Virtual Learning - Why Not MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone with high schoolers can scream all you want, but virtual doesn't work for younger elementary kids. They don't have chromebooks. They don't have textbooks. Lessons aren't available to parents.

You’re adorable. My high schooler was actually a 3rd grader when the pandemic started and we used our own devices in the beginning. They didn’t issue Chromebooks and teachers didn’t know how to set up documents so we were printing out worksheets emailed by the central office, scanning them in and uploading them. Now teachers at least know how to set this stuff up and your kids definitely know how to use zoom.

My kids have never used zoom. And my son certainly isn't going to sit at a laptop without a paraeducator.

They don't have textbooks. We don't even get lessons for how to do the homework they send home now, nor do the teachers respond to questions about how to it (other than saying to just skip it). Virtual would be a disaster if they tried to cover anything new.

None of our kids had used zoom before the pandemic. They learned because they had to, and no, no one sent a paraeducator to our houses to teach them.

Every single kid in MCPS did virtual learning for a year. It’s not a big flex to do it for a few snow days as an imperfect alternative to having no educational opportunities at all.

Yeah, and a lot of kids didn't learn anything that year. Which is why we're not repeating that mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone with high schoolers can scream all you want, but virtual doesn't work for younger elementary kids. They don't have chromebooks. They don't have textbooks. Lessons aren't available to parents.

You’re adorable. My high schooler was actually a 3rd grader when the pandemic started and we used our own devices in the beginning. They didn’t issue Chromebooks and teachers didn’t know how to set up documents so we were printing out worksheets emailed by the central office, scanning them in and uploading them. Now teachers at least know how to set this stuff up and your kids definitely know how to use zoom.

My kids have never used zoom. And my son certainly isn't going to sit at a laptop without a paraeducator.

They don't have textbooks. We don't even get lessons for how to do the homework they send home now, nor do the teachers respond to questions about how to it (other than saying to just skip it). Virtual would be a disaster if they tried to cover anything new.

None of our kids had used zoom before the pandemic. They learned because they had to, and no, no one sent a paraeducator to our houses to teach them.

Every single kid in MCPS did virtual learning for a year. It’s not a big flex to do it for a few snow days as an imperfect alternative to having no educational opportunities at all.

The alternative isn't "no educational opportunities"! It's using the make-up days in the calendar.

[Anonymous]

We may not have virtual learning as a back up plan or enough extra days built into the school calendar to account for snow, and we might go into late June, but at least we get the superintendent’s snow day videos…

[Anonymous]

A few reasons:

State doesn’t allow virtual days to count as part of the minimum 180 day requirement.

Only HS students have individual chromebooks. Most MS and ES schools have Chromebooks on carts and cannot be taken home. The software is not set up for it.

Something, something equity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always liked playing outside on snow days. I'm glad my kids get to do the same.

They can still do that and have virtual learning for a few hours. Both are good for kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few reasons:

State doesn’t allow virtual days to count as part of the minimum 180 day requirement.

Only HS students have individual chromebooks. Most MS and ES schools have Chromebooks on carts and cannot be taken home. The software is not set up for it.

Something, something equity.

It does if school districts submit a virtual learning plan in advance, but MCPS opted not to submit one for this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can so many other school systems implement virtual learning when there are long-predicted prolonged absences.

Every student has a Chromebook.

Is it ideal? No.

Will there be complete equitable participation? No.

Will it prevent school from going well into the summer? Yes.

I just don’t get it.

What? No, every student does not have a Chromebook. Neither of mine does. Do you I
mean that every HS kid has a Chromebook? That is different.

HS kids have Chromebooks, MS kids have Chromebooks. 4th and 5th graders have Chromebooks assigned even though they don’t bring them back and forth the way older kids do.

k-3 teachers could send asynchronous assignments to parents for younger kids the way they did during parts of the Covid period.


If central office has planned better, they could have made sure all kids went home with Chromebooks on the Friday before the storm.

This, younger teachers could send home a packet or assign pages in the workbook - email parents about the assignments. MS and HS can email/put on canvas. Some of our teachers are.

Yes a few of my kids’ MS teachers started to put assignments up today although they were careful to phrase them as voluntary and due a few days after school starts up again in person. I felt like they knew they were supposed to be “code red” but were trying to be quiet about assignments because they knew their kids are getting so far behind schedule on what they need to cover in the curriculum.

These sound like good teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did the teacher's union vote against it? I thought they needed time to switch to virtual.

MCPS should take the upcoming summer to devise a plan for virtual for days like today. BOE, are you there, it's us concerned families?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can so many other school systems implement virtual learning when there are long-predicted prolonged absences.

Every student has a Chromebook.

Is it ideal? No.

Will there be complete equitable participation? No.

Will it prevent school from going well into the summer? Yes.

I just don’t get it.

What? No, every student does not have a Chromebook. Neither of mine does. Do you I
mean that every HS kid has a Chromebook? That is different.

HS kids have Chromebooks, MS kids have Chromebooks. 4th and 5th graders have Chromebooks assigned even though they don’t bring them back and forth the way older kids do.

k-3 teachers could send asynchronous assignments to parents for younger kids the way they did during parts of the Covid period.


If central office has planned better, they could have made sure all kids went home with Chromebooks on the Friday before the storm.

This, younger teachers could send home a packet or assign pages in the workbook - email parents about the assignments. MS and HS can email/put on canvas. Some of our teachers are.

Yes a few of my kids’ MS teachers started to put assignments up today although they were careful to phrase them as voluntary and due a few days after school starts up again in person. I felt like they knew they were supposed to be “code red” but were trying to be quiet about assignments because they knew their kids are getting so far behind schedule on what they need to cover in the curriculum.

These sound like good teachers.

Which MS? I wish ours would do this- even 30min a day of some voluntary studying/hw wouldn’t hurt!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone with high schoolers can scream all you want, but virtual doesn't work for younger elementary kids. They don't have chromebooks. They don't have textbooks. Lessons aren't available to parents.

You’re adorable. My high schooler was actually a 3rd grader when the pandemic started and we used our own devices in the beginning. They didn’t issue Chromebooks and teachers didn’t know how to set up documents so we were printing out worksheets emailed by the central office, scanning them in and uploading them. Now teachers at least know how to set this stuff up and your kids definitely know how to use zoom.

My kids have never used zoom. And my son certainly isn't going to sit at a laptop without a paraeducator.

They don't have textbooks. We don't even get lessons for how to do the homework they send home now, nor do the teachers respond to questions about how to it (other than saying to just skip it). Virtual would be a disaster if they tried to cover anything new.

None of our kids had used zoom before the pandemic. They learned because they had to, and no, no one sent a paraeducator to our houses to teach them.

Every single kid in MCPS did virtual learning for a year. It’s not a big flex to do it for a few snow days as an imperfect alternative to having no educational opportunities at all.

Yeah, and a lot of kids didn't learn anything that year. Which is why we're not repeating that mistake.

Many did not learn because they didn't attend classes or do the assignments. That's on parents like you, not the rest of us. I'd rather my kids be in virtual school than do make up days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can so many other school systems implement virtual learning when there are long-predicted prolonged absences.

Every student has a Chromebook.

Is it ideal? No.

Will there be complete equitable participation? No.

Will it prevent school from going well into the summer? Yes.

I just don’t get it.

Because virtual learning was a disaster. Because many 3rd and forth graders (and older ones too) will be providing child care for their young siblings and unable will be unable login. Because some families have a family of 4 or 6 or more in a one bed room apartment, and there's no way for virtual learning to take place.

Stop using others as talking points. Many seemed to make it work just fine. Why couldn't you?

[Anonymous]

I'm actually going to back MCPS on this, and I usually don't.

Virtual learning does not work at scale. Especially for elementary students.

Students with parents who are fortunate enough to be at home and ensure they attend and/or pay attention might benefit. But honestly, not that much.

The counter to OP's point is what value is achieved with virtual instruction and is it worth the logistical headaches with devices and the inevitable increases in attendance and engagement that come with virtual learning? I have yet to see data that is compelling and makes a strong case for virtual instruction for the entire school district.

This was just borne out with the abysmal results for virtual learning with summer school, btw, which prompted MCPS to scale back dramatically on virtual summer school. So we're not just basing this on the pandemic experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone with high schoolers can scream all you want, but virtual doesn't work for younger elementary kids. They don't have chromebooks. They don't have textbooks. Lessons aren't available to parents.

You’re adorable. My high schooler was actually a 3rd grader when the pandemic started and we used our own devices in the beginning. They didn’t issue Chromebooks and teachers didn’t know how to set up documents so we were printing out worksheets emailed by the central office, scanning them in and uploading them. Now teachers at least know how to set this stuff up and your kids definitely know how to use zoom.

My kids have never used zoom. And my son certainly isn't going to sit at a laptop without a paraeducator.

They don't have textbooks. We don't even get lessons for how to do the homework they send home now, nor do the teachers respond to questions about how to it (other than saying to just skip it). Virtual would be a disaster if they tried to cover anything new.

They have the paraeducators online. It may not be a disaster.

[Anonymous]

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?

This isn’t even legible. Please tell me where you went to school so I can be sure not to send my kids there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm actually going to back MCPS on this, and I usually don't.

Virtual learning does not work at scale. Especially for elementary students.

Students with parents who are fortunate enough to be at home and ensure they attend and/or pay attention might benefit. But honestly, not that much.

The counter to OP's point is what value is achieved with virtual instruction and is it worth the logistical headaches with devices and the inevitable increases in attendance and engagement that come with virtual learning? I have yet to see data that is compelling and makes a strong case for virtual instruction for the entire school district.

This was just borne out with the abysmal results for virtual learning with summer school, btw, which prompted MCPS to scale back dramatically on virtual summer school. So we're not just basing this on the pandemic experience.

It can work with invested parents and teachers. Isn't it interesting they don't realease the data about the MVA? Summer doesn't work well in any setting as they are trying to do a full semester in 2-3 weeks.