Auburn, Placer school districts educating through distance learning

From classrooms to bedrooms, desks to Chromebooks, raising your hand to logging into Zoom, education is looking very different for local students this week. As educators had limited time to create a curriculum that could be delivered from afar before classes were officially shut down March 13, teachers used ingenuity to craft lessons for local elementary and high school students. "Our staff is going above and beyond to make sure our kids have some normalcy and don't miss out during this crazy time," said Amber Lee-Alva, superintendent of the Auburn Union School District. "I'm grateful for that." It's not just virtual lessons, either. Teachers have been dropping off materials at the homes of students to make sure everyone has access to education during this time. Both Auburn Union and Placer Union school districts did have a technological advantage when creating their off-campus learning plans – students already used Chromebooks, educational-based laptops, as a part of their programs. Placer Union is in its sixth year of one-to-one device use. This means students are issued a Chromebook as freshmen and use it every day for the duration of their high school education. Students were already versed in using online programs such as Google Classroom and Canvas, the school's learning management system, Placer High School Principal Steve Caminiti said. Caminiti said his teachers are delivering synchronously, delivering classes virtually using online conference programs such as Zoom, and asynchronously by assigning work that can be completed at the student's pace. "What I have asked our teachers to do is to keep the normalcy," Caminiti said. "Stay in the lane of when their actual class was meeting if they are going to do virtual teaching. The teachers are collaborating and talking about workload. Everything should be an hour per day per class. We don't want the kids to get overwhelmed." For the younger students at Auburn Union, third- through eighth-graders were also accustomed to using Chromebooks. While they do not utilize Chromebooks in a one-to-one program, they use them as they fit into their curriculum off carts. Lee-Alva said she and her staff saw the school closures coming and were able to issue 900 Chromebooks, with a web-based filtering program, to third- through eighth-grade students ahead of the official shutdown to prepare for distance learning. "Some of the statistics for just three days of learning are 982 users visited 713,000 websites, watched 27,000 videos and supported 82,000 searches," she said. "We are working every day to fine-tune the internet access so students can access needed material while still protecting them from the dangers of the internet." For the kindergarten through second-graders, Auburn Union teachers created packets of work that would cover their curriculum through April 13. Packets were also made available to students without internet access. "I think one of the most challenging things has been getting everyone connected," Lee-Alva said. For students without internet access or spotty reception, both districts have set up Wi-Fi hot spots in various parking lots where they can log in and do their work. Caminiti said some instructors delivered Mi-Fi devices to students without internet. "My message to the parents is please stay in touch with the school," Lee-Alva said. "Right now, we are in a new normal and it's just do the best you can. We know not every parent is available; we are relying heavily on our teachers." And the teachers are stepping up. Lee-Alva shared multiple stories of teachers going well beyond virtual instruction, such as preparing survival kits for families and dropping them off at students' homes to teaching students how to use the Google Hangout program to connect with peers. "Every day somebody comes up with something creative," said Kristin Conner, public information officer for Placer Union. Caminiti said the "emotional side" has been difficult. "I'm sad for our seniors and the things they have lost," he said. "This may be the last time they are going to perform on stage, go to the junior or senior ball. Are they going to be able to graduate? I think there is a grieving process that kids are going through and we want to use language of hope to keep the kids positive." Caminiti said his staff is working hard to take it one day at a time. "I am confident with our staff and community we will rally and do something amazing," he said.