like you have been. There will be a Bluetooth speaker and mics. We don’t need a view of the classroom at home, we need what you’ve been doing which is slides and audio. Ocassionally you show your face.

NP. No. Someone needs to think this through. O know a couple of teacher friends who have been killing it in DL. Did a lot of unpaid DL methodology training over the summer. Are doing very innovative and interesting things with their classes. And working a full,day on Saturday every week to plan and make videos and paddlers and slides. Going into the schools with members of their team to dim science lab demonstrations. And who are willing to go back old hybrid. They strongly feel the quality of education will be much lower than DL and really walked me through the mechanics.

One is MS. One is HS. So, I’m not discussing ES here. And I wish we had a separate thread on each, because people are arguing past each other since the two levels are very different.

After talking to them, I understand now that they can’t lecture for 80 minutes to a screen without losing 80% of the class. They are building in approx 50% group work or independent work for each class. Group work is impossible in a classroom because social distancing. And they are fine saying hi to kids and giving a 5 minute summary of the day. But, want the ability to then have kids work on discussion questions in AP Lang on an asynchronous day, and concentrate on a small group lit circle in person. Or have one group in breakout rooms doing group work, while the other works in person the the teacher. mSand HS teachers seemed to really feel like they could make the hybrid work better, engage the students more and provide a better education.

I teach a middle ES grade level. Since July I have been willing to give the original hybrid model a try. I think it would be better then the current DL we are doing. The concurrent model seems like it would be difficult and I don't know that it would be an improvement over what we are doing now. I keep hoping something will get figured out that is better than DL.

In a nutshell, a typical day goes like this:

I open up Meet 15 minutes prior to the start of school. Within a minute about half the class of 21 students are in the Meet socializing. At the start of school I have all students. The day starts with a short student created news show, the Pledge and a moment of silence. This is followed by a morning meeting that lasts about 20 minutes. The entire stretch lasts 30 minutes and about one-third keep their cameras off. They then get a 15 minute screen break before math begins. Some students don't take that break.

When math begins (9:45) about half of the class (9-11 students) keep their cameras off. A core group of 4 or 5 students participate on a consistent basis (raising hand, sharing strategies, putting answers or "S" to share in the chat). I can get a few others to contribute if I call on them directly, but often they haven't been paying attention and don't know what we are doing. I can see some with cameras on are distracted (pets, spinning in chair, loud house, loud daycare), but I have no clue about those with cameras off. Some don't answer because even though they are logged in and I call on them, they aren't there. Of those participating some may put answers on a PearDeck slide, some do work on dry erase boards and show it. The lesson usually takes about 30 minutes and is a slow "teeth pulling" process. I then explain the assignment they will complete while I work with a smaller group. At this point 1 or 2 will disappear from the Meet call. Even though the routine hasn't changed it still takes 5 or 6 minutes to get everyone to understand that group A will be staying with me for the next 15 minutes while groups B and C work on the assignment and that group B will come back in 15 minutes, etc. Students are directed to all return at 11:00. Questions such as, "So, what time do I come back? When do we all come back?" are asked. Then, while meeting with groups, students will come back and say, "Is this group C? What time do I need to come back? I'm done. What do I need to do now?". It is almost guaranteed that some students will not come back for their group time. Some will come back late and ask, "What are we doing?" One or two may disappear for the rest of the day. A good number won't do the assignment.

11:00 begins the Specialized Instruction block. Some students attend classes such as ESOL, speech, or AAP. I can use this time to meet with another group or complete assessments. Others can work on asynchronous work. We have not yet made it through this transition very smoothly so again time is lost trying to get everyone to understand what they need to do. 3 or 4 are usually missing at this time. For the rest of the day at least 12 students will keep their cameras off.

11:30 we meet as a whole class for science or social studies. At noon the students get an hour for lunch/recess and I finally get a break from the screen.

Language arts begins at 1:00 and for the most part students are refreshed, but it doesn't last long. 1:00-2:15 or so runs basically like the math block in the morning. Whole group lesson followed by small groups. A few students participate. Some are logged in but not present. I call on students with cameras off to make sure they are still there and if I'm lucky they have been paying attention. Often I get, "Huh?" or "Wait, what?" Some might not even be in the Meet call. Participation has slowly been dropping as the fall has progressed. It is too difficult to keep track of who is in class so I have stopped trying. At this point I'm relying on the 4 or 5 participants who are contributing and I'm willing to keep going to that well to at least keep the ball rolling. When we transition to groups I spend minutes going over the directions and what needs to be done numerous times while fielding the "What time do I come back" and, "So is this free time?" questions.

At 2:30 the students have a 30 minute break before specials. For good measure throw in a few "Everybody is frozen" or "I can't hear you" moments, plenty of "I just got here. Can you put the link in the chat again?" and "I can't find it" comments.

The problem with this is that shy kids like mine are getting lost in the shuffle. She's paying attention, she's doing her work, she hates participating and answering questions, but her teacher ignores her because she's not one of the top 5 who participate all the time and she's disheartened by it. The one time she raised her hand, she was at the bottom of the list, so the teacher didn't call on her. Her teacher doesn't let the kids turn their cameras on, which I find frustrating because then she doesn't even get to SEE that my kid is paying attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like it a lot. I hope they get it off the ground.

+1

I emailed my school board members and the at large members and told them this. I'll email again this week and repeat that the concurrent plan sounds good and say how poorly my kid is doing right now, academically and emotionally, with DL.

Cool. I just did the opposite. Not so much as "oppose" concurrent but urged a slow approach that doesn't punish DL kids by taking away their teachers (and some other concerns), as some on here seem to be suggesting. Looks like I'll be doing that on the regular until a decision is make.
Thanks for the reminder.

Concurrent keeps your kid with his teacher.

Sigh.

My kid's teacher is terrible. I WANT to be able to switch teachers.