(dreamstime.com)

By Josh Hall and Sheldon Spackman

lessons learned from spring

Local school districts ready for at-home learning

Nov 27, 2020 | 2:51 PM

Thousands of families with school-aged children throughout the province are quickly scrambling to ensure their kids are ready for online learning next week.

This after the government announced on Tuesday that all Grade 7 – 12 students in Alberta will move from in-school classes to at-home learning starting this Monday, Nov. 30.

Students in early childhood services and Grades K-6 will remain learning in-person until Dec. 18.

All students will return to at-home learning after the winter break with in-person learning slated to resume on Jan. 11, 2021.

Diploma exams have also been made optional for the rest of the current school year. Students and their families can choose whether to write the exam or receive an exemption for the January, April, June, and August 2021 exam sessions.

Roll with the Punches Tour

Tickets now on sale for Bryan Adams tour stop in Red Deer

13h ago

march 10 meeting

City council to finalize 2026 operating budget and three-year plan

17h ago

$2.7 Million

Red Deer building permit values decline in February

18h ago

Bruce Buruma, Director of Community Relations for Red Deer Public Schools, says online learning in the spring has given them valuable insight as to how best to proceed at this time.

“With this round, we are asking teachers to make sure that they’re engaging students,” explains Buruma. “We want to maintain schedules as they have been, so if the student started out with English Language Arts on a Monday morning, that’s what they’re going to be doing throughout this. So we’re asking the timetable to stay the same.”

Buruma says it’s important to remember that the measures announced this week are temporary.

“Ideally, if we’re able to have an effect on the pandemic curve, classes will be back to normal on January 11 and I think that would be the hope for the whole community. So this is not a long-term approach.”

Buruma notes it’s important to recognize they still plan to have teaching and learning be conducted as normal as possible, despite the current circumstances.

“In terms of assessment, in terms of delivery of content, in terms of tracking attendance, all of those will be as near-normal as we possibly can,” he explains. “I think that’s an important part for families and students to understand.”

With the end of the semester approaching for high school students, Buruma acknowledges it’s also important to get those courses wrapped up so students can achieve their desired curricular outcomes as necessary.

“We want to make sure that we’re not just finishing, but these students are prepared for the next level of courses that they will start in February,” he points out.

Last spring, Buruma estimates about 1,000 Chromebooks were loaned out to students in need of the tools and resources required for at-home learning. He says the district will endeavor to do as much as it can again this time.

“Particularly for the elementary students where it’s going to be the one week period,” says Buruma. “And technology is going to be significant for our Grade 7-12’s because they are going to be engaged in that for a longer time and we will do our best to accommodate that.”

Buruma reiterates that schools will not be ‘closed’ over the next few weeks.

“If students need to come in to be able to access technology or internet connections, they can do so by appointment. We expect that will be very limited but we will do everything we can to accommodate students.”

Further details about the process over the coming weeks is expected to be sent from each school as there may be slight changes from the broader Division plan.

Officials at Red Deer Catholic Regionals Schools say their school administration will be sharing learning plans and new processes early next week.