With the pandemic disrupting the educations of billions of students globally, K-12 schools and colleges have had to turn to remote and blended learning options to keep their students on the right track. There is just one problem. Most K-12 and college educators and administrators know very little about remote and blended learning, and so there learning curve has been very steep.

Scheduling and Blended Learning

Most of us have gotten used to remote learning since we had no choice but to do so. Since the pandemic has not quelled,  it’s more important than ever to have an adequate plan in place. Many schools offer a blended class schedule, where kids attend classes in person for two or three days and do remote learning the rest of the school week.

This means the use of technology and apps to help keep classes and schools streamlined. Gradebooks are important, and educators must stay on top of learners who may be falling behind academically. Everyone’s home environment is not the same, and everyone does not have a dedicated and distraction-free learning space.

Pedagogue

Of course, remote learning cannot take place without a virtual classroom to accommodate it. Pedagogue is a platform that allows teachers and students to get together in a virtual classroom, where discussions can take place either via a video conference or through message boards and public posts. It has video capabilities and allows multiple people to attend a single session. Plus, educators can restrict who can talk at any time, making it impossible for one or two learners to take over the classroom and be disruptive as they could in a physical setting. It is also easy to set up an account; they are free, so there is nothing to pay out-of-pocket.

Computer Devices and Internet Service

Many students don’t have a reliable computer device at home, and so schools have stocked up on computer devices to distribute to learners. If parents can’t pay for internet service, schools are providing it. It’s part of ensuring that no learner is left behind. Internet providers are also giving free or low-cost services to families. 

Concluding thoughts

There is no doubt that this year’s school landscape will look different. However, things are stabilizing. School administrators have had time to develop more in-depth plans, whereas back in March, they were thrown into the fray. Many schools will start virtually to protect children from the spread and will likely move to a hybrid distance-learning system as necessary. By taking the above steps, they ensure that families and children are prepared to enter these unchartered waters.