Blog

Operating During a Pandemic

by Elizabeth Sabins, Spanish Teacher/Instructional Coach

The switch to remote learning in the spring of 2020 presented teachers and students with an opportunity to explore new technology for teaching and learning. For the 2020-2021 school year, LCS implemented online platforms at each grade level to support in-class and remote learning, Seesaw for elementary students and Google Classroom for grades 4-12. Teachers and their students had to be flexible in order to quickly pivot from in-person learning to remote learning for the entire class, a small group of students, or an individual. Through ongoing support and professional development beginning over the summer, teachers continue to expand their instruction to incorporate technology to support and engage their students in transformational learning. While the physical location of learning fluctuates, the focus on creating engaging and collaborative learning environments remains the same. Teachers are able to foster collaboration through online instruction using Zoom, provide opportunities for group work through tools like Zoom breakout rooms, share online presentations and assignments, and create opportunities for video discussion using Flipgrid. Our commitment to community-building continues through our weekly chapels, class meetings in Zoom, and expands to events like the Virtual Fund Run and Virtual Grandparent Day.

LCS is blessed to be able to provide in-person learning for our students this school year. While teachers are challenged to rethink the way they present information and carry out activities in their classroom, they have also grown in their abilities to engage students in learning, assess them in new ways, and to differentiate instruction for various learning needs. These new practices and tools will continue to be used in the classroom to engage students in transformational learning for years to come.