FEATURE
AUG 13, 2020
A VIRTUAL REALITY This year’s virtual learning to focus on social-emotional learning, bonds between teachers, students WENDY ZHU STORY
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SAM HAWKINS GRAPHIC
n the 2019-2020 school year, teachers taught the final quarter of school entirely online after Carmel Clay Schools (CCS) closed on March 16 and Gov. Holcomb later ordered all K-12 schools in Indiana to remain closed for the rest of the school year. It’s likely that most, if not all teachers were not expecting to deal with a global pandemic and a full shift to virtual learning. Over the summer, however, hundreds of CCS teachers attended professional development workshops for virtual learning, including sessions on enhancing Canvas use and building a
SARAH KONRAD SUBMITTED PHOTOS
classroom culture online. Though CCS is set to reopen its doors today and resume in-person classes, virtual learning options are available to students as well. According to Principal Tom Harmas, this year’s virtual learning will place a heavier emphasis on social-emotional learning (SEL). SEL includes the development of interpersonal skills, learning how to manage emotions and goal-setting, and it helped inspire Carmel’s Culture of Care. “We’re very fortunate because most of our students are self-driven and want to do well in school, but
STUDY TIME: (LEFT) Senior Sarah Konrad takes notes for class during onlinelearning time. She said she had trouble for the first few days, but did her best to find a schedule to help her get things turned in on time. (RIGHT): Senior Sarah Konrad shares some of her notes for class.
for those who aren’t, it was difficult for us to have that communication and really help those kids that weren’t having a difficult time,” Harmas said. “That’s part of that SEL piece, creating a classroom culture and really trying to reach out to kids, making sure they know they have a partner in education—somebody who really cares about them—and that we want them to do well and we’re going to help them in any way that we possibly can.” While seeing someone’s face through a screen and hearing someone’s voice through speakers isn’t the same as seeing and hearing them in
