e-Learning Plan for Emergency School Closures
Inclement Weather - e-Learning and Remote Learning
The State of Illinois provides e-Learning as an approach to teaching and learning during emergency school closures due to inclement weather, such as a snow day. As a result, Orland School District 135 has a plan to address learning remotely if there is an emergency school closure due to inclement weather. This innovative approach to learning ensures that instruction does not stop during emergency closures. The goal of our e-Learning plan is for students to continue learning and receiving feedback from their teachers. E-Learning days will apply to all students in Early Childhood through Grade 8. Remote learning, including e-Learning, is defined by the Illinois State Board of Education as learning that happens outside of the traditional classroom because the student and teacher are separated by distance and/or time.
Public Act 101-0012 (105 ILCS 5/10-20.56)
Communication for e-Learning day(s)
E-Learning days will be called in the same way an emergency day has been called in the past. Depending on the circumstances, it may be called either a traditional school closing day (to be made up at the end of the year) or an e-Learning Day. Communication includes email (ParentSquare), text (ParentSquare), robocall (ParentSquare), social media (Instagram and Facebook), and the District website.
e-Learning
Public Act 101-0012 allows school districts statewide to utilize e-Learning days in lieu of emergency days and maintains flexibility for students to engage in purposeful learning outside of the classroom. It is important to emphasize that the ‘e’ in an e-Learning Day represents ‘engagement’ more so than ‘electronic’ given the guidance around building a definition of ‘an instructional day’ and to establish clear expectations around ‘student attendance’. The primary purpose of technology is to maintain communication with students and provide feedback from our educators.
Credit for the e-Learning Day
E-Learning day schedules follow the schedules of a regular school day. Teachers will interact with students on Google Meets to provide instruction and assignments during the day, which will take place from 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.. Every attempt should be made to attend Google Meets meetings hosted by your teacher(s). This is your opportunity to interact with your teacher and ask questions. If a student needs to be absent on an e-learning day, families should follow up with the teacher(s) as would be done for a regular absence.
Schedules for e-Learning Days
Early Childhood and PreK (First Step) e-Learning Student Schedule
Teachers will share activities for the day with parents through Seesaw at their scheduled class time to access the schedule for the day. All activities will relate to the current learning target in each classroom and align with the Illinois Early Learning Standards.
Kindergarten - 8th Grade e-Learning Student Schedule
E-learning days will be remote learning days for all students; instruction will take place from 8:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m. for grades kindergarten - 8th Grade via Google Meets. This will continue to allow all classmates to engage together through Google Meets. During this time frame, students will have live instruction through Google Meets, a lunch break, screen/movement breaks, independent work time, as well as an opportunity to participate in their special for that day.
Students will access Google Meets through the Google Classroom app. Teachers will communicate schedules by the start of school on the morning of the emergency closure day (i.e. Snow Day).
Teacher Interaction with Students
Teachers can be reached the following ways:
- Class Google Meets meeting
- via district phone number
- via district email (EC-8 parents)
- via ParentSquare
Seesaw (EC-5 students)
Google Classroom (6-8 students)
While it is always our goal to return communication promptly, teachers and staff will do their best to reply to parent communication as soon as possible based on their daily schedules, or within approximately 24 hours, excluding weekends.
Specials
K-5 students will have their specials class based on their weekly rotation. For example, if it is Monday, and your child has PE on Monday, your child will participate in PE on Monday on Google Meets. Specials teachers will join the homeroom Google Meets meeting.
IEPs/504 plans, EL, and/or Intervention Services
For students with IEPs and 504 plans, the accommodations built into those plans will apply to e-Learning. Students will follow their regular schedule for the day. Google Meets links will be provided by the Special Education, EL, and intervention staff.
Classified staff will follow their regular schedules to support students.
Due dates and attendance for E-Learning Assignments
Students are expected to engage in e-learning throughout the day based on their schedules. It is the goal for assignments to be submitted based on the expectations of the teacher(s).
Student Attendance
Each day, at the beginning of the school day or class period, your child will indicate their presence by joining their classroom teacher(s) Google Meets meeting. If a child is going to be absent, or unable to participate in e-learning, parents should follow the regular absence protocol and leave a message at the child’s school to report the absence. If a child does not complete work or interact with remote learning on a given day, he or she will be marked ‘absent.’
Technical Assistance
Please reach out to the District’s Technology Help Desk here.
Access to Technology
iPads are provided by the District to all of our students, kindergarten through Grade 8. Each certified staff member has one MacBook and one iPad provided by the District, and Apple devices are available via check out for classified staff. The District provides on-site and off-site security/filtering software, installed on devices, and the District provides hot spots for students as needed.
Wifi Access
Kindergarten - 8th Grade Students - If you do not have access to Wifi, please call the Technology Help Desk at 708-364-3382.
Google Meets Expectations
Teachers will be making live contact with students during an emergency closure day. This will include conducting lessons, checking in with the whole class, as well as the teachers meeting with small groups of students.
For student and staff Google Meets expectations, please click here.
Screen Time throughout the Day
Orland School District 135 recognizes the importance of providing students with different modes of learning and completing tasks, including on and offline tasks. Additionally, while amounts of time are designated for certain subjects, your child will not be expected to be online longer than it takes to complete a lesson or task.
All learning activities may include, but are not limited to, live instruction on Google Meets, remote small group work via breakout room, independent/flexible student work time, and virtual teacher-student check-ins.
Grades
Not all student work has to be graded, however, at the teacher’s discretion, student work may be graded and the grade may count toward the overall grade using the District’s grading scale. The District’s behavioral grading scale and rubric will also continue to apply.
Consistency
Teachers will be adhering to the curriculum guides as they are written and exhibited on our District’s website. Lessons and activities will relate to the current learning target in each classroom and align with the Illinois Learning Standards.
D135 Google Meets Use Guidelines
Login Procedures
Staff
Staff should initiate the Google Meet session through their Google Classroom class. Students will not be able to join before the teacher or co-teacher.
Students -
Students join their teacher's Google Meet session by clicking the video icon in their Google Classroom class.
Breakout Rooms
Breakout rooms allow you to split your Google Meets meeting in up to 50 separate sessions. The meeting host can choose to split the participants of the meeting into these separate sessions automatically or manually and can switch between sessions at any time. Learn more here.
Staff Guidelines for Google Meets Use
Frequency
During full remote learning, it is the expectation that teachers conduct Live Google Meets interactions with students on a daily basis. This can be in a large or small group setting. Teachers are required to Google Meets with every student each day in subjects being taught, even if it is a brief “check-in” while the teacher then spends more live instructional time with small groups. The duration for an individual Google Meets meeting should consider the age and attention span of the students. In a full remote environment, students should expect to spend at least 2.5 hours per day total for all subjects.
Managing Student Behavior
● Just as we would at school, be explicit with your students about expectations during video
chatting. (eg. clothing, location, how to interrupt appropriately, how to ask a question, etc.)
● Remind the students that the conversation is not private.
● Students should NOT share any content that contains Personally Identifiable Information (full name, usernames, passwords, etc.)
● Conversations should be in groups and/or students should be connecting from a public area
within their home (eg. dining room or living room).
● Consider student attention spans. Typically, all audiences of all ages have a shorter attention span on video conferences than face to face. Plan to keep synchronous meetings short.
● Remind/restate students of respectful practices/expectations as you would in your classroom
Addressing Behavior Issues
Follow these progressive steps for dealing with student behavior issues
● Remind/restate students of respectful practices/expectations as you would in your classroom
● If necessary, briefly (10-20 seconds) remove student to a breakout room as a redirect
● Have a discussion with student responsible for what they did, who it harmed and how it was harmful and what they can do to repair the harm
● Contact home
● Referral and contact home
In the event of a disturbance from an unknown individual, document the participant name and remove the individual from the meeting. Submit a helpdesk ticket including details of the incident, the meeting time and name, and the name of the unknown individual.
General Guidelines and norms for video conferencing:
● Make sure your workspace is presentable and public (students and staff)
● If you are listening, mute yourself
● Make sure to check what is going on in your background
● Invite principals, facilitators, interventionists and support service personnel to your online
meetings so others can drop in if they are available
● Video during school hours only
Student Guidelines for Google Meets Use
Attendance
Every attempt should be made to attend Google Meets meetings hosted by your teacher(s). This is your opportunity to interact with your teacher and ask questions. Content presented during the Google Meets may or may not be available after the conclusion of the Google Meets meeting.
Google Meets Guidelines
● Join Google Meets meetings from a public place in your house (living room, etc.)
● Make sure to check what is going on in your background
● Use your first name and not your full name
● Mute the mic when not talking to the group
● Raise your hand when you want to share
● Make eye contact with the camera
● Listen and be respectful
● Minimize distractions
● Never share personal information
● At no time should a student or parent record or redistribute Google Meets meeting content without written Orland School District 135 consent.
Meeting Setup Configurations:
By default Google Classroom Meets are set to “Restricted.” This will require you to grant permission for any participants that try to join the meeting. Unless you are expecting another outside visitor, deny entry to anyone not logged into a district account.
Please check out Google Meets’s resources here.