(8/24) Fairfield Area School District leaders are transforming the way students learn in a digital world.
During their August meeting, Aaron Taylor, assistant to the superintendent, told the board that the administration is implementing several changes this school year to help students learn. With snow days being a thing of the past, the district is making changes to remote learning days so students can be educated while having the opportunity to enjoy the winter weather.
Taylor said teachers will host live sessions on remote learning days so students can ask their teachers questions about the day’s assignment. The rest of the day, students will have time to complete the assignments but those assignments are not supposed to take up the entire day, Taylor said.
"If they still want to go to Ski Liberty and ski, they can still do that," he said.
The entire district will utilize the Schoology Learning app so there is consistency throughout all grade levels. Board members praised the change, citing previous frustrations with parents having to help their children navigate different systems.
Whether school is held on the district’s Fairfield Road campus, or in students’ homes, pupils will be equipped with digital devices. Nicole Zepp, instructional technology coordinator, said all students will begin the year with the same devices they had last year. Students in Kindergarten, first grade, fifth grade, and ninth grade will then receive new computers. All students will have a district email address. Previously, only high schoolers had email. Middle school students expressed frustration with their inability to contact teachers outside of class hours. Middle and high school students will also have access to the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, Zepp said.
Zepp said the district is focused on cyber security. The district is implementing phishing simulators to teach staff and students the importance of not clicking on unknown and potentially harmful links.
Kindergarten and first grade students will receive password badges so the youngsters do not have to remember complicated passwords. The students will receive one for school and one for home, Zepp said. When the student holds the badge in front of their computer’s camera, it will allow them to access programs securely.
Board members praised Taylor and Zepp for implementing so many changes in one year. Board Vice President Jack Liller also asked if they have considered giving students devices that will record lectures and transcribe the audio into text.
"When I was in school, that would have been a dream," Liller said. "When I take notes, I stop listening so I can write things down."
Taylor said he had never heard of the devices but would investigate the possibility. He added that they could be especially beneficial for students with learning disabilities.
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