The debate over the end to snow days is not over. While some people feel upset by the idea of snow day, others believe they are a valuable tradition that should be kept. We'll explore the impacts on lower-income households and the cost of changing from snow days to remote education in this article.
New York City's plan to abandon snow days
In a new policy, the New York City Department of Education will not allow students to stay home on snow days. They will instead offer virtual and remote learning. The 2021-22 school year will see the change. The plan faces many challenges. Extreme weather could cause disruptions to the city's power grid. Also, schools could lose Internet access.
This decision was widely criticized as being too drastic. In the past, snow days meant late nights and playing in the snow. This year, though, the snowdays will become rare. David C. Banks (New York City School Chancellor) explained that this new policy will ensure students can continue to learn, even in the snow.
Alternatives to Remote Learning
Remote learning is becoming a more popular option in school districts. The New York Department of Education has issued a note addressing remote learning. Although many school districts have already moved to online instruction, some aren't certain how remote learning will be implemented on snow days.
Some school districts have chosen to not hold traditional snow days, while others choose to use flexible instructional days. The School District of Philadelphia, for example, didn't hold traditional snow days for the 2019-20 school year, noting that the inclement weather shouldn't be a reason to cancel classes. Neshaminy superintendent Mark Reilly stated that snow days are an important rite for children, but he did not support permanent switching to remote learning.
Impact on lower-income families
Many families with lower incomes have struggled to pay their basic needs due to the recent Northeast snowstorm that closed schools. Budgets already tight can be strained by the extra cost of fuel and supplies. For some families, the absence of school can mean missing three or four meals, putting them at risk of food insecurity. This is especially true of lower-income families, who are often dependent on food assistance or free or reduced-priced meals to get by.
Researchers from the National Bureau of Economic Research concluded that many children don't attend school when it is raining and miss out on important lessons. Teachers make up for lost material by re-inforcing lesson plans, even if students return to school after a snowday.
Cost of switching to remote education on a snowday
Schools should consider switching to remote learning during snow days. Schools should offer this option for many reasons, according to Connecticut. A snowstorm can knock out power and prevent people from accessing the internet, which can make learning at school impossible. Remote learning can prove to be a viable solution in such situations. Some districts, like the Old Saybrook school district are looking at a switch to this learning method. By offering students a choice of time and place, remote learning can help school districts avoid a potentially costly and time-consuming scenario for parents.
It can be costly for schools to switch to online learning on snow days. However, it is an efficient way for them to avoid having to close their doors. Schools have cancelled classes on snow days in the past to meet their 180-day mandate. Schools can switch to remote learning during snow days to fulfill this mandate. This is something some people don’t like.
FAQ
What is the benefit of e-learning and how can it be used to your advantage?
Learners can access e-learning anytime and anywhere. They can learn from anywhere and at any time.
E-Learning provides the opportunity to learn from others with similar interests. This interaction can improve communication skills, knowledge sharing, and communication.
The use of technology facilitates the transfer of information between the teacher and the student. Technology used should be robust enough support high-quality content delivery.
E-learning can reduce travel costs and help to lower the cost of training.
It is a time-saving and cost-saving option that allows the learner to finish their coursework while on the road or working.
Why do many prefer taking eLearning courses?
This is because of two simple reasons. They are flexible. It's not necessary to be at class at a certain time and place. Online learning is also possible. Online courses offer the opportunity to learn from anywhere, without distractions. They are also cost-effective.
What is eLearning all about?
E-learning requires a lot of time and effort. You also need to understand how people learn. Learning should be based on the learners' goals.
The content must be informative and engaging. Visual aids like images, animations, videos, and interactive elements should be included in learning materials.
Engaging and enjoyable e-learning should be possible. It should be focused on student motivation. This includes providing feedback for learners working hard to reach their goals and encouraging them.
What should an eLearning program look like?
Your eLearning course needs to be interactive and encourage learners to engage with it.
This means that the design needs to be easy to navigate, and the content needs to be presented clearly.
This also means the content has to be engaging and entertaining.
You need to be aware of three things in order to make sure your eLearning course meets the requirements.
Content
The first thing you need to decide is what content you want to include in your eLearning course. It is important to determine how long each part of the course should be. For example, if you want to teach someone how to write a letter, then you need to decide how much time you want to spend on each topic.
Navigation
The second decision that you must make is how you want learners to navigate through your course. Are you asking them to go through each page individually? Or do you want them to jump directly to specific parts of the course?
Design
The last step is to decide the appearance of your course. You need to determine how long each screen should take to load and what font size you should use. You also need to decide whether you want to have graphics included (such as pictures).
Once you've made all the decisions, you can test your course and see if it works.
What is electronic learning?
E-learning is an online learning tool for individuals, organisations, and institutions. It is a method to transmit information and instruct over electronic media like computers, mobile devices and other digital technology.
Because this type of learning uses technology rather than physical material, the term "e" has been used.
E-learning doesn't have to take place in traditional classrooms. It can be done anywhere there is Internet access, including at home or on the road.
Where is eLearning used?
E-Learning is an effective way for people who cannot attend face-to-face classes to learn at their own pace. It's also great for teaching someone how to do something.
E-Learning is also very well-liked by businesses, as they can incorporate it into their training programs.
E-Learning in schools is growing in popularity because it saves time and money.
Is eLearning effective?
E-learning can be used to deliver learning content anywhere and anytime. It provides learners with access to information anytime, anywhere.
E-learning makes it possible to deliver training programs anywhere you are without having the space or cost of travel.
Statistics
- However, e-learning courses that are engaging, well-designed, and interesting are likely to be perceived as useful by e-learners (Roca & Gagné, 2008). (sciencedirect.com)
- According to ATD's 2021 State of the Industry report, technology-based learning methods, including e-learning, accounted for 80 percent of learning hours used in 2020. (td.org)
- The UK sample was relatively balanced in terms of gender (56% male) compared to the Gambian group (77% male). (sciencedirect.com)
- Reliability, validity, and descriptive statistics (The Gambia). Empty CellCRAVEMeanSDACBICOEEHABHEHMPEPOPVSESITRAC0.770.635.080.842) in behavioral intention to use e-learning in The Gambia (53%) and the UK (52%), (sciencedirect.com)
External Links
How To
Why is e-learning so important?
E-Learning can be a great way for companies to keep employees interested at all times. They learn from each other and from experts. This allows them both to remain competitive and provides valuable information.
E-Learning provides employees with the chance to interact with each others, creating a sense o community.
E-Learning is growing in popularity due to its low cost and high efficiency. Companies realize they don’t have to employ additional staff to help their existing employees.
The following are some of the benefits of using e-learning:
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Low cost – You don’t have to spend much on equipment such as projectors and computers. All you need is access to the internet.
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E-Learning can be more efficient than traditional training methods.
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Flexibility - Employees have the option to complete e-learning anywhere and anytime they want. They do not have to attend classes to receive training.
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You can personalize e-learning. It can be presented however the learner prefers.
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Learning is self-paced. Students can complete the course at their own pace without worrying about being graded.
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Interactive - E-learning allows learners to interact with each other through discussions and polls.
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Accessible – E-learning is available to everyone who has an internet connection.
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Interactivity - E-learning encourages interaction between teachers and students. This makes learning more fun and exciting.
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Relevance – Elearning is relevant and applicable to the learner’s current work. This means that he/she will be able to apply what he/she learns immediately after completing it.
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Social Learning - This enables learners and their peers to share their ideas and experiences via e-learning. This encourages collaboration and peer learning.
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Collaboration – E-learning allows learners the opportunity to work together. This enhances communication skills and teamwork.
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Personalized Learning-E-learning allows users to tailor their learning experience. This makes the learning experience more interesting and enjoyable.
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Online Communities – E-learning allows people to form virtual communities. This helps them feel connected.
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Peer Feedback – E-learning offers feedback to learners on their performance based on peer feedback. This motivates them and helps them improve their performance.
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Repeatability – E learning can be repeated at any time.
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Portability – Elearning content can easily be accessed from different devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops.
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Scalability - E-learning does not require large amounts of space or manpower.
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Multimedia Content- E-learning makes multimedia content available to enhance learning.
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Digital Library - E-learning offers digital libraries where learners can store their resources. These can be easily retrieved later.
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Mobile Learning - E-learning can now be delivered via mobile phones and tablets.
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Adaptive Learning: E-learning adapts according to individual learners' abilities.
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Gamification: E-learning includes game elements in the learning process. This enhances motivation and engagement.
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Virtual Classrooms--E-learning is a virtual learning platform that allows learners and teachers to interact with each other in virtual classrooms.
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Realtime Communication - E-learning facilitates real-time communication between teachers and learners.
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Remote Learning-E-learning is conducted remotely by both the student and the teacher.
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Distance Education - Elearning consists of distance education that is over a longer period of time.
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Open Source Learning - Elearning uses open-source software to make it accessible and usable by everyone.