ROBBINSDALE, Minn. (AP) - Students in a Minneapolis suburb don’t miss out on school instruction when the snow and cold weather keeps them at home because the districts has turned to digital resources to continue teaching.
A voter-backed levy has given every fourth- through 12th-grader in the Robbinsdale Area Schools district access to laptops, Minnesota Public Radio News reported. District leaders have also added “flex learning” days into the school calendar.
When wind chills fell below minus 40 in January, the district closed schools but continued teaching through a series of videos students watched online.
The “digital days” allow the district to avoid having to extend classes into holidays or breaks when the weather forces schools to close, district officials said.
“The students appreciated the fact that they could continue with their learning,” said Superintendent Carlton Jenkins. “Staff appreciated the fact that they could continue with their lessons.”
Robbinsdale Middle School eighth-grader Tommy Resja said he enjoyed learning from home.
“It seems, for the most part, to be working pretty well,” he said. “And it’s fun to be in my pajamas doing schoolwork.”
School officials acknowledged that the system may not work for everyone, since not all students have access to the internet at home. Teachers may also have a difficult time constructing lessons for students who require more guidance and attention.
“It does take a lot of time to plan good e-learning modules, particularly for younger learners who may still be learning to navigate the technology, who are developing readers,” said Melissa Davey, who teaches French and English as a second language at Robbinsdale Middle School.
Jenkins said the school district began exploring the digital day option after hearing about a model being used in Farmington.
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Information from: Minnesota Public Radio News, http://www.mprnews.org
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