Teachers in Saskatchewan are leaning on technology more than ever amid the coronavirus pandemic, shifting from in-class to online.
“We have a Zoom meeting, we go through our morning routine and because I’m teaching a second language it’s really important that they can hear me speak to them,” said Jessica Church, Palliser Heights French Immersion Kindergarten teacher in Moose Jaw.
Making sure the students have access to the right electronics, teachers from Prairie Valley School Division are delivering 166 laptops, 84 iPads and 25 Wi-Fi hotspots to students with limited tech access this week.
“Learning and teaching is such a social thing, and so while you can replicate some learning through paper and pencil and the traditional way, we’re missing that dynamic interaction and the ability for students to learn from each other and to interact with the teacher and so this absolutely helps,” said Prairie Valley School Division education director Luc Lerminiaux.
Shannon Chappell is a single mother of three. With her kids sharing one cellphone to learn at home, she’s having a difficult time navigating the new normal.
“My youngest is very hands-on, so doing things on screen has just been difficult for her,” Chappell said.
The Saskatchewan NDP is asking the province to step in and provide more resources to students with limited resources.
“Teachers, school divisions and parents have stepped up in so many ways for our kids in these difficult times,” said NDP Education Critic Carla Beck.
“But we know there’s a sharp digital divide in our communities that is leaving some kids isolated from their peers and falling behind.
“We are urging the province to work with school divisions and teachers to ensure that every school has a technology equity plan and resources available to close the digital divide for Saskatchewan kids.”
The Saskatchewan government responded to the NDP’s concerns saying its Response Planning Team “continues to be in regular communication with school divisions in order to support divisions as they provide learning opportunities to their students.”
“School divisions are responsible for developing supplemental learning plans to provide alternative instructional learning opportunities to students and for developing communication plans for students and families to inform them about those opportunities,” the province said in a release.
“School divisions may opt to utilize a variety of modes of delivering instruction to students. Delivery modes may include everything from paper to phone calls to sophisticated online environments. School and school division staff are in the best position to understand their local context, the interest and capacity of their students and families.”
With or without these resources, Church said students are still missing a key classroom component –physical connections.
“It’s the touch thing that we’re really missing, we’re missing the morning hugs, we’re missing the high fives,” Church said.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
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