write
a latter to the
headmaster for conducting
online classes during
Lock down
Answers
Answer:
Respected Headmaster ,
Last week, the two of us had a conversation about school leaders who would be leading and making decisions related to the spread of COVID-19. That conversation turned into a set of guidelines that we published first with Global Online Academy and later with EdSurge.
We have tried to be clear about our intent to share our thinking, since some schools have very different priorities than the ones we have been projecting. To be clear, some school leaders serve children who depend on their institutions for safety, food and other basic human needs. Those children and their needs should always be the priorities of the schools that serve them—not some online version of education.
We are continuing to share, therefore, because we are also observing schools preparing or acting upon school closure plans for one reason or another. And once those plans are in place, teachers are often being asked to perform their responsibilities in a new way. We’re thinking about those teachers (about you) who are beginning, or are mid-flight in, some new journey. We’re not debating the merits of that journey for now—just acknowledging and looking to support the people who will be teaching online if their schools decide to go that route.
Simply put, if you’re asked to teach online, we encourage you to find ways to be present for your students. Your presence is all that many of them have ever needed, and this does not change if you are teaching from your living room or local library.