Coping with kids at home from school
It is the start of a new school week, but for most, kids are not heading to school.
Being quarantined at home for weeks-on-end is certainly no holiday. Primary and secondary (PEP and CSEC) exam students are particularly impacted, even as all students suffer a significant disruption to their study schedules. Disruption, not discontinuation.
Parent Role
There is increased pressure on parents, but with a few steps, we can leverage the benefits of distance learning.
Ensure your children have lots of non-screen activities.
There are many ways the connect kids to teachers, but in practical terms, your child requires internet access. If you don’t have it, get it. If you have it, consider beefing it up.
Next, your child needs some hardware to access the internet. For really young children, I recommend a tablet. Older children can use a tablet, laptop or desktop computer.
The software required depends on many factors. So this is where we call the school.
Requirements
Internet access
Hardware - tablet, laptop or desktop computer
Software
Check with the school leadership for specific guidance on the various requirements. The Ministry of Education has already sent out some general guidelines. Together, the Ministry and the school will provide the best information specific to your child.
Next, create a flexible but practical schedule for your child. Don’t try to replicate the school schedule and keep mitigating factors in mind - like, your own work schedule. Ensure you have lots of play/recreational time baked into the timetable. Then, set reminders on the device that your child with be using. This is especially helpful if you’re off at work and the child is self-supervising.
Being home may seem fun at first, but over time, children can lose contact with their friends. Friendships are important. Be sure to facilitate check-ins with friends as much as practical.
Action Steps
Call school
Create a schedule
Plan for non-screen activities
Stay in touch with friends
Educator Role
Some children will take to the new arrangement like a duck to water; others not so much. This is true of teachers as well. For many, this is new territory. For us as parents, we must provide support and also hold educators accountable.
Teachers will likely employ a combination of tools to manage their physically absence classes. These include:
Asynchronous Classes
In this scenario, assignments or lessons are posted, and students complete them in their own time (within some predetermined parameters). This offers excellent flexibility for all involved.
Live Sessions
Scheduled live sessions allow for a high level of engagement and interaction between teacher and student and fosters a sense of community. Very similar to an in-class course, when done right is highly effective.
Dedicated Online Office Hours
Since we now can’t drop by the school and talk to the teachers, parents (and students) need to know when teachers will be accessible. These one-on-one meetings, not lessons but rather are for administration.
Basic Tech Support
Technical support should be provided by the school, but in real life, teachers may be called upon to offer basic tech support; to explain how apps work and what’s needed to make them work.
Online Resources
Outside of school, parents have access to many great resources. Let’s talk about some local resources. Some of my personal favourites include:
SPARK Education (offers free downloadable tools and inexpensive physical learning kits)
EduFocal (eight years of experience)
GreaterCakes (super fun)
Fundaciones (a newsletter chock full of ideas)
The Ministry of Education has several partners, including:
There are some international services popular on the local circuit including:
Then, of course, there is Google. Google offers several tools including conferencing, live streaming, online resources centres and education blogs.
For a good list of international resources, check out UNESCO.
The next few months won’t be easy. But if, as parents, we collaborate with and support our teachers, our children will continue to learn and grow.
