For the school year 2020-2021, many school districts opted to offer virtual learning for the fall semester. Some schools reopened for in-person learning, and then had to close down due to spikes in COVID-19 cases, and some schools chose to provide a hybrid learning program.

Hybrid learning is an educational model where some students attend class in-person, while others join the class virtually from home. Educators teach remote and in-person students at the same time using tools like video conferencing hardware and software. In some cases, hybrid classes include asynchronous learning elements, like online exercises and pre-recorded video instruction, to support face-to-face classroom sessions. Some schools are preparing to transition from virtual learning to hybrid learning, provided health authorities report that it is safe to return to school in small groups.

As a parent of a 16 year old, I have questions as to how my school district will implement the hybrid model, whether or not families have options of staying on to full time virtual learning, or If I should send my daughter for in person learning.

Below are some resources and information on how to understand and prepare for the transition.

1.

For many families, back to school planning will look different this year than it has in previous years. Schools will have new policies in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some are starting the school year with virtual learning components. Whatever the situation, these checklists are intended to help parents, guardians, and caregivers, plan and prepare for the upcoming school year.

The checklist includes:

• Decision making tool for parents and guardians
• Planning for in-person classes
• Planning for virtual or at-home learning
• Resources to navigate stress and uncertainty

2. (Education Week, November 11, 2020)

This article explains the many forms of a hybrid schedule. It explains how a hybrid schedule may offer schools the most flexibility, and the associated risks of putting people indoors together, even when it鈥檚 in smaller, socially distanced groups. According to the article, the logistics will not be simple and the learning curves for everyone will be steep.

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During this pandemic, families and their children are engaged in a variety of different school formats and , powered by Southern New Hampshire Services, hopes to provide support and resources for all families that may be grappling with a variety of learning options, including remote learning, a hybrid model and/or full-time in-person attendance.

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Parents of students in blended learning programs should understand the changing roles of technology and teachers, and make an effort to stay informed about edtech.

5. , with companion and sheet.

With the pandemic still spiking in many states across the country, parents are stressed and confused as to how they should plan for their gifted children’s education. In-person learning, hybrid, online schools and classes, pandemic pods, microschools, and homeschooling are among the various options that come up in the news and on social media. Which option is right for your family? How do you work with your district or school if you seek an alternative to full-time in-person instruction this year?

6. School Districts and Your State’s Department of Education

Access your school district鈥檚 and your state’s Department of Education websites where hybrid/return to school information and resources are provided. Some school districts currently have surveys to be completed in order to plan for hybrid learning; other school districts have outlined detailed information on how hybrid learning will be implemented, such as which schools are more likely to offer in-person learning first, what grades, and the schedule. You can also find out if the school district will be offering alternative options.

Additional Resources on How to Advocate for Your Child鈥檚 Education During the Transition Process:

1.

Many of parents are learning firsthand how different remote learning is from face-to-face learning. It affects content delivery, socialization, and the school-life balance. As a result, the advocacy related to remote learning may also look different. Many parents may have relied on the traditional parent-teacher conferences, physical report cards, or in-school IEP meetings to discuss how to best support their child. Now that many of these face-to-face opportunities have been limited or altogether removed from advocacy efforts, it may be a brave new virtual world that parents must navigate to receive services and supports for their student. In addition to traditional advocacy strategies, other the tools and strategies to help online advocacy be more effective are provided.

2. :

As the year begins with distance or hybrid learning at most schools, many parents are worried that pre-pandemic IEP plans may leave kids without vital services. Luckily, IEP or 504 plans aren鈥檛 set in stone. If you鈥檙e concerned your child is struggling (or that they will be once class gets underway), it might be time to make some additions to your child鈥檚 plan to incorporate remote learning accommodations. Here鈥檚 how you can help your child get the support they need, whatever this school year brings. (Also Available in Spanish.)

How do you feel about going back to in-person learning? If your district is already providing hybrid learning, how is it working for your child?

Distance learning for many parents and students is a new concept and can be challenging. This year parents will have to be more involved than ever in being a teaching partner. Students will need to stay focused and engaged and parents may need some tools and ideas on how to accomplish this!

Here are some tips and tools from various resources:

1. Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning. Your child鈥檚 school may be providing both a synchronous (real time) learning, in which the student must sign in and attend the online class as scheduled and presented by the teacher; and asynchronous, which includes learning through various resources available to the student on-demand. For some students and parents, it can be helpful to have time scheduled at the same time each day/week for asynchronous schoolwork so it becomes a routine.
2. Calendar. Having a visual calendar and digital calendar is extremely helpful. Download your school鈥檚 calendar. A teacher suggested color coding the classes, e.g., green = geometry, blue = English. Another parent uses the system at work and implemented it at home using a white board and stickies. Have a daily family check-in meeting to establish what the big-ticket items of the day are and a weekly Sunday night check-in to review the week.
3. Transition Times. Children thrive with routine and structure to stay focused. It also provides a sense of comfort and security. Make sure that your child transitions from bed to the study place; getting ready in the morning as if they are preparing to go to school. Breaks are very important too. Observe your child to find out if they need a break from the computer screen. For young children, set up some time for independent play, or encourage some type of movement activity. And according to education theories, having different locations for different classes helps write the information into the brain.
4. Expectations. Check your child鈥檚 courses and assignments, this should be accessible from your child鈥檚 school. Check in periodically to update the calendar or transfer important information. How much time should students spend during online learning? How much interaction is provided during synchronous learning? How does your child typically learn? Communicate with your child鈥檚 teacher about their learning style so that the teacher has clearer understanding and expectations.
5. Stuck? Reach out to the teacher, other parents or students. Set up email alerts for important notifications such as project and assignment due dates. Set your child鈥檚 phone to 鈥淒o Not Disturb鈥� during class time. Break down to-do lists in small steps. Try the . If all else fails, communicate with the teacher and don鈥檛 wait until your child is falling behind!

How do you or your child stay organized? Do you have suggestions?

For additional resources:

Parent Tips and Tricks for Distance Learning:

Photo by Julia M Cameron from Pexels.

This week, I had an opportunity to observe a session of , 滨贰础鈥檚 new distance learning program that brings professionals and students together via Zoom for specialized workshops. This particular session was the 4th class in a 6-part series for children ages 9-12. The first three classes were about public speaking, and this one was entitled Speech and Debate, taught by master鈥檚 candidate Reece Aguilar, Assistant Debate Coach for the University of Southern California. In an hour and a half (which flew by), I personally learned more than I expected to.  

This was a beginner鈥檚 class, so the instructor started from scratch 鈥� he taught us what debate actually is: the act of persuading a skeptical audience to align with your view. He led us through the components of an effective debate, including how to remain unemotional and free of fallacies.  

By the end of class, each student was charged with the task of writing a complete argument that might be used in an actual debate. They were given an array of topics to choose from, including whether or not schools should extend recess, whether or not cafeterias should offer free lunch, or whether or not schools should require uniforms. Students were given no more than five minutes to create their arguments, and each one was able to write and deliver their 30-second arguments with articulate confidence.  

I am not sure what I expected, but I was riveted the whole time! This was far from a droll lecture; this was an interactive discussion, truly a hands-on workshop. Reece did a fantastic job engaging the children; every student participated in the conversation and the final presentation. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic rendered in-person learning unsafe, I was skeptical about the quality of distance learning. I could not picture 滨贰础鈥檚 dynamic, interactive programs translating into an online format. After sitting in on both Spyglass and Yunasa, I am convinced that 滨贰础鈥檚 teachers and staff have mastered distance learning. And while we would all rather be together, this is the next best thing.  

Mark Erlandson, the parent of a gifted student who presently attends a boarding school out East, is a former lawyer and public high school English teacher from Wisconsin starting a new business as a legal writing consultant.

While many may look at online learning as a recent innovation, the roots of distance learning in the U.S. run deep. As early as the 1800s, clergymen studied by way of correspondence and home study programs, especially for women, flourished. By the early 20th century, educational institutions from colleges to elementary schools offered correspondence classes. Each new technological advancement, including radio and television, was used as a medium for more distance learning. Today computers and the Internet provide the foundation for a new generation of distance learners. The needs of gifted learners at the elementary and secondary levels make the opportunities offered by distance learning particularly suitable.^[1]

The National Center for Education Statistics recently estimated that the number of K-12 public school students enrolling in a technology-based distance learning course grew by 65 percent in the two years from 2002-03 to 2004-05. A 2009 survey estimated that more than a million K鈥� 12 students took online courses in school year 2007鈥�08. A panoply of online learning opportunities is available. They range from courses taken only for enrichment or preparation for future classes to accelerated or honors classes that provide students the chance to earn high-school credits from the students鈥� local schools. More recently 鈥渧irtual schools鈥� have proliferated, e.g., Stanford University Online High School. These schools grant degrees and diplomas. (The U.S. Department of Education has an online guide, , which offers case studies of a variety of online learning opportunities in Part III. In addition to the opportunities found through , has an extensive list of distance learning programs, as does the .)

Several university-based gifted student programs offer distance learning opportunities for elementary and secondary students, the most prominent being The Center for Talented Youth (CTY) at Johns Hopkins University (pre-K – 12), the Talent Identification Program (TIP) at Duke University (grades 8 – 12), the Center for Talented Development (CTD) at Northwestern University (grades 4 – 12), Stanford Online High School (OHS) (grades 7-university level) and GiftedandTalented.com (K – 12). Courses range from the standard 鈥� e.g., Anatomy & Physiology (with a virtual laboratory and experiments), Economics, foreign languages, and AP漏 courses 鈥� to more exotic offerings like The Wonders of Ancient Egypt and Making Moby Dick.

There are also state programs. The Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth (WCATY) Academy, for example, offers an integrated curriculum for gifted students in grades 5 – 8 that blends online learning with face-to-face meetings (approximately three times a quarter). The classes are intended to replace a quarter of language arts, history, science, or math curriculum for students in over 75 school districts throughout the state. In 2011, the Academy served almost 1,600 students.

The delivery and instructional methods of online learning are similarly diverse. Originally, most of these courses were self-paced and basically an independent study class. With the advent of more and more technological advances, contact between teacher and students and between students themselves has increased. Hybrid models of instruction now include virtual class meetings, discussion forums, live text-chatting, real time face-to-face meetings, and interactive white board instruction, among other methods.

There are several advantages to distance learning. Perhaps the most important for the gifted student is the ability to choose from myriad advanced courses not available at the students鈥� own schools or via home-schooling. These needs are particularly acute in the rural and low-income schools where problems range from a lack of resources (everything from teacher training to textbooks) to a lack of a critical mass of gifted students that would make in-school accelerated classes economically feasible. And that is another benefit. A key challenge to keeping gifted learners engaged and growing is exposing them to peers who are just as advanced. Those distance learning classes that require student interaction allow students to do just that.

Another advantage would be more personalized learning. While the variety of courses allow the students to craft a curriculum closer to their interests, the hybrid models of distance learning allow for more one-on-one attention from the course instructor, according to a 2009 survey by Education Week. Because of its more independent nature, distance learning also allows students to move faster through the curriculum and at their own pace.

In addition, 21st-century skills are enhanced through distance learning. These enhanced skills would include self-directed learning, problem-solving skills, information and communications technology literacy, and time-management and personal responsibility. For this reason, among others, the state of Michigan now requires that every high school student complete an online course before graduation.

Several studies have found that gifted students have been successful at distance learning and satisfied with the experience. A U.S. Department of Education meta-analysis of the available research concluded that 鈥淸o]n average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.鈥� Some positive effects that they found included enhanced independent study skills as well as increases in students鈥� problem-solving abilities, collaborative learning skills, and higher-order thinking skills.

That same U.S. Department of Education meta-analysis also concluded that caution should be used in extrapolating its findings to the K – 12 population. Even less attention has been devoted to studying younger, i.e., pre-secondary, students. Subsequent to that meta-analysis, one major study looked only at students enrolled in the Johns Hopkins University CTY distance education program from July 2005 – March 2007. One major difference was that younger students took courses because of an interest in the content of the course rather than to obtain credit or placement. Another major difference was the emphasis students placed on the relationship with their instructor, suggesting the critical importance of instructor-led courses for these students.

Not all gifted students will achieve in a distance-learning format. To begin, students need to be self-disciplined and experienced with working independently. Perhaps critically, students need to be willing to ask for help since teachers do not have the advantage of non-verbal clues to pick up on student confusion. Of course, strong study and computer skills are also a necessity. Finally, the physical presence of an adult and the support of a parent are also necessary for distance learning to be effective.

A major drawback to distance learning is often isolation and its effect on social skills. Nonverbal communication is extremely limited in this setting where a greater emphasis is given to writing, technological skills, and independent learning. However, the trend is clearly towards more active involvement in these courses as the technology evolves.

Those students who reported being dissatisfied with distance learning often cited a lack of interaction with teachers. Another common concern voiced was the lack of traditional textbooks and written course materials as many courses rely only on computer technologies. Therefore students need to assess their own learning styles and then choose courses wisely.

^[1] The terms 鈥渄istance learning鈥� and 鈥渙nline learning will be used interchangeably throughout the body of this blog. 鈥淒igital learning,鈥� which is not used herein, is quickly replacing both of these terms.

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Have your gifted children participated in any online classes? Share their experiences in the comment section below.