What makes you believe distant learning will be better in the fall?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher and I just wanted to hop on to say I’m not convinced in person is really going to be that much better from DL. The social distancing factor alone takes a lot of classroom “best practices” out of play — like collaborative learning opportunities and group work, small group station work, etc. It’s kind of an eerie scene to think about, tbh. I’m not quite sure I can wrap my mind around what my own classroom would look like in person! (Lecture, notes, individual assessments, ick!)

Thanks for sharing your perspective--I can completely see how it could eerie.

I'll say, though, that my young elementary kids have adapted well to the modifications their camps have put in place. I absolutely know it's not the same, but they've come up with creative ways to still engage with their peers even with masks, at a distance, etc. And the improvement in their moods from when we were doing DL this Spring is staggering. I appreciate your sharing around the lack of best practices for academics and learning, and agree on that, but from a social interaction perspective, in person with modifications, for many if not most kids, is likely to be far better than DL. And for the elementary kids in particular, I think that matters hugely.

Also for the middle school kids and high school kids. Everyone needs social interaction.

Of course they do, but that's not the point. This is a pandemic. We need to figure out priorities right now, and social interaction isn't first on the list. Ease up on screen time. Let your kids socialize online.

Kids need in-person social interaction. Elementary school kids, middle school kids, high school kids. And I don't know what your opinion is, but my opinion is that kids' needs are always a priority, including right now.

I would argue that our children's health is the number one priority.

Exactly, and our children require in-personal social interaction for their health.

I agree in person social interaction once it can be done safely like when there's a vaccine but until then herding kids into overcrowded schools with poor ventilation seems like a bad idea.

Sounds like a SAHM.

I guess it could be a SAHM who happens to be sensible.

[Anonymous]

Well, it was trial by fire in the spring. This time kids, parents, and teachers will know the issues and know what to expect. There will still be glitches, but teachers will have learned some lessons from spring. And it's highly likely that lots of people traveling right now will bring back the virus and more people will be doing DL than they think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher and I just wanted to hop on to say I’m not convinced in person is really going to be that much better from DL. The social distancing factor alone takes a lot of classroom “best practices” out of play — like collaborative learning opportunities and group work, small group station work, etc. It’s kind of an eerie scene to think about, tbh. I’m not quite sure I can wrap my mind around what my own classroom would look like in person! (Lecture, notes, individual assessments, ick!)

Thanks for sharing your perspective--I can completely see how it could eerie.

I'll say, though, that my young elementary kids have adapted well to the modifications their camps have put in place. I absolutely know it's not the same, but they've come up with creative ways to still engage with their peers even with masks, at a distance, etc. And the improvement in their moods from when we were doing DL this Spring is staggering. I appreciate your sharing around the lack of best practices for academics and learning, and agree on that, but from a social interaction perspective, in person with modifications, for many if not most kids, is likely to be far better than DL. And for the elementary kids in particular, I think that matters hugely.

Also for the middle school kids and high school kids. Everyone needs social interaction.

Of course they do, but that's not the point. This is a pandemic. We need to figure out priorities right now, and social interaction isn't first on the list. Ease up on screen time. Let your kids socialize online.

Kids need in-person social interaction. Elementary school kids, middle school kids, high school kids. And I don't know what your opinion is, but my opinion is that kids' needs are always a priority, including right now.

I would argue that our children's health is the number one priority.

Exactly, and our children require in-personal social interaction for their health.

I agree in person social interaction once it can be done safely like when there's a vaccine but until then herding kids into overcrowded schools with poor ventilation seems like a bad idea.

Says the person who doesn't understand that mental health is also health.

And just exactly what kind of social interaction do you think the kids will be doing when they are in the building? I understand the concern for mental health but do you really think kids will feel so much better mentally when they are in school under these current circumstances? It's not like we're going back to the way it was before. That's what the kids miss. They miss their lives before covid. We all do. I know for a fact that my 9 year old will be stressed AF and worried to death going into a poorly ventilated school building with masks on and barely any opportunity to "socially interact" with her friends. She and I think many kids will be more stressed knowing that they are being put in a situation where they could potentially catch Covid.

Nervous parents = nervous kids.

Just thinking th same thing, most kids won’t feel that way because they don’t have a super anxious parent working them up.

[Anonymous]

Confident prediction, there will be many threads here in September about how DL still is horrible. And our numbers will be even lower then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher and I just wanted to hop on to say I’m not convinced in person is really going to be that much better from DL. The social distancing factor alone takes a lot of classroom “best practices” out of play — like collaborative learning opportunities and group work, small group station work, etc. It’s kind of an eerie scene to think about, tbh. I’m not quite sure I can wrap my mind around what my own classroom would look like in person! (Lecture, notes, individual assessments, ick!)

Thanks for sharing your perspective--I can completely see how it could eerie.

I'll say, though, that my young elementary kids have adapted well to the modifications their camps have put in place. I absolutely know it's not the same, but they've come up with creative ways to still engage with their peers even with masks, at a distance, etc. And the improvement in their moods from when we were doing DL this Spring is staggering. I appreciate your sharing around the lack of best practices for academics and learning, and agree on that, but from a social interaction perspective, in person with modifications, for many if not most kids, is likely to be far better than DL. And for the elementary kids in particular, I think that matters hugely.

Also for the middle school kids and high school kids. Everyone needs social interaction.

Of course they do, but that's not the point. This is a pandemic. We need to figure out priorities right now, and social interaction isn't first on the list. Ease up on screen time. Let your kids socialize online.

Kids need in-person social interaction. Elementary school kids, middle school kids, high school kids. And I don't know what your opinion is, but my opinion is that kids' needs are always a priority, including right now.

I would argue that our children's health is the number one priority.

Exactly, and our children require in-personal social interaction for their health.

I agree in person social interaction once it can be done safely like when there's a vaccine but until then herding kids into overcrowded schools with poor ventilation seems like a bad idea.

Says the person who doesn't understand that mental health is also health.

And just exactly what kind of social interaction do you think the kids will be doing when they are in the building? I understand the concern for mental health but do you really think kids will feel so much better mentally when they are in school under these current circumstances? It's not like we're going back to the way it was before. That's what the kids miss. They miss their lives before covid. We all do. I know for a fact that my 9 year old will be stressed AF and worried to death going into a poorly ventilated school building with masks on and barely any opportunity to "socially interact" with her friends. She and I think many kids will be more stressed knowing that they are being put in a situation where they could potentially catch Covid.

Nervous parents = nervous kids.

More like smart parents=smart kids.

[Anonymous]

People pushing us to go back to in-person because of their kids’ mental health are ridiculous. Yes, total isolation is bad for kids, but we aren’t talking about whether kids should be on house arrest for next year. We are taking about whether schools can provide adequately safe environments for groups of kids. If your kid is sad and isolated to the point that you are worried about their mental health, then you as a parent need to find a few friends they can spend time with in person. Having a pod of 2-3 families to meet their social needs is much safer than insisting on reopening schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People pushing us to go back to in-person because of their kids’ mental health are ridiculous. Yes, total isolation is bad for kids, but we aren’t talking about whether kids should be on house arrest for next year. We are taking about whether schools can provide adequately safe environments for groups of kids. If your kid is sad and isolated to the point that you are worried about their mental health, then you as a parent need to find a few friends they can spend time with in person. Having a pod of 2-3 families to meet their social needs is much safer than insisting on reopening schools.

+1

Exactly. You don't need the schools to expand your bubble and accommodate your kid .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People pushing us to go back to in-person because of their kids’ mental health are ridiculous. Yes, total isolation is bad for kids, but we aren’t talking about whether kids should be on house arrest for next year. We are taking about whether schools can provide adequately safe environments for groups of kids. If your kid is sad and isolated to the point that you are worried about their mental health, then you as a parent need to find a few friends they can spend time with in person. Having a pod of 2-3 families to meet their social needs is much safer than insisting on reopening schools.

+1

Exactly. You don't need the schools to expand your bubble and accommodate your kid .

I really hope neither of you is a teacher because you fundamentally don’t understand education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher and I just wanted to hop on to say I’m not convinced in person is really going to be that much better from DL. The social distancing factor alone takes a lot of classroom “best practices” out of play — like collaborative learning opportunities and group work, small group station work, etc. It’s kind of an eerie scene to think about, tbh. I’m not quite sure I can wrap my mind around what my own classroom would look like in person! (Lecture, notes, individual assessments, ick!)

Thanks for sharing your perspective--I can completely see how it could eerie.

I'll say, though, that my young elementary kids have adapted well to the modifications their camps have put in place. I absolutely know it's not the same, but they've come up with creative ways to still engage with their peers even with masks, at a distance, etc. And the improvement in their moods from when we were doing DL this Spring is staggering. I appreciate your sharing around the lack of best practices for academics and learning, and agree on that, but from a social interaction perspective, in person with modifications, for many if not most kids, is likely to be far better than DL. And for the elementary kids in particular, I think that matters hugely.

Also for the middle school kids and high school kids. Everyone needs social interaction.

Of course they do, but that's not the point. This is a pandemic. We need to figure out priorities right now, and social interaction isn't first on the list. Ease up on screen time. Let your kids socialize online.

Kids need in-person social interaction. Elementary school kids, middle school kids, high school kids. And I don't know what your opinion is, but my opinion is that kids' needs are always a priority, including right now.

I would argue that our children's health is the number one priority.

Exactly, and our children require in-personal social interaction for their health.

I agree in person social interaction once it can be done safely like when there's a vaccine but until then herding kids into overcrowded schools with poor ventilation seems like a bad idea.

Says the person who doesn't understand that mental health is also health.

And just exactly what kind of social interaction do you think the kids will be doing when they are in the building? I understand the concern for mental health but do you really think kids will feel so much better mentally when they are in school under these current circumstances? It's not like we're going back to the way it was before. That's what the kids miss. They miss their lives before covid. We all do. I know for a fact that my 9 year old will be stressed AF and worried to death going into a poorly ventilated school building with masks on and barely any opportunity to "socially interact" with her friends. She and I think many kids will be more stressed knowing that they are being put in a situation where they could potentially catch Covid.

Nervous parents = nervous kids.

More like smart parents=smart kids.

Nope, hysteria over science isn’t smart at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People pushing us to go back to in-person because of their kids’ mental health are ridiculous. Yes, total isolation is bad for kids, but we aren’t talking about whether kids should be on house arrest for next year. We are taking about whether schools can provide adequately safe environments for groups of kids. If your kid is sad and isolated to the point that you are worried about their mental health, then you as a parent need to find a few friends they can spend time with in person. Having a pod of 2-3 families to meet their social needs is much safer than insisting on reopening schools.

So, it's ok for kids to be out and about, hanging out with each other, having social interactions, infecting each other (assuming that you're a person who believes that kids infect each other) - just as long as they're not doing it in school buildings? That makes no sense.

By the way, my kids are in high school, and from what they see on their social media, there are plenty of kids who are doing exactly that. Also the idea of me, as a parent, finding friends for my high school kids to hang out with...? Well. No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Confident prediction, there will be many threads here in September about how DL still is horrible. And our numbers will be even lower then.

I think so too. But Travis Gayles thinks schools should stay closed, and he has the last word in the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If we are posting if we are a teacher or not, I think we also need to post if we're white or not. Who in their right mind would think distance learning is better? Do you know how this will affect the immigrant community and communities of color? No you don't. You only care about yourself.

The fact is many parents are WORKING low income jobs and they still don't know how to work a computer. They might be non-readers and can't help their children access online materials.

The risk of getting in a car accident is much higher. I can't stand that you live your lives in such fear.

How can you be content staying at home all day?? What is wrong with you??

Oh, grow up. It's not about being "content." It's about not being a spoiled child and understanding that since we're in a pandemic, things are not the way we would like them to be, wish they were and more assuredly not normal. It's about modeling resilience and adaptability for your kids instead of screaming because you don't get your way.

What is wrong with you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People pushing us to go back to in-person because of their kids’ mental health are ridiculous. Yes, total isolation is bad for kids, but we aren’t talking about whether kids should be on house arrest for next year. We are taking about whether schools can provide adequately safe environments for groups of kids. If your kid is sad and isolated to the point that you are worried about their mental health, then you as a parent need to find a few friends they can spend time with in person. Having a pod of 2-3 families to meet their social needs is much safer than insisting on reopening schools.

+1

Exactly. You don't need the schools to expand your bubble and accommodate your kid .

I really hope neither of you is a teacher because you fundamentally don’t understand education.

I'm the +1. I'm a teacher and a parent. I'm looking forward to being in the classroom with my students. I had hoped to at least get to know them before we had to shutdown. But I am beginning to accept that's just not going to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If we are posting if we are a teacher or not, I think we also need to post if we're white or not. Who in their right mind would think distance learning is better? Do you know how this will affect the immigrant community and communities of color? No you don't. You only care about yourself.

The fact is many parents are WORKING low income jobs and they still don't know how to work a computer. They might be non-readers and can't help their children access online materials.

The risk of getting in a car accident is much higher. I can't stand that you live your lives in such fear.

How can you be content staying at home all day?? What is wrong with you??

P.S. Car accidents are not transmissible by invisible tiny droplets in stagnant, closed up school classrooms. Don't make stupid comparisons, because it only makes you look foolish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People pushing us to go back to in-person because of their kids’ mental health are ridiculous. Yes, total isolation is bad for kids, but we aren’t talking about whether kids should be on house arrest for next year. We are taking about whether schools can provide adequately safe environments for groups of kids. If your kid is sad and isolated to the point that you are worried about their mental health, then you as a parent need to find a few friends they can spend time with in person. Having a pod of 2-3 families to meet their social needs is much safer than insisting on reopening schools.

So, it's ok for kids to be out and about, hanging out with each other, having social interactions, infecting each other (assuming that you're a person who believes that kids infect each other) - just as long as they're not doing it in school buildings? That makes no sense.

By the way, my kids are in high school, and from what they see on their social media, there are plenty of kids who are doing exactly that. Also the idea of me, as a parent, finding friends for my high school kids to hang out with...? Well. No.

Hanging out outdoors with one or two other friends consistently is infinitely safer than in an enclosed space with a dozen other kids. I’m not sure how you are even arguing with that. And as for whether your teens would need help finding a friend or two, no obviously they have their own friends (just like little kids do), but you could reach out to the parents of their close friends and try to team up with another family or two that have similar risk levels and then then your kids hang out either outdoors or in a well-ventilated space.