Scarlet News and Notes
August 10, 2020
Assuring Learning Excellence and Readiness for a Changing World
Adaptability...Core Value #5
I will continue to provide you with weekly updates, sharing information that I have. Please remember, there will be changes. Adaptability is the key word for this school year.
For those of you who are planners, who have anxiety about the unknown parts of this school year, remember to breathe. We have time. Kids don't start for another month. And just like in the classroom when you work to set kids up for success, your admin team and instructional support are working and will continue to work to set you up for success.
Safe Learning Plan - All In-Person
This is one reason why we need to move everything out of classrooms except a teacher's desk and student desks. Our custodial staff will begin moving any extras from classrooms beginning Monday, August 10th, starting on 3rd floor. When items are moved, you will continue to have access to them, either in an area on the same floor, or in the basement.
We may need to have staggered passing times, lunch times, etc. More information will be coming about this.
Safe Learning Plan - Hybrid
When students are in the building, they will need to stay 6 feet apart in the classrooms. This will be a time to help students who need extra support, allow for collaboration, hands on activities, and provide time for social/emotional learning. It will be important to have students in assigned seats to help with contract tracing if someone tests positive for COVID.
In a hybrid model, we may be able to have students with special education (level 3) or EL (levels 1 and 2) needs at school every day.
Safe Learning Plan - Distance Learning
Staff will be required to be in the building. Some special needs students may be able to come to school, either full time or a partial schedule, even during Distance Learning.
Staff will work remotely if there is a complete shut down.
Moodle
We know many of you have questions about the transition to Moodle as our Learning Management System in preparation for the 20-21 academic year. This decision was not made lightly. Work groups were formed around various aspects of MDE’s Safe Learning Plan when the pre-plan was released in June and July. A team representing teachers, building admin, and district admin came together to review options for our best choice of a Learning Management System (LMS) given short term and long term goals.
Moodle was selected as the preferred LMS for 9-12 grades for the following reasons:
It serves as a ‘one stop shop’ for all courses for all students
PLCs, departments,and teacher teams are able to collaborate across the entire system while maintaining their unique art of teaching
Shared warehouse for common core pieces to each course district-wide and school-wide
Standards-based teaching and learning collaboration in one system
Course content, assignments, and assessments are accessible in self-paced, autonomous, asynchronous, and synchronous manners
Deeper and more complex interactive learning activity capabilities while still allowing use of familiar tools
Integration with Google Assignments
Moodle courses are replicable, transferable, and useable year to year with little to no maintenance
Moodle is inherently ADA compliant so students who need special services to access resources are able to do so.
Teachers can create unique to their art, style, and course individual assignments, tasks, assessments, and projects
Teachers will have their own unique space
Self-grading quizzes and tasks that students can retake at their own pace and learning style to assure foundational knowledge
Rich general and individual feedback options
Shared question banks and question categories aligned to courses and units within each course
Family access to student course content and data without ability to see class roster (Google Classroom does not allow for compliant data privacy requirements)
It is likely that, regardless of when our pandemic reality subsides, students will choose online in ways we have not yet seen. Mankato Area Public Schools must be ready to accommodate these requests in order to retain funding and staff. Moodle allows us to create an online avenue to retain and build an online school so that we do not lose students to other systems and to retain FTEs in house. Google Classroom does not have this capability.
Each Moodle Course will include:
An overview of Mankato Area Public Schools Online
A course introduction
Units of study for the course
Space for Supplemental Materials
Teacher Resources
Final Exams
In the coming days department chairs will be asked to work with PLCs to determine who will add common components of each course into a course template. That course template will then be shared with all PLC members when it is complete. Please wait for word from your department chair to share the rest of these details with you.
We understand that in uncertain times these types of changes are challenging. There will be building level and system level support to provide learning, guides, and resources to all of you as we work to create a learning system that is accessible to all.
If you have questions about Moodle, its capabilities, or other questions regarding this change, please let us know here.
Thank you to Mike, Andy, and our Department Reps.
Distance Learning - A Family Choice
Because all teaching and learning activities, assignments, and assessments will be in the moodle course, these students will stay on teacher's rosters. The only difference will be you will not see these students in person.
This choice is one families can make at any time, and they have the ability to switch back at any time.
Attendance
Grading
At this time, we are planning to do final exams at the end of each semester.
What Do We Need to Do Now?
Continue to enjoy summer!
Important Dates
August 24-26
New Teacher Orientation
August 31 - September 3
Workshop Week