Learning Management System
At both the secondary and elementary levels, we have selected and purchased licenses for Learning Management Systems (LMS) that all teachers will use -- Canvas at the secondary level and Google Classrooms at the elementary level. These Learning Management Systems will become our students’ online classrooms. They will be the places where students meet their teachers to start each day, where attendance will be taken, where instructions about lessons will be written on virtual whiteboards, where resources will be located in virtual bookcases, and so on.
We have also selected and purchased curriculum specifically designed for use in online learning settings. Our secondary teachers will be using Edgenuity. Our elementary teachers will be using Accelerate Ed, Achieve 3000, and Khan Academy. These are well-established, tried-and-true resources that have all been effectively used to support distance learning for years -- including in some places in the Ferndale School District. They will become our students’ textbooks. They won’t “teach” students any more than a textbook alone can teach students. Our teachers will be doing that.
Teachers will be going into their virtual classrooms (Canvas or Google Classroom) every day to greet their students and assist them in using their virtual textbooks (Edgenuity, Accelerate Ed, and so on) to meet the learning objectives for their grade level or class. Just as they always have, teachers will be designing, facilitating, and assessing learning. Just as they always have, they will be getting to know their students, building relationships, encouraging engagement, and addressing social and emotional needs -- with the help of support personnel like counselors and paraeducators.
Resources:
LMS 101 Series:
The Learning Management Systems 1.0 series includes professional development offerings focused on both Canvas (used in Ferndale in grades 6-12) and Google Classrooms (used in Ferndale in grades K-5). The offerings can be accessed for registration at this link. They are offered in live and on-demand formats. There is no cost for registration.
Family & Community Distance Learning Resources:
Washington’s Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD) has made available resources for supporting families and communities in distance learning. Topics include creating an at-home learning system, supporting like a coach, and encouraging a growth mindset.