Asynchronous schooling has failed our students and needs fixing
That’s no one’s fault; none of us was prepared for COVID-19. The question is what to do next?
This is what no one in a leadership position will say, but what many within the secondary system will, and what is clear from the Education Ministry’s own literature describing a Stage 2 reopening for high schools: Not one of the planned scenarios, come September, involves teachers educating classes online.
Clearly not. Many Canadian private schools successfully replicated their in-class schedules via Zoom or similar platforms, requiring a monumental initial effort but with good results. Why do our public-school kids deserve any less?Article content continuedFirst, move high schools to a semestered schedule, allowing students and teachers to focus on four subjects at a time rather than eight.
Setting up recurring online meetings and requiring attendance is perfectly possible. Only part of each period would need to be actively taught; just as in a regular classroom, breaks for reading or group work could be built in. And, instead of emptying schools for an entire day for cleaning, have it done after 3 p.m. and give teachers and kids back that fifth day.Article content continued
In fact, asking teachers to broadcast their classes is far less disruptive than asynchronous learning. And, should the expected second wave of COVID-19 happen, a synchronous approach can easily be adapted to learning from home. Now is the time for the kind of creativity and flexibility that has been seen in all quarters of the province in recent months. With a relatively small investment, we can ensure we have a safe, viable model of public education, for the sake of our kids and our province’s economic future. What it requires is leadership that understands the technology and a willing group of practitioners who receive the direction and training they need before the new school year begins.
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