MINOCQUA – Two members Monday led the Lakeland school board to lay the groundwork for a third learning option for the estimated 700 students returning to classes this fall.
At its July 27 meeting, the LUHS board had adopted a model for the 2020-21 school year that calls for in-person classes five days a week, with virtual learning at home as an option. Virtual or remote learning would be offered in the event of a school closure due to a COVID-19 virus outbreak.
At Monday’s special meeting, veteran board member Gary Smith and newcomer James Wescott pushed for remote learning as a third option for students and their families. The motion to add remote learning passed 7-2 with former teachers Jon Berg and Barb Peck casting “no” votes. “Do we need all three options?” asked Peck, if remote learning was offered.
Former LUHS teacher Shawn Umland, also a board newcomer, said additional staffing might be needed for teachers tackling in-class and remote learning at the same time. He suggested giving administration time to look into the matter of remote learning before proceeding with a vote. Nonetheless, he voted with the majority.
Remote learning differs from what’s termed as virtual learning, which is when prepared class material (curriculum) is either sent home to the student or can be downloaded from a website. Teachers also provide advance or follow-up support.
Of the 500 families responding to an on-going district survey, 21 percent so far have indicated a preference for virtual learning. In part, remote learning uses a classroom camera with the student at home following along in real time or synchronously, on his or her computer as the teacher instructs a class. The student can ask questions and in turn the teacher can quiz the student. Remote learning is also broader in scope: such as in a science class, whereby students are guided on how to put together a leaf collection. He or she then goes out and collects the specimens.
Director of technology Josh Maltbey said the school does have the bandwidth to accommodate remote learning. But he questioned whether the district could even get the needed equipment, such as cameras, in time for the opening of school. In addition, he would need to train teachers in the use of the technology.
The start of school for new students will be Tuesday, Sept. 1 with the opening of school for all students the following day. Maltbey wondered also if those using remote learning devices would cause distractions to the teacher and in-class students when siblings and other background noise would intrude.
Fine arts instructor Leah Trojan said it would be difficult for students using remote learning to follow her class instruction and demonstrations, including ceramics, which she instructs on a one-to-one basis. “A camera in my classroom simply would not work,” she said.
Mathematics teacher Gary Olson noted each discipline might have different outcomes with remote learning “It’s not going to be one size fits all.”
If the board chooses to follow through with the remote learning option, he said controls should be placed to ensure students log in during their assigned sessions. “There has to be some teeth behind the remote option if a family chooses that,” he said, otherwise, some students would be staying up until 2 a.m. and sleeping until 11 a.m. Another teacher had concerns about the amount of prep time that would be needed to instruct in-class and remote learners at the same time.
The board’s next regular meeting is Monday, Aug. 24 where the matter will be taken up again. With the changing pandemic impact, the board could also schedule another special meeting in response. In a related COVID-19 pandemic matter, the board approved a recommendation by activities director Phillip Updike to follow the WIAA’s guidelines to start “higher-risk” fall sports (football, volleyball, etc.) on Sept. 7 and “lower-risk” fall sports (tennis, cross-country, etc.) on Aug. 17. He said he would keep the school board informed of any further direction by the WIAA Board of Control.
