How One School Adapted to Remote Learning During Crisis

CARLSBAD, Calif., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The challenge to continue providing a high-quality education while school campuses are quarantined is being faced by every public and private school. One school, the Army and Navy Academy, a college preparatory boarding school for middle- and high-school boys in Carlsbad, Calif. met the challenge of preparing a robust remote learning program at the very first signs of a possible global health crisis.

Early on this year, the academy's Dean of Academics convened a meeting of the Assistant Dean, Department Chairs, and the academy's Computer Science Teacher/Education Technology Specialist to develop a remote learning program should one become necessary. The first step was to notify families in advance that cadets were to remain at home beyond the spring break. At the same time, the school's teachers; counselors; and Trainer, Adviser, Coach (TAC) officers were trained on the academy's remote training tools to be ready well before the transition became necessary.

Training was begun earlier than many schools in order to give teachers and counselors sufficient time to set up lesson plans and other resources and for TAC officers to put into place cadet life resources for the cadets who come from 15 U.S. states, 18 countries on six continents, and eight time zones.

Two advantages already in place are the academy's small class sizes and that teachers, counselors, and TAC officers are already well acquainted with cadets and their families. Also, the academy's Academic and Cadet Life Administrative Team stays in place to work with cadets who are struggling academically and their parents.

However, equal to if not more so than technology tools and the program itself is the passion and commitment on the part of teachers and other staff members to use remote learning to continue to instill in every cadet the belief that he can achieve or exceed any goal he sets for himself.

Predictably, parent feedback was very positive. Many said the academy started planning much earlier than other schools they knew of and that there are strong relationships in place between teachers, counselors, and TAC officers and their cadets. Parents also praised the Virtual Parent Conferences that give them the opportunity to communicate with their sons' teachers, counselors, and TAC officers via phone conferences or Google Hangouts Meet video conferences.

SOURCE Army and Navy Academy