Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[GoofGoof]

This is more a coping mechanism for our "return to school" plan. We're still 100% remote here. I put it in quotes because it's not really a "return to school" plan. They're going to bring 50% of middle and high schoolers back, 25% week 1, 25% week 2 alternating. The off weeks they'll be remote, just like the 50% that are staying remote. Classes will be for the combined group in the building and remote. But, this is the kicker. They're not getting in room instruction. They're putting 15ish kids in a room with a monitor not a teacher and those kids will zoom to class just like they would from home. They stay in the one room all day without switching. They're not all even attending the same class and they have to use headphones to avoid disrupting each other. It's exactly like attending remotely, only worse because now they're in a room with kids in different classes instead of the home workspace.

My 6th grader has been ranting this is a disaster since it was announced. She's got a two Chromebook optimized setup at home and this is a huge step backwards. She wants to go back to school, even with the masks and distancing, and room air cleaners, and increased ventilation, and the messed up transportation, and complicated lunch. All the extra hassles are worth it to actually interact with other kids and have an in person teacher. But, this solution isn't any of those things. The point of doing all those things was so we could get that value add, and we're not getting any of it. Just checking a box that they're in the building.

Hence the joke about "being a room monitor". They're hiring a bunch of them, that's the actual job description. Not a joke that teachers are just babysitters, but an actual job description our system is hiring that's not a teacher but is a babysitter. Since the teachers can't actually teach from the front of a room where most of the kids aren't even in that class. They may try that in the High School, but that's even worse for both the teacher and the kids.

I should have said "school employee" not "teaching job", since it's all one priority group for vaccine. I couldn't actually be an educator, that's a different job and a hard one.

Massive envy of schools using mitigation to get kids back to real education.

Here they got rid of the hybrid plan we had at the middle and high school level since schools opened. Starting after Spring break (so first week of April) the schools are open physical 5 days a week and there is still a full virtual option so it’s either full 5 day or full virtual. My son found the hybrid very disruptive and moved to full virtual a few months ago. I think he’s going to switch to full 5 day in person now. The school staff goes this week for vaccinations and they are getting JnJ so will be fully done when school comes back. They announced the plans to return to 5 day prior to the plan to use the JnJ vaccines for teachers in PA so I’m not sure the plan was ever tied to teachers getting vaccinated but I guess it doesn’t hurt.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Here they got rid of the hybrid plan we had at the middle and high school level since schools opened. Starting after Spring break (so first week of April) the schools are open physical 5 days a week and there is still a full virtual option so it’s either full 5 day or full virtual. My son found the hybrid very disruptive and moved to full virtual a few months ago. I think he’s going to switch to full 5 day in person now. The school staff goes this week for vaccinations and they are getting JnJ so will be fully done when school comes back. They announced the plans to return to 5 day prior to the plan to use the JnJ vaccines for teachers in PA so I’m not sure the plan was ever tied to teachers getting vaccinated but I guess it doesn’t hurt.

I listen to the children (in my case grandchildren) and they want to go back the the brick and mortar school w regular school hours. In my view the virtual learning experiment gets a D.

 

[zweltar]

I think you might be taking this a little to personally..

Very likely, I admit. My community has a small group of very vocal people who have recently been saying vulgar things about teachers (calling us a waste of skin among other vile insults). So my hackles are already raised.

This is more a coping mechanism for our "return to school" plan.

Yikes, that sounds miserable for everyone - students, parents, teachers, etc.

My school is in a hybrid model. Over 50% declined to come for in-person instruction. Lower grades have higher in-person numbers than higher grades (understandably). Elementary attends half-days every day with an AM/PM split and asynchronous work the rest of the day. At the junior high and high school level, we are fully remote on Mondays, a group comes for in-person Tu/Wed, and the other group comes in-person Th/Fri. We have a shortened day with intervention groups attending in the afternoon and teachers available to help students, both in-person and online. Juggling both online and in-person simultaneously is not pleasant.

My wife and I are both educators. We have a 2 year old and a 2nd grader at home. This past year has been hell for us.

I can't wait for school to be back to normal...

 

[mmascari]

Based on what you described, your 6th grader has more sense than your board of education. I'm sure this was driven by the crowd that wants/needs their children in school as a form of childcare so they can work (justifiable). But as a compromise solution, that sounds pretty terrible.

She's a smart one.

We're not sure what the school board has been doing for the last year. By now, they should have been able to do all the mitigation needed to make it work for real. We think they didn't really have any plan, and then the governor gave a mandate to get everyone back. They're trying to meet the mandate.

From my perspective, the virtual setup seems to be pretty good. At least as good as virtual can be. But, then, my kids don't have any particular special requirements, which makes it easier.

I think that was their primary focus, getting virtual to work. Which I suppose is better than focusing on in person and then not being able to flex when needed.

 

[Piebald]

Just got the Moderna vaccine yesterday. Besides a sore arm and a sudden urge to purchase Microsoft products I'm doing well.

 

[GoofGoof]

I listen to the children (in my case grandchildren) and they want to go back the the brick and mortar school w regular school hours. In my view the virtual learning experiment gets a D.

I think it depends on the kid. My youngest hated virtual. He Is much happier going to physical school. The older one doesn’t mind virtual but hated the back and forth or one day at home and one day in school. I think most kids would prefer to go back to normal school but that’s not an option anywhere right now. That’s why we need to get going on the trials for kids so at least Middle and High School kids are vaccinated by the start of the next school year and can go back to full school, no masks and all the after school activities as well. Ideally we would be down to elementary students as well.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Just got the Moderna vaccine yesterday. Besides a sore arm and a sudden urge to purchase Microsoft products I'm doing well.

Suddenly, Tim Cook has the idea that Apple should start manufacturing vaccines.

 

[DisneyCane]

Suddenly, Tim Cook has the idea that Apple should start manufacturing vaccines.

Don't worry, Microsoft has worked with Apple so that your Apple products can communicate with the nanobots via bluetooth. They program you to have an insatiable desire to replace your iPhone unnecessarily when the next model is released. Oh, wait, I think Apple was ahead of the game on this mind control thing. They must have gotten the tech into the flu shot ten years ago!

 

[CatesMom]

Here they got rid of the hybrid plan we had at the middle and high school level since schools opened. Starting after Spring break (so first week of April) the schools are open physical 5 days a week and there is still a full virtual option so it’s either full 5 day or full virtual. My son found the hybrid very disruptive and moved to full virtual a few months ago. I think he’s going to switch to full 5 day in person now. The school staff goes this week for vaccinations and they are getting JnJ so will be fully done when school comes back. They announced the plans to return to 5 day prior to the plan to use the JnJ vaccines for teachers in PA so I’m not sure the plan was ever tied to teachers getting vaccinated but I guess it doesn’t hurt.

My 7th grade daughter's school (a K-8 parochial school) has been open in person, five days a week, for this entire school year. The school implemented strict COVID protocols and families signed a pledge promising to maintain similar safeguards at home to keep the school community safe. We've had a few temporary pivots to virtual learning due to identified COVID exposures, but no in-school transmission. Happily, our teachers all completed their vaccinations within the past month. Between the teachers getting their shots and the improving weather, the school is offering the students more interactions and activities than before.

 

[Patcheslee]

I listen to the children (in my case grandchildren) and they want to go back the the brick and mortar school w regular school hours. In my view the virtual learning experiment gets a D.

There's one positive my 6th grader was able to point out while she was hybrid. The Wednesdays they did Elearning just assignments for the day posted, no google meets, teacher were available for questions. She was able to get more assistance with her math without feeling embarrassed like she would for asking during normal classes. I kinda wish they would devote a daily 30 minute class period to study hall/email teacher questions.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

What are the arguments for in-person school vs. virtual?

 

[Lilofan]

Just got the Moderna vaccine yesterday. Besides a sore arm and a sudden urge to purchase Microsoft products I'm doing well.

You are lucky if you get your products in a timely manner. Try buying an appliance for your home and have to deal with the backlog of orders/ out of stock etc.

 

[tpac24]

We have differences in what is considered sensible likely. Flying across the country was against recommendations unless essential. I haven't been able to travel even for work yet. If I read wrong, I apologize but it came across as an insensitive brag.

And yet the flights have been full and plentiful with no one checking if travel was essential or not. Honestly IMOP if they thought it was really that risky that would have acted far more seriously than just a recommendation. Big Bad Biden who campaigned on beating the virus didn't even have the balls to restrict it to essential travel only which makes me questions the actual risk.

 

[tpac24]

What are the arguments for in-person school vs. virtual?

I can give you tons of reasons why in person should be happening right now and should have been for months but I think the best would be that the science says it is safe.

 

[michmousefan]

It is rumored Indiana will drop to 45 this week (and possibly 40 by end of this week or next).

Michigan drops to age 50 and up on March 22 (right now it's open to 50 and up with a pre-existing condition).

 

[mmascari]

There's one positive my 6th grader was able to point out while she was hybrid. The Wednesdays they did Elearning just assignments for the day posted, no google meets, teacher were available for questions. She was able to get more assistance with her math without feeling embarrassed like she would for asking during normal classes. I kinda wish they would devote a daily 30 minute class period to study hall/email teacher questions.

That's how our Wednesdays are too, including if they go back Wednesday will still be virtual. The kids call it a day off. Very few make use of the office hours time. I do hope it's helping the kids that need it, and I've told my oldest to use it more than once when a grade slipped.

What are the arguments for in-person school vs. virtual?

Social interaction
Group work
Interactive feedback
Sense of community

In my case, both kids moved up and into new schools that combined kids from many schools of the prior grade. Which means they don't know most of the other kids, only the ones that came from the same prior school as them.

Teachers will put them in break out rooms for a group activity with like 4 kids. This is 4 kids that don't know each other trying to work on some group action over zoom. Almost all with camera's off and probably the mic too. Very little happens in these break out rooms.

It's hard to meet classmates when they're just a name in the participant list, even if they have a little video box. It's not like they're talking before or after class.

Plus all the tech issues that need to be solved by the in home technical support team. Don't you know I could be reading this forum more if I wasn't providing tech support?

It's easy for something to go wrong and just get left behind for any single class.

I'm lucky, my kids are old enough that they're mostly independent. We solved most of the technical issues the first month, but now and then something still comes up. This included replacing the entire Wi-Fi infrastructure in the house. People with kids in grammar school or younger have it much harder with every grade lower being exponentially harder than the one above.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I can give you tons of reasons why in person should be happening right now and should have been for months but I think the best would be that the science says it is safe.

Oh I wasn’t asking if it’s safe or not. I was asking why in-person is preferred vs. virtual as far as learning / education.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

People with kids in grammar school or younger have it much harder with every grade lower being exponentially harder than the one above.

Yeah I was thinking K-5 would be more difficult than middle school and high school for sure.

 

[danlb_2000]

Oh I wasn’t asking if it’s safe or not. I was asking why in-person is preferred vs. virtual as far as learning / education.

I am sure there is a social and educational benefit to in person, but there are also other issues. For some kids, schools provide their only good meal of the day. There is also the problem of who stays home with the kids if they are remote learning. If neither parent can work from home that causes problems.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

For some kids, schools provide their only good meal of the day. There is also the problem of who stays home with the kids if they are remote learning. If neither parent can work from home that causes problems.

The only good meal has nothing to do with education. (Obviously children should be getting good meals... but feeding children isn’t why schools exist).

Who stays home with the kids over the summer?

Also... this is beginning to get a bit off-topic so maybe I shouldn’t continue... I’m just thinking that education could use a refresh just like the cubicle farms and offices of the world.

It’s a shame someone couldn’t build a theme park devoted to future technology used in work and learning. Imagine a ride where people watch students video-charring with their parents from an under -sea learning facility. Crazy!!!