Virtual learning has become a must as school districts come up with plans to battle the current pandemic. However, some districts are more tech savvy than others, and that’s proving a challenge for remote learners.
Local school districts are not only navigating an ever-changing pandemic, but also a learning curve when it comes to families and technology.
“A lot of our parents are learning things for the very first time as well, so these applications are easier for our children, because they are semi-familiar with it, but we do have children that have never touched virtually learning. Pre-K at the virtual level with SeeSaw obviously comes with some hurdles,” said Killeen ISD Chief of Communications Taina Maya.
Each school district has their own plan to help mitigate the technical difficulties and provide training for virtual learning before students begin classes.
“We are also going to be doing some parent webinars in the next several weeks that will really walk our families through what to expect both online and in-person, and we will continue to provide video updates through our social media and on our website as well,” said Temple ISD Chief of Communications and Community Relations Christine Parks.
“We have a technology hotline, a specific campus line until after 5 p.m., and then from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. we have another team of people from our technology service center that answers those calls,” said Maya.
Lorena ISD has created video tutorials for parents and students to access at anytime, as well as create a technology hotline.
Midway ISD has created a virtual school website for families to ask questions and get answers. The website will also be updated with technology and parent resources tabs before classes begin.
Because some schools are starting later, some of these plans are still being finalized. Contact your individual school district to find out what resources they offer.