Virtual Learning - Why Not MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s no longer true that every student has a Chromebook. Some schools returned to the cart model because parents complained about 1:1.

Every kid in middle and high school has a chromebook all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s no longer true that every student has a Chromebook. Some schools returned to the cart model because parents complained about 1:1.

Every kid in middle and high school has a chromebook all the time.

My kids (bcc cluster) certainly do. I read that Pyle MS moved away to having carts so kids only get Chromebooks when they need them which is not as often, but even if that’s the case, there are enough laptops for every student and central office should have had the foresight to tell schools to distribute them on Thursday and Friday considering every news outlet predicted a major storm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand all the pearl clutching for AP students missing a week of instructional time. If anyone in our school system should be able to manage it should be them. These are the kids that should be capable of independent study and research. There might not be graded assignments being given but I am sure your students have some sort of syllabus or course outline that lets them know what is covered on the AP test. They should be finding stuff to do

If teenage students should be “finding stuff to do and teaching themselves material they don’t know” on snow days why can’t MCPS require paid teaching professionals to post assignments for them? Why are students being held to a higher bar than paid staff?

I take it you've never taken an AP class of any complexity. No, AP Calc BC and Physics C are NOT self-teaching. Not by any stretch of the imagination. And my kids have high IQs and great work ethic.

I had to hire a tutor, but I hate that families who can't afford one have children that are going to be behind through no fault of their own.

[Anonymous]

DCPS had asynchronous learning assignments today. DCPS is back to school tomorrow on a two hour delay.

MCPS is just not well managed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because Taylor’s priority is making stupid snow day videos and not making sure his central office actually plans well so kids can get 180 days of instructional time or take home their Chromebooks in a major storm that was foreseen a week ahead of time.

For five days, DCUM claimed it was going to be a nothing burger. Why should he listen to y’all now?

There were dozens of threads on DCUM talking about how to prepare, what to do in case of power outages, dissecting past responses to storms by Dc area authorities and even talking about what groceries to buy and which stores still had shovels and de-icing agent.

That you could make a conclusion that “DCUM says” that is so unsupported by evidence about a forum with thousands of posters who don’t agree on anything says a lot about the quality of your own thought.

I hope you’re not on the McPS payroll.

Your kids attend McPublic Schools What are they are learning (How long to drop the fries? What to say when a customer complains that the ice cream machine is broken?) while you are reading every thread on this site?

Go step on a Lego. My kids have excellent teachers at MCPS and are learning a lot on the days they are in school, no thanks to the chaotic MCPS central offices whose planning seems like it’s done by weakly performing 6th graders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS had asynchronous learning assignments today. DCPS is back to school tomorrow on a two hour delay.

MCPS is just not well managed.

+1. There is no reason teachers couldn’t have sent out assignments today like DCPS did.

[Anonymous]

I am guessing that if it wasn't between semesters that we would have had virtual learning.

It's hard for high school students to start new classes online, and that would really mess with adding and dropping classes because no one could get a feel for things that way. I think this is why we didn't go virtual.

[Anonymous]

MSDE requires an advance plan for virtual learning to take place during Inclement weather. It doesn't take a genius to come up with one.

1) It is my understanding that virtual learning must be synchronous for MSDE approval. So, at the start of the year (or semester in the case of high schoolers), all teachers provide a snow day Zoom link to their students. Schools provide a snow day schedule - going with the 2-hour delayed schedule is probably ideal.

2) All teachers provide a snow day packet with a designated number of lessons or activities (let's say 5 days of activities). Think of it as much like the emergency substitute plans teachers are required to provide, in case of an unplanned absence. These could focus on subject specific skills but wouldn't have to relate to what students are studying specifically at any point in the year. (reading comprehension activities in English, skills practice in Math, a focus on famous artists in fine arts - these lessons could even be related to School Improvement Plans).

3) MCPS pivots to virtual learning using provided Zoom link and schedule. Students who are able to sign in do so. Attendance is taken. Teacher instructs on lesson designated as Snow Day 1 and provides support to students completing that lesson. **Anyone who is having any sort of technical difficulty has the packet and knows to complete Snow Day 1 activity (this could come with the MCPS announcement of a virtual learning day, along with directions about how to be counted as present when experiencing technical difficulties).

4) ALL students are given a due date of one week or even ten days AFTER returning to school to turn in the Snow Day lesson(s) on time and for full credit. This allows students to gain in-person clarification from the teacher and to work around any other issues.

I believe this could work at elementary, middle, and high school levels. Realistically, most high school students really could just continue with their regular lessons in Canvas. I'm a high school teacher in MCPS and I've been in communication with my students this week, encouraging them to get started with the first lesson of the new semester.

Is this an IDEAL plan? Of course not. Could it work for a few days on a week such as this one and does it beat adding bogus half days at the end of the school year? Certainly!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MSDE requires an advance plan for virtual learning to take place during Inclement weather. It doesn't take a genius to come up with one.

1) It is my understanding that virtual learning must be synchronous for MSDE approval. So, at the start of the year (or semester in the case of high schoolers), all teachers provide a snow day Zoom link to their students. Schools provide a snow day schedule - going with the 2-hour delayed schedule is probably ideal.

2) All teachers provide a snow day packet with a designated number of lessons or activities (let's say 5 days of activities). Think of it as much like the emergency substitute plans teachers are required to provide, in case of an unplanned absence. These could focus on subject specific skills but wouldn't have to relate to what students are studying specifically at any point in the year. (reading comprehension activities in English, skills practice in Math, a focus on famous artists in fine arts - these lessons could even be related to School Improvement Plans).

3) MCPS pivots to virtual learning using provided Zoom link and schedule. Students who are able to sign in do so. Attendance is taken. Teacher instructs on lesson designated as Snow Day 1 and provides support to students completing that lesson. **Anyone who is having any sort of technical difficulty has the packet and knows to complete Snow Day 1 activity (this could come with the MCPS announcement of a virtual learning day, along with directions about how to be counted as present when experiencing technical difficulties).

4) ALL students are given a due date of one week or even ten days AFTER returning to school to turn in the Snow Day lesson(s) on time and for full credit. This allows students to gain in-person clarification from the teacher and to work around any other issues.

I believe this could work at elementary, middle, and high school levels. Realistically, most high school students really could just continue with their regular lessons in Canvas. I'm a high school teacher in MCPS and I've been in communication with my students this week, encouraging them to get started with the first lesson of the new semester.

Is this an IDEAL plan? Of course not. Could it work for a few days on a week such as this one and does it beat adding bogus half days at the end of the school year? Certainly!

+1. Well put. Somehow DCPS managed to have asynchronous learning today Wednesday without screaming that it was impossible due to equity/lack of laptops/little kids being too little etc.

MCPS central office just needs better planning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand all the pearl clutching for AP students missing a week of instructional time. If anyone in our school system should be able to manage it should be them. These are the kids that should be capable of independent study and research. There might not be graded assignments being given but I am sure your students have some sort of syllabus or course outline that lets them know what is covered on the AP test. They should be finding stuff to do

If teenage students should be “finding stuff to do and teaching themselves material they don’t know” on snow days why can’t MCPS require paid teaching professionals to post assignments for them? Why are students being held to a higher bar than paid staff?

MCPS can’t ask teachers to work both now and on the makeup days. Teachers work for free on the makeup days because they were already paid for snow days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand all the pearl clutching for AP students missing a week of instructional time. If anyone in our school system should be able to manage it should be them. These are the kids that should be capable of independent study and research. There might not be graded assignments being given but I am sure your students have some sort of syllabus or course outline that lets them know what is covered on the AP test. They should be finding stuff to do

If teenage students should be “finding stuff to do and teaching themselves material they don’t know” on snow days why can’t MCPS require paid teaching professionals to post assignments for them? Why are students being held to a higher bar than paid staff?

MCPS can’t ask teachers to work both now and on the makeup days. Teachers work for free on the makeup days because they were already paid for snow days.

How is DCPS doing asynchronous learning today? Are they just better at making decisions about what makeup days will be and planning for snow days than MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand all the pearl clutching for AP students missing a week of instructional time. If anyone in our school system should be able to manage it should be them. These are the kids that should be capable of independent study and research. There might not be graded assignments being given but I am sure your students have some sort of syllabus or course outline that lets them know what is covered on the AP test. They should be finding stuff to do

If teenage students should be “finding stuff to do and teaching themselves material they don’t know” on snow days why can’t MCPS require paid teaching professionals to post assignments for them? Why are students being held to a higher bar than paid staff?

MCPS can’t ask teachers to work both now and on the makeup days. Teachers work for free on the makeup days because they were already paid for snow days.

How is DCPS doing asynchronous learning today? Are they just better at making decisions about what makeup days will be and planning for snow days than MCPS?

DCPS is its own entity and would not have the requirement for a pre-approved synchronous virtual learning plan as MSDE requires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS had asynchronous learning assignments today. DCPS is back to school tomorrow on a two hour delay.

MCPS is just not well managed.

+1. There is no reason teachers couldn’t have sent out assignments today like DCPS did.

I posted work yesterday. None of it was submitted. I posted work this morning and so far, none turned it. I’ll post more tomorrow, but seriously doubt I will see any of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand all the pearl clutching for AP students missing a week of instructional time. If anyone in our school system should be able to manage it should be them. These are the kids that should be capable of independent study and research. There might not be graded assignments being given but I am sure your students have some sort of syllabus or course outline that lets them know what is covered on the AP test. They should be finding stuff to do

If teenage students should be “finding stuff to do and teaching themselves material they don’t know” on snow days why can’t MCPS require paid teaching professionals to post assignments for them? Why are students being held to a higher bar than paid staff?

I take it you've never taken an AP class of any complexity. No, AP Calc BC and Physics C are NOT self-teaching. Not by any stretch of the imagination. And my kids have high IQs and great work ethic.

I had to hire a tutor, but I hate that families who can't afford one have children that are going to be behind through no fault of their own.

You can get affordable tutors online. It would be nice if MCPS brought back the tutoring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS had asynchronous learning assignments today. DCPS is back to school tomorrow on a two hour delay.

MCPS is just not well managed.

+1. There is no reason teachers couldn’t have sent out assignments today like DCPS did.

I posted work yesterday. None of it was submitted. I posted work this morning and so far, none turned it. I’ll post more tomorrow, but seriously doubt I will see any of it.

Send emails to the parents. It’s not showing up on canvas if you did.