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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Distance learning a work in progress at Catholic schools

Christina Capecchi

David Sorkin’s training as a firefighter came in handy last month when, as principal of St. Hubert Catholic School in Chanhassen, he had to devise a rapid response to the coronavirus.

After deciding to close the school, he led his faculty to prepare digital resources for students — in the span of two days.

“When you’re a firefighter and you’re going into a stressful crisis, you have to stay calm and be focused on the task at hand,” Sorkin said. “That training helped me prioritize and deal with the most pressing issues first.”

It’s been a baptism by fire for all 91 of the archdiocese’s Catholic schools as they adjust to the distance learning necessitated by last month’s closures. Teachers curated a mix of digital resources to make it possible: Google Classroom and Zoom for live online meetings, an app called SeeSaw for younger students, an array of emailed print-outs, access to specialized websites such as Brain Pop Jr. and pre-recorded video instruction.

Now several weeks in — many took their regularly scheduled spring break and some allowed an additional week off for planning — teachers, parents and students describe the experience as a work in progress. They express gratitude that the initial efforts went as well as they did and that certain adjustments were made swiftly.

“The biggest challenge is re-tooling a practice very quickly that was made for in-person delivery,” Sorkin said. “But it’s also been our greatest achievement. This helps reveal the depth and the strength of a Catholic education.”

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Molly Hancock, a fourth-grade teacher at St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater, teaches from home as her sons, Jimmy and Robbie, work on their schoolwork. Distance learning began in schools across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis after the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to close their campuses last month. COURTESY MOLLY HANCOCK

That means educating the whole child, with a hearty emphasis on the emotional and spiritual dimensions — more important than ever during a pandemic — thanks to live-streamed Mass, intimate Zoom prayer and even bedtime stories recorded by teachers, which was offered to St. Hubert’s students the first day school was closed.

“We’re working really closely with families,” said Molly Hancock, a fourth-grade teacher at St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater, who is seeing excellent attendance based on what students submit daily. “We want to provide the best educational product that we can for them, and it’s up to the family how they want to use it. We’re going back to the principle that parents are the primary educators.”

Responding to their feedback is key, Hancock said. In the early weeks, parents requested more print-outs rather than Google documents to limit their kids’ screen time as well as more lead time to print those materials.

At St. Hubert, the most common challenge was the difficulty in meeting due dates because of a limited number of devices in a house shared by multiple kids, as well as the limited internet bandwidth also in demand by parents working at home.

Adjusting due dates to allow for 24 hours on any given assignment eased that burden, Sorkin said. Encouraging students to take more responsibility for their work — and, thus, free up their parents to work at home — is another part of the equation, he added.

Learning how to follow instructions enables students to become more self-sufficient — a practical takeaway from distance learning, said Amy Halstrom, a sixth-grade teacher at Good Shepherd School in Golden Valley. Initially, she fielded many questions from students that were answered by going back and re-reading her instructions.

But younger students, especially those who cannot read, require hands-on guidance from parents. Jaclyn Davern’s daughter, a fourth grader at St. Odilia School in Shoreview, quickly took to Google Classroom, so the mom of two primarily aids her second-grade son, administering his spelling tests and prodding him in other subjects.

Reducing the workload without compromising fundamentals has been warranted, Halstrom said. In her first four days of distance learning, she had doled out more than 700 assignments, a number she has since cut back. Instead of a 6.5-hour school day, most kids are completing their schoolwork in about 2.5 to 3 hours, she said.

Halstrom considers that reasonable, especially given the screen time involved. “I don’t think we should be trying to fill 6.5 hours of work,” she said.

Hancock echoed that observation. “We’re figuring out our priorities and helping our families who can’t get to everything every day so they can prioritize, too,” she said. “It’s important to keep the expectations high for the kids but be very flexible if they need flexibility.”

That can help students and their parents. “It’s nice to hear, ‘If you can’t do this, don’t worry about it. We’re all in this weird thing together right now. Do your best,’” Davern said.

Sometimes the technology fails a parent who is doing her best. Two of Halstrom’s students could not get into Zoom despite various attempts. Trying to be a technician and troubleshoot for parents remotely can be draining, said Halstrom.

But when it’s working, the technology can allow her to customize learning for advanced students and for lagging ones. She plans to use Zoom’s break-out rooms and prepare different exercises tailored to different learners.

Now that students are familiar with online learning platforms, many teachers plan to continue using them in some capacity when schools re-open. Faculty say they are prepared to resume May 4, the current date given by Gov. Tim Walz, but are braced for what seems like a more realistic outcome: to remain closed through the end of the school year.

DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, which already used online learning on snow days, set up block scheduling so students focus on half their classes each day. It has created a nice flow, said senior Diana Truong. The Advanced Placement tests that will be administered later this spring have been shortened, which also relieved some pressure, she said. Add in the fact that she no longer has a daily commute, and Truong said she’s now getting more sleep and doing more yoga.

“I feel like I’m able to focus now,” she said. “I’m not waking up and laying in my bed, dreading the day.”

Paul Pribyl, a personal trainer in Eagan whose business has slowed since the COVID-19 outbreak, also sees the silver linings of distance learning. He helps teach his oldest child, a first-grader at Faithful Shepherd Catholic School in Eagan.

“I’ve learned to be patient and find ways to encourage her,” Pribyl said. He tries to make learning at home fun and has earned the nickname “DJ Daddy.”

“I want to enjoy this time,” Pribyl said. “And I’m hoping we can use the time to make us better as a family. Hopefully that sticks, and it’s not just, ‘Now that life returns to normal, do we get back into the rat race?’”

Five tips for distance learning
Distance learning is unchartered territory, which calls for extra patience across the board, says Andrew Hey, the counselor at St. Joseph Catholic School in Waconia. He’s been repeating that message and offering free video counseling to St. Joseph families grappling with a strange new reality.
“This is hard for all of us,” Hey said. “If you just survive this pandemic, that’s pretty good. It doesn’t mean you have to make some huge artistic achievement. We’re just trying to get by.”
Here are his tips for distance learning:
1. Establish a schedule. Kids do better when they have structure and they know what to expect. Parents do too.
2. Exercise regularly. “Exercise is really important right now,” Hey said. Getting outside benefits your body and your mind. And psychologically, it keeps you from feeling cooped up.
3. Maintain your hygiene. Even though you’re not going anywhere, it’s prudent to bathe, get dressed and make yourself feel presentable. “It makes you feel good and makes it a lot easier to stay productive,” Hey said.
4. Talk to someone. Counselors are offering online sessions — some at a discounted rate — that can make a profound difference. Otherwise, find a friend to talk through your feelings.
5. Lean on your faith. Even when you cannot attend Mass, embracing your faith will help you cope with the demands of distance learning.
 


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