By Alex McCuaig

Still hitting the books

Educators, students learning as they go as classes move online

Apr 21, 2020 | 5:06 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The immediate and indefinite suspension of grade-school classes due to the coronavirus pandemic came suddenly and swiftly on March 15 and since then, area schools have moved to an online learning environment.

Mark Davidson, Medicine Hat Public School Division superintendent, says schools have provided thousands of computer work books for students to help their online learning. But he added the transition has been a learning experience for both teachers and students.

And while it’s been going well so far, Davidson said, “because it’s a brand new way of doing this for the vast majority of our teachers and students, we’re having to feel our way to figure out whether or not we’re assigning too much or it’s not enough. And we’re figuring it out class by class, teacher by teacher.”

One comment about the new learning environment Davidson says he is hearing from teachers is the way some students are taking to the online lessons.

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“There is a good number of students who will really engage in a very meaningful and passionate way through this medium that are less inclined to when they are present with people in the same room,” said Davidson. “And so keeping this platform alive – does it give us an opportunity to have more students feel more engaged deeper into their school careers.”

Prairie Rose School Division superintendent Roger Clarke says his school district is adapting to the online lessons but there are challenges brought on by the lack of reliable Internet conductivity in some rural areas.

Something which requires Prairie Rose to utilize paper-based assignments as well as those online.

And when students do go back to classes, there will need to be considerations as to the current learning environment.

“As we come back into September, if you’re in math eight – Grade 8 – maybe you didn’t complete everything you would normally have completed if you had gone to school everyday.,” said Clarke. “Which means when you go into Grade 9, we’re going to have to make sure we’re looking at the kinds of skills students may have missed.”

Both school boards are preparing for fall registration.