A Look Back on Distance Learning at FAIS

By Aaron Sewall, Pre-K parent and husband of FAIS First Grade Teacher Stéphanie Martin-Sewall

In March 2020, FAIS entered terra incognita along with the rest of the world as COVID-19 forced all schools to undertake a massive experiment: can students learn entirely online? Toward the end of the school year, we interviewed multiple families and staff from pre-K through middle school about their distance-learning experience up to that point. Now into a new year, and into our phased return to campus that began on February 8th -- with full in-person classes for PS-3rd Grade and half-day hybrid learning for 4th-8th Grade -- what have we learned about learning online? How does last year’s experience shape up compared to this new year? To provide some perspective, here are these families’ and teachers’ perspectives.

From the parents’ perspective, they felt their children have adapted well to the online environment, especially older children who are digital natives and have plenty of experience manipulating screens and apps. They noted that younger children do need help learning to navigate apps—the School had started using the Seesaw app before the closure, but not to the extent it is currently used. The biggest adaptation for students has been the lack of interaction with their peers. FaceTime, Zoom, and social media are an ersatz substitute for actually being together. But, the lack of interaction hasn’t just taken a toll on students.

GREG, FORMER 3RD GRADE TEACHER

In the beginning, most teachers tried to keep up the same workload as they do in class, but it was unsustainable for everyone. Listening to feedback from students and families, the focus shifted from quantity to quality and balancing time away from the screen by working from a book, going outside, and staying active via art and PE classes. Even teachers with 20 years of experience had to adapt every single lesson to an online platform -- and re-adapt when some lessons didn’t work out.

MINDA, MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER

On a positive note, both students and teachers were grateful to be starting later. Parents noticed their children seemed more rested and ready to tackle schoolwork than when they have to wake up earlier to get to school on time.

2ND GRADE STUDENT

Teachers, too, appreciated starting a little later. However, lesson planning, Zoom calls, correcting activities, and responding to questions left many of them working until late into the night.

In an attempt to create a virtual classroom, many teachers began with whole-class group Zoom sessions. However, they quickly realized that it was impossible to engage 20 or more students on a screen, and it was unproductive chaos. This evolved into smaller group sessions of four to seven students and short individual sessions. The increased one-on-one interaction was remarked by everyone interviewed as a major improvement. Teachers could focus on each student for 10 minutes, working on challenges or answering individual questions, leading to more one-on-one time than in the classroom.

The biggest technological hurdle teachers witnessed was that if the students had difficulty opening a document or accessing an activity, they tended to throw their hands up and go on to something else.

4TH GRADE STUDENT

This led most teachers to focus their energy on adapting the lessons for one or two platforms maximum; the consensus was that learning time should be spent on the curriculum instead of learning how to access the curriculum. Nevertheless, once both teachers and students mastered the core apps—Seesaw and Zoom—they began to explore other possibilities. Third grade teacher, Nathalie, tried to set aside time to learn a new program every week, which she explored before deciding to introduce it to her students.

NATHALIE, 3RD GRADE TEACHER

What were some of the biggest takeaways from this experiment in distance learning?

Children are incredibly resilient. Everyone was apprehensive about the unchartered territory of distance learning, but with the efforts of hardworking teachers, staff, and parents, this experience has shown just how adaptable and independent children really are. They are able to learn independently and manipulate technology easier than their parents who did not grow up digital natives. Given a chance, students will take the initiative and become autonomous learners, which is the ultimate goal of education in the first place.

KIM, PARENT (2ND, 4TH, 6TH GRADE)

Keep it simple. For both the technology used and the lessons taught through it, it is better to focus on quality over quantity. Trying to use a different app for each different activity takes up too much time for both teachers and students. Students may give up when frustrated, so it is better to adapt lessons to programs the students are already familiar with so that their time can be spent learning the material instead of learning to navigate a new program. It is also important to focus on everyone’s physical and emotional wellbeing to avoid burnout.

LUBNA, PARENT (8TH GRADE)

There is an adaptation period. Once learning patterns and a routine were established, it got easier. Despite the significant losses of not being on campus and missing the in-person connection with your friends or colleagues, there were also some significant gains. Distance learning offers one-on-one interactions that group learning does not. Perhaps the most positive tradeoff is the opportunity for teachers to focus on students and their individual needs individually. Each student is different, and each learns differently. Ten minutes with a teacher one-on-one can make a big difference for students who may be quiet in class or who are struggling in a group learning situation.

FAIS STUDENT

Experiencing it firsthand as a parent, observing my child learn, witnessing my wife’s dedication as an FAIS teacher, and speaking with fellow families… there is no shortage of admiration for the work teachers undertook to provide our students with a sense of stability during such a turbulent and unprecedented time. Finally, there was also one sentiment that was common from all the parents: “Now we all understand why teachers have the summer off.”