Remote Learning for the 2020.21 School Year

When students and staff walked out of the building at the end of the day on Friday, March 13, 2020, few would have guessed that would be the last time students returned for in-person instruction for the remainder of the school year.  Being in the year one of a three-year instructional technology purchase plan, it was obvious that the District could not issue each student a device for remote learning.  In conducting the Access to a Computer at Home Parent Survey, we learned that while many of our families had working computers at home, our students would be competing for access to a computer with parents and guardians forced to work from home, as well as older siblings that were sent home from college early and were to finish their course work online. 

Despite loaning out nearly 5,000 devices to students, the competing needs for computer access within households meant that teachers would not be able to meet with their students in real-time for teaching and learning.  As a result, the District provided learning opportunities that could be accessed and completed at any time without real time connection and interaction with the teacher.  This type of remote learning is called asynchronous.  While some teachers were still able to connect with their students, all students were not able to do so, nor was it a consistent practice by all staff. 
 
To ensure that we could provide our students with real-time, interactive teaching and learning sessions (synchronous learning) should the need arise in the future, the District used a portion of it's CARES Act Funding to make a significant technology purchase this summer.  As a result, BSD will loan all students a district-owned device for the 2020.21 school year, allowing synchronous learning to occur between teachers and students in real time, aligned to the schedules that would be followed if students and staff were on-site for a traditional in-person learning experience.
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Our reopening remote learning plans not only include academics, but also prioritize the social-emotional needs of our students, many of whom have experienced trauma from the impact of COVID-19 on their communities. As we begin the new school year, the District will be working with our families to help our students with their own social and emotional learning by offering classroom- based social and emotional lessons (SEL) lessons to help identify and manage the stress and anxiety students and families are dealing due to COVID-19.
 
This year’s remote learning experience will be robust and will maximize on grade-level instruction for students while addressing unfinished learning from last year due to school closure.

• Teaching and learning: Students will access their assignments in Schoology each day. Instruction will include both live interaction with your child’s teachers on video and assignments, projects, and work will be completed independently throughout the course of the school day and week using their Chromebook. Attendance will be taken daily.
  
  
• Live video instruction: Different amounts of live video instruction are appropriate for different age groups and may look different depending on the age of the child. We will be focusing on keeping live instruction highly engaging and efficient to maximize learning. More specifics, including time requirements, will be released in the coming weeks.
  
  
• Posting schedules: Daily schedules will be shared with families so that parents can plan their work and family commitments accordingly. Times for live video instruction will be posted so students and families can adjust their schedules if needed.
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• One-on-One Teacher Support: teachers will hold office hours to help students and troubleshoot where necessary. Teachers will offer support and guidance and provide updates related to student progress and learning.
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• Social-emotional support: Social-emotional activities will be strategically integrated into academic subjects.

Additional Information Regarding Remote Learning in BSD

• Remote Learning Expectations for Students and Parents/Guardians
• Remote Learning Attendance and Accountability
• ​Remote Learning Expectations for Staff
• Borderless Classroom Grade K-12
• Sample Remote Learning Schedule for Pre-School Students
• Sample Remote Learning Schedule for Elementary Students
• Sample Remote Learning Schedule for Middle School Students
• Sample Remote Learning Schedule for High School Students