The debate about whether or not snow days will be ending isn't over. Some people are upset about the idea of snow days, while others think that they're a tradition worth keeping. We'll explore the impacts on lower-income households and the cost of changing from snow days to remote education in this article.
New York City's Plan to End Snow Days
In a new policy, the New York City Department of Education will not allow students to stay home on snow days. Instead, they will offer remote learning and virtual classes. The new system will become effective in the 2021-22 academic year. It is not without challenges. Extreme weather could cause disruptions to the city's power grid. Some schools might also lose Internet access.
The decision was criticized throughout the country for being too harsh. In the past, snow days meant late nights and playing in the snow. The snowdays of this year will be much less common. David C. Banks, NYC School Chief, stated that this policy will make sure that students can still learn in the snow.
Remote learning is not the only option
School districts are increasingly adopting remote learning. The New York Department of Education released a note about remote learning this year. Many school districts have already made the switch to online classroom instruction, but many are unsure of how remote learning will work on snow days.
Some school districts opt out of traditional snow day altogether while others use flexible instruction. For the 2019-20 school year, the School District of Philadelphia didn't have traditional snow days, noting that inclement weather shouldn’t be a reason for cancelling classes. Neshaminy's superintendent Mark Reilly stated in Pennsylvania that snow days are a rite of passage for students, but he does not support permanent learning via remote.
Impact on lower-income families
Many families with lower incomes have struggled to pay their basic needs due to the recent Northeast snowstorm that closed schools. In addition to the cost of supplies and fuel, three to four days off from school can throw a wrench in budgets already stretched thin. Many families find it difficult to go to school because they are unable to eat three or four meals a day. This can put them at risk of becoming food insecure. This is especially true for low-income families that often rely on food assistance, free or reduced price lunches, to make ends meet.
The National Bureau of Economic Research conducted an economic study and found that many children do not attend school due to inclement weather. This means they miss learning lessons. Even though students who return to school after a snow day are absent from the same lesson, teachers make up for the missed material by pushing their lesson plans back.
Cost of switching to remote education on a snowday
Schools must think about switching to remote learning when it is snowing. Schools should offer this option for many reasons, according to Connecticut. A snowstorm can knock out power and prevent people from accessing the internet, which can make learning at school impossible. Remote learning can prove to be a viable solution in such situations. Some districts, like the Old Saybrook school district are looking at a switch to this learning method. By offering students a choice of time and place, remote learning can help school districts avoid a potentially costly and time-consuming scenario for parents.
Although it can be expensive to switch to remote learning during a snow day, this is an effective way for schools not to incur additional costs. Schools have had to cancel classes due to snow days in order to fulfill their 180-day mandate. Remote learning will enable schools to meet their 180-day mandate. Some people do not like this.
FAQ
What are the differences between e-learning? What are their purposes?
There are three major categories of e-learning:
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Content delivery – This type is e-learning that provides information to students. Some examples include lesson plans or textbooks.
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Instructional design is a type of eLearning that focuses on teaching learners skills. Examples include tutorials or simulations.
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Learning management - This type of eLearning provides tools for instructors to organize and monitor student activity. Examples include discussion forums and virtual classrooms.
What is eLearning?
E-learning can be time-consuming and requires effort. E-learning requires an understanding of the learning process. Learning experiences should be designed to meet the needs of learners.
The content should be engaging and pertinent. Visual aids like images, animations, videos, and interactive elements should be included in learning materials.
E-learning must be enjoyable and engaging. It should put a lot of emphasis on motivating learners. This includes encouraging and providing feedback to learners who are working hard towards reaching their goals.
How much multimedia should an eLearning class contain?
This depends on what you're trying to achieve. If you're looking to quickly deliver information, less may be better. For those who are interested in delivering training that will teach people how they can do something, though, it may be worth having more.
The important thing to remember is that you must be clear about what you expect from your eLearning program. Your learners' expectations of your course are also essential. This will allow you to make sure you have enough content for your learners to reach their goals.
For example:
You should include many examples of text documents to help people learn how to use Microsoft Word. You would also need to demonstrate many different spreadsheets to help people learn Excel.
It is also important to decide whether you plan to use images or video to illustrate concepts.
Video is great for demonstrating how to do something but not for explaining complicated topics. Video is also quite expensive to make. While images are more affordable to produce, they do not convey the same emotional impact as videos.
The bottom line is to think carefully about the end result before designing your eLearning courses.
How do I get started with eLearning?
If you don’t have the skills to create online courses yet, it’s a good idea not to worry. Perhaps you could create a quick tutorial or quiz.
This will allow you to move on to more difficult projects once you have mastered it. It's a good idea to learn HTML before you start creating lessons with pre-built templates.
Statistics
- According to ATD's 2021 State of the Industry report, technology-based learning methods, including e-learning, accounted for 80 percent of learning hours used in 2020. (td.org)
- Interestingly, students' participation in online training grew by 142% in the past year alone, indicating how quality education and up-to-date teaching pedagogy are preferred by learners and working professionals to upskill across India. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)
- In the 2017 ATD research report Next-Generation E-Learning, 89% of those surveyed said that changes in e-learning require their staff to update or add new skills. (td.org)
- Hedonism incorporates intrinsic motivation, including novelty, challenge, excitement, and pleasure (Schwartz et al., 2012), which is likely to predict user perception of e-learning enjoyment. (sciencedirect.com)
External Links
How To
What kind of technology should I use?
There are several options available to you depending on what type of device your learner has.
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Computer-based classes should be delivered via a laptop.
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Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets can be used to deliver eLearning classes.
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It is possible to use both mobile devices and computers to deliver courses.
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Some companies offer eLearning courses via DVD discs that can be viewed on any type of computer.
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This is the best option. Users can access the content online through web pages.
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It is possible to have a combination solution where part of the course will be delivered via a web site and part through a CD/DVD.
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Lastly, some companies offer free eLearning over the telephone. These courses can be recorded and played back by the learner.