The trials, tribulations and adjustment to digital education model takes hold

Scottsdale, Paradise Valley students, teachers go online

I think sending a video for a math lesson is not a good way to go. A Zoom lesson from a teacher they’re familiar with, and maybe a handmade work sheet for what they want them to work on would be better. I’m not familiar with her math, I’m struggling with it, she’s struggling with it. And then if it’s incorrect, it gets turned back to them, and she’s trying to figure out what to do. There’s been a lot of frustration, and there’s no reason to add that layer of stress to everything.”

Trish Moran, mother of four

By Melissa Rosequist
Twitter: @mrosequist_

Despite current circumstances, it appears some parents are impressed with how quickly local school districts have transitioned their lesson plans online for students of all ages.

However, for younger children, the transition to online learning is accompanied with frustration, one parent says.

Scottsdale Unified School District has been conducting class studies from home for two weeks, while Paradise Valley Unified School District is in its first week.

Social media is flooded with jokes about parents now being teachers and the difficulty of home schooling, but two local moms describe circumstances of happy children.

Both mothers readily admit that everyone --- from district administrators, to teachers, to students and their parents --- are doing the best they can with the situation they’ve been given.

“It seems like it’s going pretty well, but this is only day three --- everyone is still adjusting,” Linda Obele said. “I’m really proud of the way they’re working through it, trying to work it out. They have to-do lists and are getting their arms around it.”

Ms. Obele has two teenage daughters in high school at the Paradise Valley Unified School District.

Scottsdale Unified School District parent Laura Peterson had similar sentiments about the local learning taking place in her house.

“Knowing this is a new model for everyone, they’re giving the students time to acclimate to the online learning system. I have to say: ‘It’s been really good for my girls,’” Ms. Peterson said.

Paradise Valley resident Trish Moran has four students in school --- all learning from home right now --- and her youngest, 11, has experienced some frustrating days with the new method.

“My youngest, it’s been frustrating for her. It’s like a learning curve on both sides of us,” Ms. Moran explained. “There’s been a lot of tears on both sides, but I think she realizes we’re all in it together.”

Meanwhile, teachers and principals are taking to social media to share information, news and morale-building initiatives as everyone adjusts to a new normal for the remainder of the school year.

“Today is superhero day at Redfield! It’s a perfect time to recognize our amazing superheroes who are the most dedicated educators with whom I have the honor to work,” Redfield Principal Christine Bonow posted to the school’s Facebook page on April 1.

“If I would’ve told them a month ago that they would have to learn new technology and embrace an online model of instruction they would thought it impossible. But yet, every single Redfield cardinal has stepped up and has gone above and beyond to support our students and families! I would not be more proud and today I want to honor all of their hard work!”

Both SUSD and PVSchools have organized teacher parades through local neighborhoods to showcase their support and love for local educators.

“The fact that has gotten off the ground so quickly is just amazing,” said Ms. Peterson.

“And, huge kudos to the teachers for having to turn on a dime and create this new environment and online learning environment.”

Scottsdale Schools learning

Ms. Peterson has two daughters, one in middle school and a freshman in high school. She says for her family, online learning has been a good experience, although admits the day-to-day lessons are different than if they were on campus.

“Both are doing just fine with online school,” Ms. Peterson said.

Katie, the middle school student, has assignments for each class every other day; as Gabby, the high school student, has the same class schedule.
SUSD is utilizing Google Classroom for classes, and some teachers video-record their lessons. Ms. Peterson explained her daughters, in math for example, will use their regular math book and upload their assignments to Google Classroom for the teacher to grade.

“My high schooler thinks it’s probably easier working on math because she is 100% focused on the lesson,” Ms. Peterson explained.

“As opposed to hanging out in class, having conversations, coming home and having me explain it to her. She’s more focused on the process. I don’t know that I’d want to do this forever, but for the moment this has been a really good solution for my girls.”

For Katie, a challenge she has been met with is learning to step out of her comfort zone to talk directly with her teachers in video conferences.

“The thing that’s a little different for her, especially, is that she’s somewhat shy about speaking to the teachers,” Ms. Peterson said. “Teachers generally will have office hours --- so my 13-year-old hasn’t wanted to jump online and chat with a teacher. At this point, I’ve been trying to encourage her to do so. Now my next step will be getting online with her to chat with the teachers.”

Overall, Ms. Peterson is very appreciative and supportive of the quick response Scottsdale Schools has had to addressing the challenge.

“It’s been going well --- do I think that it’s the same rigor at this point? Probably not, but I do think the rigor will get there. Scottsdale got this up and running really quickly, and so I think the teachers are being very forgiving a week and a half into this new way of learning,” she said.

Missing a human connection

Ms. Moran’s four children range in age from high school to 6th grade, and they are all at different schools.

The transition to online school has been a bit of a juggling act for mom, Ms. Moran says.

“It’s a little bit of a balancing act to make sure I have everyone’s schedule right every morning, make sure they’re up, fed, and logged on at the right time,” she said. “It’s a varying schedule for my oldest, mostly, and then it’s making sure everyone is not getting interrupted or frustrated.”

Some of the kids have specific times they need to be logged in, while others have scheduled one-on-one time with their teacher. Due to the changing schedules every day, Ms. Moran says she has many alarms set on her phone, and has each student in a different room.

“ does require me to help her a lot,” Ms. Moran said of her daughter who’s enrolled at a Montessori school. “I’ve been encouraged by the teacher to help her walk through some stuff, and there was some difficulties with some platforms they use. The reading lesson, helping them go through it, help answer questions, helped walk through math problems.”

Her child also has a speech class that takes place through Google Hangouts now, which Ms. Moran finds very beneficial.

“I think for my older two boys they’re doing OK --- my youngest daughter is definitely not getting what she needs as far as math lessons, science lessons, writing lessons --- I don’t think it’s good for the younger ones,” she said.

“I think sending a video for a math lesson is not a good way to go. A Zoom lesson from a teacher they’re familiar with, and maybe a handmade work sheet for what they want them to work on would be better. I’m not familiar with her math, I’m struggling with it, she’s struggling with it. And then if it’s incorrect, it gets turned back to them, and she’s trying to figure out what to do. There’s been a lot of frustration, and there’s no reason to add that layer of stress to everything.”

Ms. Moran says she is not a math teacher, but she’s trying her best to teach herself the lesson to help her daughter.

“If it’s going to continue, there must be easier ways to do it and not feel stressed out,” she said. “My friend works at the hospital and her kids are calling her crying. I know my daughter has been in tears multiple days over stuff that if you can’t figure it out, your mom’s trying to figure it out, and it’s just not a good situation. No one wants to be put in that situation.”

Moreover, Ms. Moran points out stress that comes from home life --- especially with the fear of getting sick right now --- is a lot for a child to handle.

“And, you don’t know what’s going on in someone’s house, the stress at home --- if they don’t have food, or a family member gets sick and is put into isolation,” she said.

“Give the kids things they can do independently, with very specific instructions. Encourage to use Zoom more, and connect with students with videos. I think kids might like that more, seeing their teachers’ faces and seeing their friends’ faces. Human connection is a part of it, and sending a lot of emails to an 11-year-old is a little overwhelming.”

Something to look forward to

At PVSchools, Ms. Obele says her children’s teachers are reaching out to them with assignments and using Zoom, a remote conferencing service, for class lessons.

“It’s mostly self-directed,” Ms. Obele said of the high school classes.

“They get a packet of work to do, check in periodically through Zoom class. It seems like it’s going pretty well, but this is only day three. Everyone is still adjusting.”

PVSchools was on spring break when Gov. Doug Ducey announced the closure of schools, Ms. Obele said. After that, the teachers needed about a week to make a place for their distance learning.

When asked if Ms. Obele thinks her children are still receiving a quality education in this format, the mother of two said she does.

“I feel like everyone is still trying to figure it out. Teachers have had such a short time to pull this together, I applaud them for all they had to do to bring their lessons into a digital format,” Ms. Obele said, who works at Arizona State University and is also in her own masters program.

“At ASU I’ve been hearing from students who say how challenging it is. I’m an online student doing a masters program --- it takes some getting use to. Everyone is doing the best they can.”

One of the biggest heartbreaks of this situation is one of Ms. Obele’s daughters won’t have the rite-of-passage of a senior prom or high school graduation ceremony.

“She’s very disappointed. We’ve tried to encourage her --- from what I understand, the district or our school is trying to gather creative ideas for a graduation ceremony or recognition of some sort,” Ms. Obele said. “I don’t think that’s determined what it will look like yet.”

For prom, the family is talking about having a fancy, summer event for her daughter and friends to get dressed up, go to dinner and create a fun event.

“Sometimes when one thing is taken away, it’s nice to have something to look forward to in its place,” Ms. Obele said. “But it’s disappointing, for sure.”