COVID-19 Remote Instruction eLearning Plan

COVID-19 Remote Instructional eLearning Days Guidance

  • Beginning Tuesday, March 31st Minooka CCSD 201 will make the switch from Act of God Days to Remote Instructional eLearning Days.

  • Remote eLearning activities and assignments will be offered during COVID-19 Remote Instructional Days in accordance with ISBE.  Activities and assignments may be required and may count towards grades. Students and parents are encouraged to continue their engagement in learning during this unprecedented social distancing  of public school.  

  • Students’ attendance will be calculated during COVID-19 Remote Instructional Days  as instructional days, attendance information shall be collected. 

  • Teachers will post contact information and eLearning activities for students and parents to continue engaging in learning during this time.  Teachers will periodically update activities as applicable and notify parents and students of updates.  

  • Teachers will host required virtual office hours during the course of the COVID-19 Remote Instructional Day as identified in the eLearning Plan. Digital office hours can be conducted via email, Google Classroom, or Unified Classroom but not via social media. Announcements and activities may be shared through social media. 

  • Classroom teachers and special education teachers will work together to ensure that work is appropriate and accommodations are made for students with special needs.

eLearning Page Link  

COVID-19 Remote Instructional eLearning Procedure For Parents

Activities and Assignments

  • Information about  activities and assignments will be posted in PowerSchool Unified Classroom and the previously established method arranged by the classroom teacher by 9:00am. 
  • Activities and assignments will follow the recommendation from ISBE in the table below (inclusive of activity, reflection, and collection or completion of evidence).
  • Activities and/or assignments may be graded.

Virtual Office Hours

  • Teachers will hold virtual office hours from 9:00am-2:00pm.  Instructions for how to contact the teacher will be listed in PowerSchool Unified Classroom. Teachers will be doing their best to provide eLearning activities that engage students in continued learning.  Teachers will be working online at this time and will be responsive to questions as quickly as feasible. Please be understanding that our teachers are also working through this COVID-19 pandemic as parents and community members as well.

Attendance

  • Students’ attendance will be calculated during COVID-19 Remote Instructional eLearning days as instructional days.

  • Students are expected to engage in the day’s activities and assignments.  While some activities offer live interaction (synchronous learning) through Zoom or Google Hangouts, students unable to attend at that time will be given instruction and activities through a non-live option (asynchronous) such as recorded video, presentations, detailed written descriptions, etc.  Please contact your teacher if you are in need of non technology alternatives.

  • Students will be counted as present unless they are reported to the school by parent or guardian by following the traditional attendance procedure.

COVID-19 Remote Instructional eLearning Procedure For Teachers

Activities and Assignments

  • All activities will be posted in PowerSchool Unified Classroom and communicated to parents and students as appropriately established by 9:00am. eLearning activities are intended to help students and parents continue the learning experiences during the COVID-19 shutdown. 
  • New Information and concepts will be introduced, but keep learning focused on a small quantity of important skills/standards. 
  • Live virtual sessions (synchronous) are acceptable if they can be recorded for viewing at a later time (asynchronous). Recorded virtual sessions should be of just the instructor or instructor’s screen.
  • Alternative non tech activities need to be created as needed/requested.
  • Teacher must specify the evidence of completion/mastery for the activity and/or assignment.
    • Completed assignment
    • Number of tracked minutes on online system 
    • Photo, video, etc
    • Parent/adult verification
  • Activities and/or assignments may be graded.
  • Activities and assignments will follow the recommendation from ISBE in the table below (inclusive of activity, reflection, and collection or completion of evidence).
  • Activities and assignments  will follow the approximate guideline for time.
    • 6-8  total 180 minutes maximum
      • 50% of your normal course minutes (i.e. 60 minute ELA= 30 minute eLearning activity, instruction, and/or assignment)
    • 3-5  total 120 minutes maximum
      • 70-90 minutes of core classroom (can use a cross-curricular activity and/or assignment when appropriate)
      • 15 minutes for PE
      • 15 minutes for Fine Arts
    • K-2  total 90 minutes maximum
      • 40-70 minutes of core classroom (can use a cross-curricular activity and/or assignment when appropriate) 
      • 10 minutes for PE
      • 10 Minutes for Fine Arts
    • Pre-K  total 60 minutes maximum
       

Virtual Office Hours

  • Teachers will hold virtual office hours from 9:00am-2:00pm.  Instructions for how to contact the teacher will be listed with the assignment in PowerSchool Unified Classroom and communicated with parents and students in various established methods.
  • Teachers will  interact with students  through classroom messages, announcements, posting additional resources,Google Hangout, Zoom, etc. Announcements and activities may be shared through social media.  Parent/Student and teacher discussions must be conducted in a private forum to provide for student confidentiality and privacy
  • Teachers are  encouraged  to respond to student and/or parent questions using appropriate means when possible and appropriate.

Attendance

  • Attendance will not be counted based on assignment/activity completion.
  • Students will be counted as present unless they are reported to the school by parent or guardian by following the traditional attendance procedure.

Grades and Grading

  • Keep instruction focused by grade level/content area on very select standards.
  • Focused learning is the goal, not busywork nor too much work.
  • Build on teachable moments in the home: lifeskills, cooking, money management, sorting, measuring, interviewing people.
  • Collect evidence of student ability according to the focused standards.
  • Quality of evidence over quantity.
  • Evidence of student performance on the continuum--not just accumulation of points.
  • Feedback aligned to learning goals, skills, standards.
  • Activities and/or assignments may be graded.

 

Essential Grading Guidance from ISBE

  • The emphasis for schoolwork assigned, reviewed, and completed during the remote learning period is on learning, not on compliance.
  • Grading should focus on the continuation of learning and prioritize the connectedness and care for students and staff. All students should have the opportunity to redo, make up, or try again to complete, show progress, or attempt to complete work assigned prior to the remote learning period in that time frame. A focus on keeping children emotionally and physically safe, fed, and engaged in learning should be our first priority during this unprecedented time.
  • Students’ grades must not be negatively impacted during remote learning. Assessment should be ongoing to promote equitable environments. The mode at which a student provides evidence of learning needs to be differentiated based upon student circumstances.

Grade Level Band Guidance

Pre-K-2nd Grade and K-4 Fine Arts

  • Assessment at Pre-K through 2nd grade level should be focused on student progress and learning, not assignment completion and due dates. It is essential to communicate the need for authentic student artifacts to enable educators to provide relevant feedback for continued learning.
  • The Final Quarter/Trimester Standard Grade will be either earned “M” or Incomplete/No Grade

3rd-5th Grade

  • Grading at the elementary level should focus on the continuation of learning. Districts may offer support for learning goals. This may include documentation of learning and giving feedback rather than assigning grades. Examples of this may include teacher/student collaboration, performance based assessments, portfolios, journals, discussion posts, video responses, audio recordings, projects, choice boards, and other artifacts.
  • Emphasize formative feedback and minimize summative assessment.  
  • Summative assessments may use traditional grading marks A or B.  Summative grades of C or lower shall be marked as incomplete or no grade and the student may be given opportunities to show mastery of that standard/target until they have obtained mastery reflected in A or B.
  • The Final Quarter Grade: The rating of incomplete or no grade shall be used in lieu of a C, D, or F grade. We request that teachers document all efforts to communicate with students in an effort to help them complete work that is assigned and that all possible barriers the learner may have are addressed and alternative methods of engagement/evaluations have been exhausted.

6th-8th Grade

  • The goal for instructional remote learning is to allow for continued instruction while acknowledging the additional challenges that come without traditional, face-to-face classroom learning. 
  • Emphasize formative feedback and minimize summative assessment. 
  • Given the transition to remote learning, we suggest that grades not be reduced due to lack of participation in remote learning, but that the remote learning period be provided as an opportunity for grade improvement. 
  • Teachers are to consider scenarios that will provide students with the best possible outcomes to demonstrate evidence of their learning.
  • The A-F grading system will be used during remote learning. 
  • In lieu of a D or F grade, the student shall be issued an incomplete. 
  • Summative Assessment grades of D or lower shall be marked as incomplete or no grade and the student may be given opportunities to show mastery of that standard/target until they have obtained mastery reflected in A, B, or C.
  • The Final Quarter Grade: The rating of incomplete or no grade shall be used in lieu of a D or F grade. We request that teachers document all efforts to communicate with students in an effort to help them complete work that is assigned and that all possible barriers the learner may have are addressed and alternative methods of engagement/evaluations have been exhausted.


Simplified
Teach, Provide Feedback, Document in Gradebook When Mastered, If they haven't--Give More Opportunities to Demonstrate Mastery

Personal or Sick Day

  • Teachers who have elected to use a personal or sick day are responsible for posting their activity and assignment on PowerSchool Unified Classroom.
  • Teachers who have elected to use a personal or sick day will not be responsible for office hours during the eLearning day, but will need to post an announcement that they will not be available for office hours.
  • Teachers who have elected to use a personal or sick day will post an activity and assignment that is appropriate for a student to complete without additional guidance from a teacher.  Use the building procedure assigned by the building administration/team.

Additional guidance and learning activities from ISBE:

  • General Education
  • SPED
  • ESL

Remote Learning Recommendations