Groveport Messenger - December 20th, 2020

Pandemic means adapting new ways of teaching and learning
PAGE 8 - GROVEPORT MESSENGER - December 20, 2020
By Rick Palsgrove
Groveport Editor
In the face of adversity, people often
adapt and rise to the challenge, as
Groveport Madison Schools teachers,
administrators, staff, students, and the
community are finding creative ways to
ensure kids get a solid education during
the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Because of the recent increase in
COVID-19 cases, the district returned to a
100 percent remote virtual online learning
model in November. School officials anticipate
the district will remain in a 100 percent
online mode until it has been determined
it is safe to a return to in-person
classes, hopefully sometime in 2021.
“When we moved back to the 100 percent
remote learning model on Nov. 16, we
indicated we would closely monitor health
conditions throughout the holidays and
make a determination in mid-January
whether it was safe to resume our blended
learning model,” said Groveport Madison
Superintendent Garilee Ogden. “Virtual
online remote instruction is not the most
ideal teaching set up, but we do know right
now it is the safest way to teach.”
Challenges and creativity
Ogden said one challenge for students in
the 100 percent remote learning model is
the limited opportunities for social interactions.
“Our teachers have worked hard to find
creative solutions to address this concern,
but it’s difficult to replicate face-to-face
interactions in a virtual world,” said Ogden,
who added that a challenge for teachers is
providing one-to-one or small group instruction
while also providing whole-group
instruction. “Students don’t always log-in
at designated times for their small group
session, which makes it difficult.”
Ogden said student attendance and
engagement online is high and she is
impressed with the creativity of the teachers.
“Many new teaching tools have been
implemented this year, such as the daily
use of Google Classroom daily, Pear Deck,
Screencastify, and many others,” said
Ogden. “Our hope is that we continue to
use these tools to engage students regardless
of which learning models we’re in at a
given time. We’ve been making many more
home visits and personal communication
with families, which we plan to continue.”
She said the district monitors when students
are not logging in. If there are three
days of no contact, house visits are made to
check on students.
“We want to be sure the kids are okay,”
said Ogden.
Ogden said the teaching and learning
aspects of remote learning are going well,
but the district also makes sure students’
social and physical needs are being met.
She gave the example of an Asbury
Elementary teacher who, noting the kids
are not getting their normal recess time,
created a scavenger hunt that kids can do
at home as a form of having recess.
“The teacher has the kids go through
their homes to find every day items, like an
umbrella or a crayon,” said Ogden. “Kids
need to have time for fun like this and this
is something that can be done safely at
home. Plus it gives parents a break.”
She noted that students needing things
like speech and occupational therapy are
still receiving this help online.
“We are still giving them the support
they need,” said Ogden.
Another example of teacher creativity,
according to Ogden, is the Mail Time video
the high school social studies department
puts together to start the day.
“It’s done like a news show that the kids
can watch where the teachers review the
state standards the kids need to know,”
said Ogden. “Afterwards the students then
log in with their specific teacher.”
She said students in laboratory classes
use live online demonstrations and simulations.
“We also purchased additional software
for our related art teams that assist in
music performance and physical education,”
said Ogden.
She said schools hold morning video
meetings where kids get information and
announcements.
“We’re want to make it like a normal
school day,” said Ogden. “The amount of
creativity and thinking outside the box is
amazing. If you told me eight months ago
we would have to go to 100 percent remote
learning I would’ve questioned it. Now I am
amazed by the collaboration and idea sharing.
It’s gone beyond what was expected a
public school would look like online.”
Cruisers with Chromebooks
Ogden said a big plus for the district
was the support taxpayers provided with
the passage of the operating levy in 2014,
which enabled the Groveport Madison
Board of Education to purchase
Chromebook computers for every student.
“Without that we could not have made
such a smooth transition to remote online
learning,” said Ogden. “Other schools had
to wait a long while to get the computers
they needed. We had them already.”
Each student from kindergarten
through 12th grade has their own
Chromebook computer to use for classes.
“We launched our Cruisers with
Chromebooks program in 2017, with middle
and high school students taking their
computers home nightly and over winter
and spring breaks,” said Ogden.
Another plus was a grant obtained by
the district’s technology department to provide
hot spot Wi-Fi capability where needed
for students to allow them online access.
Parents more involved
Ogden said a benefit from the remote
online learning is that parent engagement
has increased from the normal levels found
in the traditional learning model.
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“Before the pandemic parents might
have to come to school to talk with teachers
and that was not always possible,” said
Ogden. “Now parents and teachers talk
online at convenient times and work to
support the children. Attendance at parent/teacher
conferences has increased
online. Our relationships with parents are
better than ever. It’s a partnership to be
commended.”
She noted one instance where six district
staff members were able to meet
online with a parent to help a student.
“It was an intimate, quick meeting
where a plan was swiftly put in place to
help the student,” said Ogden.
Students’ ability to adapt
Ogden said remote online learning is not
ideal for all students and that limited faceto-face
interactions with classmates may
have an impact on students’ social awareness
and skills.
“Some kids need to be in school. But we
have to wait until it is safe to do so. We
have worked hard over the past two years
on developing students’ (and adults’)
awareness of themselves and others,” said
Ogden. “We will monitor this area very
closely when we are able to return to inperson
classes.”
When asked if she can see a day in the
future when remote learning will be the
standard form of instruction rather than
using brick and mortar buildings, Ogden
said, “We do see there are students who are
doing exceptionally well and may prefer a
remote learning model for a large percentage
or all of their courses. Anything is possible.
However, we have also seen the negative
impact of 100 percent remote on our
students’ social-emotional learning and
mental health.”
Students’ abilities to adapt to the online
learning model varies.
“It’s not so much about a particular age
group, it’s more about if a student has a
safe, designated learning environment and
an organized routine,” said Ogden.
“Students who are adapting sign in to synchronous
teaching sessions, complete work
independently, and take advantage of
teacher office hours.”
It’s about community and flexibility
Ogden said the community, city of
Groveport, and Madison Township have
provided support and ideas to the district.
“Everyone is working together. For
example, the city of Groveport gave us
masks,” said Ogden. “Madison Township
gave the district $10,000 to purchase
COVID supplies. It definitely is taking a
village.”
Once the pandemic fades away and
school returns to a traditional model,
Ogden said some of the successful ideas
used during the remote learning model
could be incorporated into teaching in the
future.
“It’s about adapting and being flexible,”
said Ogden. “Thomas Edison once said,
‘When you have exhausted all possibilities,
remember this, you haven’t.’”