Wednesday, February 2, 2011
E-learning on Snow Days?
It has been said that three, favorite, winter words of Michigan public school teachers are “blowing and drifting.” As this huge storm locks us in our homes, teachers and students alike are enjoying their day off. (Personally, I’m working on my podcast assignment.) Some colleagues of mine were talking yesterday about a measure that some Ohio schools were undertaking to avoid being penalized snow days. According to this article, http://www.mlive.com/opinion/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/02/editorial_why_snow_days_for_sc.html, Ohio schools are allowed three snow/weather days before they are penalized. In Michigan, we are allowed five. To avoid being penalized, some districts in Ohio are employing e-days. This means that during a snow day, districts would offer online learning days. Teachers would prepare, in advance, an assignment/project for students to complete on their snow day. The project would be more of an enrichment/supplemental activity. For students that didn’t complete it on their snow day, they would have two weeks to finish it once they returned to school. Obviously, there are issues to this. What about Internet accessibility? How would states know that districts made their students accountable? What recourse would there be if students didn’t do the assignment? While this issue brings up questions, I think it’s a very viable alternative to snow days. With accessibility of technology everywhere, why not put your assignments online? Personally, it wouldn’t be a big deal to me because my lesson would have to be prepared before the snow day. I could still enjoy my day off. For students, I don’t think they woyuld like it at all. But we all have to do things we don’t like. Right?
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I think the e-learning on snowdays would be a great idea. I also think that more snow days would be called if we had this. I work in Farwell but live in Houghton Lake. The roads at Houghton Lake have been horrible, but they still have school. My children drive to school, the fact that school is not called off here like it should be annoys the heck out of me. If there was e-learning on snowdays, I think the superintendent wouldn't have such a hard time calling snow days. This is how I feel.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be a great idea. It may even be a way to pilot the idea of e-learning at home. You would have to be sure that all students had access to the web before requiring such an assignment. Otherwise the assignment would be unfair to the kids without access (obviously they can't leave their house to go to the library on snowdays). If e-learning on snowdays worked out, other districts may implement the idea also. Eventually, it may spread to classes that are part time in class and online!
ReplyDeleteAs far as students without access, I think that’s why Ohio districts gave students two weeks to complete the assignment after they returned to school.
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