E-learning enhanced through 1:1 devices

When three Holyoke teachers shared their approach to e-learning at the May 5 Board of Education meeting, it was clear that the fact that K-12 students were already using 1:1 devices daily made a huge impact on the transition to at-home learning.

While each student in grades K-12 has had their own Chromebook for use in the district’s “1 Chromebook for 1 student” program, those in grades K-6 had not been allowed to take theirs home.

Fourth grade teacher Kimberlee Bennett said it took a phone call for one kindergarten student to believe that it was actually OK with Mr. Stumpf to take the Chromebook home when the coronavirus closed schools.

Superintendent Kyle Stumpf laughed as he assured the board, “It did take a pandemic for me to allow that to happen!”

Reiterating the point made by several board members and staff during last week’s Zoom board meeting, Stumpf emphasized appreciation for the community’s involvement in approving mill levy override moneys for technology that led to the purchase and implementation of the 1:1 devices for the district.

“If they hadn’t passed our original mill levy, if they hadn’t extended the sunset, and if they hadn’t extended the mill levy override, we would not be where we’re at with our 1:1 devices,” said Stumpf. “We would not be where we’re at with our Go Guardian and our mark for security, and we would not be where we’re at with Google training for staff to be able to implement all this at this time.”

“It’s hard to ever predict that this is what we would have needed it for, but it’s sure a nice thing when you hear teachers talk that we were doing this already. This is just an extension, and kids are using it as a viable extension,” added Stumpf.

Teachers have done a great job in implementing online learning. “I’m very impressed with what they’ve been able to do on a very short amount of notice,” said Stumpf, emphasizing he’s impressed on all levels — kindergarten through 12th grade.

JR/SR high English teacher shares approach to e-learning

Heather Bieber joined Tuesday’s Zoom meeting to share the e-learning models for her English 7, sophomore English and Advanced Placement literature classes.

Through Google Classroom, Bieber assigns work on Monday that’s due Friday. She said she tries to hold one Zoom per section during the week, as well.

Every time she posts an assignment, she adds video directions to go with it. Students email her Monday if they have questions, or by Tuesday they can email her to say they won’t be able to make it to Zoom but don’t have any questions. After doing a Zoom, she posts an answer key so students can check their work as it’s just for practice.

“I do a lot of checking in with kids,” Bieber added.

In a sophomore English unit of identifying the traits of a hero, Bieber said in the regular classroom they would have read the novel, “Unbroken,” read “Julius Caesar” together, as well as King Arthur short stories.

She wasn’t comfortable having kids tackle “Julius Caesar” on their own, so she dropped it. They are still reading “Unbroken” on their own.

Bieber admits that her AP lit plan was the hardest because she didn’t want to slow the students down. “As an Advanced Placement level class, I wanted to keep them at the same rigor,” she added.

During this time of no face-to-face schooling, the AP literature class read “The Great Gatsby.” Bieber said she would pose a question as an assignment. Students were to provide answers, to pose two questions of their own and to respond to each other’s questions.

Even though Zoom didn’t work for some of the students because of their work schedules, that still kept discussion of the text going. On the screenshot of a video from one of her AP lit Zoom discussions that Bieber showed the board, she noted one question had 63 class comments.

In her regular classroom, Bieber said textbooks are primarily digital, and she was already using many of the options she has utilized in e-learning.

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