On a normal weekday morning, the hallways of McKenzie Highlands School in southeast Calgary should be a boisterous place.
Instead, it’s silent with students adapting to learning from home.
Connelly said the school has been listening to parents’ challenges and tweaking things accordingly.
“There was a recognition now that parents don’t necessarily have the same toolbox at their disposal as teachers do and that we need to modify the tasks that we are having kids do,” Connelly said.
The Calgary Board of Education said teachers are adjusting the number of virtual classes they offer and the student workload.
The president of the Calgary Public Teachers Alberta Teachers’ Association Local 38 is pleased with how online learning is progressing but suggested all schools use the same template that was offered by the board.
“That was optional. Some schools have taken that on and some have not. The best we can, making it consistent across the board sure does make it much easier for our parents,” said Bob Cocking, president of ATA Local 38.
Nelson said even in face-to-face classrooms, there will be differences from teacher to teacher.
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“I think we always have to realize there’s going to be some variation between classrooms. I would urge parents if there are other things they want to discuss to always reach out to their child’s teacher,” Nelson said.
Around 3,000 Chromebooks and iPads have been distributed to families within the CBE. Some families have requested paper-based lessons that are available for pickup at school and have leaned more on phone calls with teachers rather than virtual classes.
Nelson said overall, the CBE is happy with the interaction between teachers and students but is mindful that school is not the only thing on families’ agendas.
“There are challenges for our students within their homes because families are trying to balance the use of technology and we have the whole range of those who want more work, individuals who are struggling with the work. More importantly, we have to realize we have people who are struggling with loved ones who are ill or people who are losing their jobs,” Nelson said.
Connelly said that staff meet every day online and they get feedback as to what is working well and what is not.
“Now that we are about a month in, we are hearing less from parents. There was a lot of apprehension about what this was going to look like and for the first little while, it involves everyone finding their rhythm and developing a routine,” Connelly said.