The three building principals told the Knox Community School Board this week that with the recent school closures, students are working well with the alternative instruction day.
Elementary School Principal Glenn Barnes said eLearning is a positive experience for his students when school is closed due to inclement weather.
“Teachers have been fantastic and posting some really dynamic activities,” said Barnes. “Our parents have been incredibly helpful, calling in and getting some support or helping their little ones log in at home. Frankly, the students also seem to be having fun which is great.”
Middle School Principal Josh Pugh was curious how communication was going to occur for eLearning lessons, but things are going smoothly.
“Our kids are emailing their teachers and they’re on discussion on Canvas. They have communication throughout the day. That’s been phenomenal for us through eLearning. Our students are very quick to tell the teacher ‘I don’t get this’ or ‘I can’t see it’ or ‘where is it’. It’s very easy to show them what’s happening. If there’s trouble, then the teachers can contact us, Mr. Landrum or Mrs. Morgan and we can make a quick fix,” commented Pugh.
High School Principal Dr. Elizabeth Ratliff said she’s happy to see collaboration efforts between students and teachers and students with other students.
“They’re talking to each other,” mentioned Dr. Ratliff. “They’re sending emails ‘what did you get’ and ‘how did you figure that out’. There’s a lot of contact with teachers which has been great. We do believe we’re seeing more assignments completed on those eLearning days. At the high school, we had a real push. We offered extra credit to do something to get those in because our biggest concern is – are they doing the assignments on that day or did they wait all weekend? We want them to come in ready to start class.”
As a local rule, two consecutive eLearning days can be used, but if a school closure occurs for more than three days in a row, that day may be made up during a Saturday eLearning session or at the end of the school year. The board would get teacher input before making a determination.
