It has been a long time since I’ve blogged. Our third child, some postpartum anxiety, and hubster’s new job(s) have made the last nine months CRAZY. Even crazier? This switch to remote learning in response to the coronavirus in the U.S. New blog series = what the heck this might look like…
COVID-19 & Remote Learning
Coronavirus & Getting Out of the Pool
I saw this metaphor on Facebook yesterday as a way to explain this new craziness to kids (or adults perhaps…):
Pretend we are all in a swimming pool. Some of us are good swimmers. Some of us have help to swim (life jackets and floaties). Some of us have trouble swimming. There are not enough life guards to keep an eye on everyone.
As a healthy adult, I can swim well. My kids have floaties and life jackets. We are the people who are unlikely to suffer adversely from the virus if we do get it, or be asymptomatic.
Those who have trouble swimming are those over 60, those with immune issues or other underlying health conditions, who are likely to suffer, even fatally, from the virus.
How can we help those who can’t swim, and help the life guards identify those who need help? We get out of the pool. We sit on our towels, put on sunscreen, read our books, and relax with our loved ones. If we get too hot, we drink water rather than go back in the pool. We don’t go to the lifeguard if we can help ourselves.
This is why we canceled school. As of mid-morning on March 16, there are 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indiana. While that doesn’t feel like a way to panic (especially as there aren’t any in our county), I understand the flatten-the-curve concept and the need to be as proactive as possible.
What does this mean?
As has been repeated, often, we are in uncharted waters. So no one knows.
Our private high school is fairly well set-up for E-Learning and a shift to full online classes. Our kids have devices (iPads, MacBooks, or Chromebooks). The majority of them have internet at home. I am nervous enough for our students; I can’t imagine what our local public school districts are doing, or younger kids who may not have access to online resources.
Tomorrow is our first day of “remote learning” for our students. We have scheduled times for classes when students are expected to log in, and Zoom accounts, which is a program that allows us to video conference with our students. I’ve never used it before today.
Hubster and I will be home with our three kiddos, as preschool is also closed. I will keep you posted on what all of this look like!
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