D. C. EVEREST SCHOOL DISTRICT
FutureReady Restart Remote/At-home Learning Guide
Reconnecting. Despite the challenges before us, this year we have the opportunity to try something new: provide a blended learning experience that allows students to share time in the classroom with their instructors and peers and engage in independent learning at home. We are confident our students will embrace this new model because — thanks to our 1:1 instructional model — they are familiar with digital learning tools, comfortable with independently demonstrating what they've learned, and well-versed in collaborating with others both in-person and digitally. That said, we haven't seen our students in six months. We need to check in with them — to see how they are doing and how we can best care for them. One of our top priorities is ensuring students feel a part of the #EverestPride community — that they feel connected, cared for, challenged and inspired while they are sharing time with us in the classroom and when they are independently learning at home. We will make it a priority to establish norms, expectations, routines and a sense of community for our students during the initial weeks of instruction.
D.C. Everest School District | FutureReady Restart Remote/At-home Learning Guide
Staying connected. We have taken the following steps to ensure our in-person and remote/at-home sessions are seamlessly connected: The first few weeks of instruction will include lessons that help familiarize students with our Canvas online learning platform to ensure they feel comfortable and confident with the platform and understand how they can access assistance. Lessons and resources will be uploaded to Canvas to ensure students who may have to miss class due to illness or quarantine have access to the necessary materials. We have created a library of Canvas "How To" videos for students and families that are accessible on YouTube and a student's Canvas homepage. In-person instruction and online peer/teacher discussion sessions will focus on new learning and helping students develop the skills they need to practice and apply that learning outside of the classroom. When they are physically in the classroom, students may — for example — participate in group instructions, receive direct instruction from their teacher, conduct peer editing, work on labs or work with partners. During their remote/at-home sessions, students will complete activities to practice, refine and demonstrate what they learned in the classroom. Students will continue their learning and may watch a video or read an essay and closely analyze them in order to prepare for their next in-person session. Or they may, for example, participate in small virtual discussion groups with their peers, collaborate on a lab report or complete assignments in Canvas.
D.C. Everest School District | FutureReady Restart Remote/At-home Learning Guide
Prep for Success. This is new to all of us. There will be challenges and opportunities. Here are a few tips that can help our students make the most of the remote/at-home experience. Get organized. The Canvas calendar will help students track assignments and events. You also should be certain to check Canvas and their student email daily. If you need help, please ask. If you have questions about an assignment, expectations, or have trouble completing your online work, please reach out to your teacher. If you are having technical issues you also can contact the DCE Help Desk at 715.355.0306 or visit our library of Canvas How-to videos. Don't forget to take a break. When students are in-person, they get breaks between classes, take time for lunch and have study halls. We encourage students to do the same at home — get up, stretch your legs, get outside, have a snack. Plan ahead. We've all experienced technical and internet issues — it happens to the best of us. So login in advance for virtual classes or small group discussions to be certain everything is in working order.
CANVAS HOW-TO VIDEOS Create an Observer (Parent) Account with the Canvas App Create an Observer (Parent) Account with Online Canvas Program Getting Started with Canvas How to Join Webex Meetings in Canvas Getting to Know the Calendar in Canvas How to Find Grades in Canvas Pairing Codes in Canvas Using the Canvas Inbox A Tour of Canvas
D.C. Everest School District | FutureReady Restart Remote/At-home Learning Guide
Responsibility and Accountability. This model is unlike any we have utilized before and it transfers a lot of personal responsibility to students — they will be responsible for managing their schedules, attendance, and completing all in-person and online/remote assignments. We have found our students always rise to meet the bars we set for them. This year, we are setting the bar a bit higher and we feel our students will excel within the framework of these new in-person and remote/at-home learning opportunities.
ATTENDANCE Students will be held accountable for attending classes on a daily basis. For in-person instruction, that means following traditional attendance rules. For remote/at-home instruction, attendance will look a little different. "Attendance" on those days will be determined by a student meeting the clearly-defined expectations as set out by their instructor. On any given day, a student may need to, for example: Submit notes, an assignment, or a quiz. Watch a video or read an article and submit an "exit ticket." Participate in a virtual student discussion or peer editing group. Complete and upload a written essay. Regardless of the learning environment, parents are asked to contact the attendance office if their student is ill and unable to attend/complete in-person or remote/at-home sessions. In the event a student becomes ill or must quarantine at home, the student can access all materials on Canvas. Our teachers will work with ill students to ensure they are able to focus on their health and will partner with them, upon recovery, to assist them in returning to the classroom.
GRADING The district will follow our normal, standards-based grading procedures regardless of the learning environment students are participating in. Students' progress will be carefully monitored and students will receive daily support and feedback from teachers as needed.
D.C. Everest School District | FutureReady Restart Remote/At-home Learning Guide