Teachers tackle remote learning as Cuomo extends school closures

Emma Jones
New Hyde Park-Garden City Park schools launched a YouTube channel for teachers and administrators to share videos with students and families. (Photo courtesy of NHP-GCP School District)

 

Nassau’s school teachers are doing remarkable work with technology to offer creative long-distance lessons to students, who will be studying at home at least through April 15.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last Friday that schools across the state would remain closed through April 15, lengthening the period of remote learning originally scheduled to end April 1.

“I don’t do this joyfully, but when you look at where we are and the number of cases that are increasing, it only makes sense,” Cuomo said.

The school shutdowns will be extended another two weeks if the spread of coronavirus continues at its current rate, Cuomo said.

New Hyde Park-Garden City Park UFSD teachers and administrators have been sharing videos with their students through a district-created YouTube channel.

“My students have adapted really nicely,” said Jeanine Laurino, a fourth-grade teacher at Manor Oaks School. “Digital Learning was a part of my daily instruction since September which made this a smoother transition for most. I am proud of [how] well both the children and parents have adjusted.” 

In addition to YouTube, the NHP-GCP schools are using Google Classroom and a number of learning applications such as IXL, Starfall, Raz Kids and Newsela to carry out lesson plans, Laurino said. The district started using Clever, a single sign-on platform that allows students to access numerous online resources, at the beginning of this year.

Students and families in Roslyn’s elementary schools can access materials and information on Padlet, which allows users to create interactive multimedia bulletin boards.

Roslyn Superintendent Allison Brown acknowledged in a letter to families last Friday that technical difficulties can present a significant obstacle to online learning. Students in the Roslyn school district had trouble accessing Google Classroom last week due to the vast number of students and teachers currently using the platform.

She pointed out that the loss of person-to-person interaction also makes remote learning a challenge.

“From the beginning of this crisis, I have maintained that online learning could never take the place of traditional classroom instruction,” Brown said. “The human connection is a critical part of what we do, and while online learning can be effective, it must be different.”

Teachers in the East Williston schools have taken to Twitter to share online resources and showcase students’ work.

“Mrs. Giachetti conducted a virtual drawing with the kindergarten students. Just look at this art work!” tweeted North Side School kindergarten teacher Kara Fraser, alongside a few students’ drawings.

Monica Gibson organized a virtual poetry reading with her fourth-graders. “Such great choices by our young literary scholars!” she tweeted.

Wheatley social studies teacher Sean Lazarus shared a Google Drive folder of free resources put together by social studies teachers across the country. He has shared a number of resources on Twitter as well since distance learning began, such as Screencastify, a screen video recorder that he is using to conduct AP US history lessons.

Manhasset schools are in phase two of their continuity of learning plan, which began on Wednesday. Phase one centered around reinforcement and extension of lessons begun before the shutdown. In phase two, teachers have begun introducing new concepts.

Manhasset Superintendent Vincent Butera announced last Friday that kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers would be holding two classroom meetings a week via Zoom or Google Classroom. Sixth through 12th-grade teachers will have virtual office hours twice a week.

Port Washington UFSD will release finalized plans for distance learning programs and resources by the end of this week, Superintendent Michael J. Hynes announced in a letter to families on Friday.

Teresa Prendergast, superintendent of the Great Neck Public Schools, acknowledged that the impact of remote learning extends beyond difficulties faced by teachers and students.

“Over the past two weeks, the fight against Coronavirus (COVID-19) has completely changed day-to-day life,” Prendergast wrote in a message to the community last Friday. “I recognize the challenges faced by members of our school community—including our dedicated employees—who are balancing work, childcare, remote learning, and their family’s health at home.”

K. Elizabeth Guercin, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction of Herricks Public Schools, echoed this sentiment.

“At Herricks, we are cognizant of the many factors impacting our families . . . We all seek normalcy. However, I want you to be aware that we have families at various levels of technological proficiency, technology, capability, means and access,” she said.

“There are many parents working remotely who are juggling their own work obligations and their children’s school schedules,” Guercin added. “There are families with limited devices at home. This is a health crisis and there are families who may themselves be taking care of or protecting vulnerable loved ones.”

North Shore Schools Superintendent Peter Giarrizzo commented that this is an especially difficult time for high school seniors.

“The Class of 2020 has worked hard over 13 years, and this should be a time of celebrating and attending any number of culminating events . . . My promise to our seniors is that no matter how it happens, we’ll send you off from this Viking journey with pride and great fanfare,” he said.

Regardless of their approach to remote learning, each district offered the same sentiment: Online teaching cannot replicate the classroom experience.

“One of the greatest challenges with the remote learning is adjusting to replacing the face- to-face instruction and interaction with a digital means for connecting,” said Manor Oaks teacher Jeanine Laurino. “I miss the daily hugs. It’s also hard to not be there for the kids in a physical sense when some need extra comfort in this ever-changing world more now than ever.”

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