Middlebrook Plan

eLearning at the middle school level is designed to support student skill acquisition and content knowledge of the most critical standards for each discipline. Lessons will be developed to allow students to progress in learning grade level content by leveraging a variety of online resources. Teachers will make learning experiences available to students via Google Classroom. Students will engage with the resources (generally asynchronously). Students will be asked to submit artifacts aligned with the learning objectives in order to demonstrate they have acquired the target
content knowledge and/or have developed the target skills. The format of the task will vary and
will frequently include some meaningful student choice. Teachers will have contact time (via email and real-time online collaboration) during each school day to support students in a more personalized fashion and provide feedback. Students will be expected to engage in all assigned learning experiences on a daily basis in an effort to maintain continuity in their learning.

Goals

Empower Middlebrook students to continue developing a deep, flexible understanding of the core content of their grade level curricula even when they do not gather in the school building.
Provide Middlebrook staff the resources, professional learning, and collaboration time required to transition their instruction to a rich, developmentally appropriate distance learning format.
Maintain and leverage the warm, supportive relationships between staff, students and caregivers to support wellness and learning.
To the greatest extent possible, continue to meet the diverse needs of all learners.
Provide continuity for staff and students by maintaining many existing systems, structures, and processes in a digital learning environment.
Continue to make decisions that align with our vision and values - always in service of our students.
Invite students, teachers, and parents to offer feedback on the impact of our distance learning plan as it continues to evolve.

What will be taught?

Realistically students and teachers cannot cover nearly as much content in an eLearning format as you can in a traditional classroom setting. Teachers will make thoughtful, deliberate choices in planning and prioritization to ensure that all students engage with the most critical content of each course. This streamlining will help manage student workload while ensuring that all students will be prepared to access the next grade level’s content the subsequent academic year. The core content of all courses will be addressed.

When will instruction take place?

Class Time: To the best of our ability, teachers will be available to work with students in real time during scheduled class times. Link to schedule. These are 25 minute sessions and meet in the same rotation as the regular Middlebrook schedule. (On team courses meet daily. The six day rotation for STRIDE remains in place.) These scheduled sessions allow opportunities for collaboration/interaction (student to teacher, teacher to student and within collaborative small groups of students) in a digital space concurrently. Given the unpredictable nature of current events, we trust that both students and teachers will be compassionate and maintain flexibility for this synchronous work. Students who are not able to access and participate during the assigned time (That is fine!) will be able to complete tasks asynchronously and still receive credit.
Link to schedule.

Total Time: While the amount of time that students spend on any assignment varies (even during a typical school day), teachers will strive to manage the student workload thoughtfully. If any students are routinely spending more than 4 hours a week on a single course, we urge that student and/or their parents to reach out to the teacher to discuss strategies and tools available to streamline the work and support the learner’s efficiency and success. (Note: This assumes that parent partners have taken reasonable steps to limit distractions to support concentration.)

How will instruction be taught?

Most lessons will be asynchronous - designed to allow flexibility for when the students complete the work. Teachers post instruction and learning materials online. They may be posted the day of the class or in advance. Students engage with class materials and complete work on their own schedule and at their own pace within a given timeframe. Larger tasks may be allotted several days for completion.

How will feedback be provided to students?

Students will receive feedback in a wide variety of ways. Teachers will choose the best form of feedback based on the nature of the content and task. Feedback vehicles may include, but are not limited to: email, comments in Google Classroom assignments, answer keys, annotated rubrics, personal conferences, etc.

How will students be assessed and graded?

Some traditional assessment practices that are often used in classrooms are still appropriate in a distance learning environment.
Students will be asked to demonstrate what they have learned in a variety of methods based on what is best suited to the content being assessed and the limitations of the online environment.
Assessments will assume students have access to outside resources (internet, notes, etc.)
Teachers may assign performance-based assessments that ask students to demonstrate higher order thinking skills and high levels of rigor.
Assessments may be formative or summative. Assessments will be ungraded but students will receive feedback either from the teacher or in an embedded answer key. (Best grading practices for a distance learning program at the middle school level is a topic we are currently exploring. Our grading stance is subject to change. Any change will be amply communicated.)

How will attendance be taken?

Daily Attendance: If a child is ill or otherwise unable to participate in learning for the day, parents or guardians must report the student’s absence by emailing mbattend@wiltonps.org. Please include the reason for the absence (if your child is ill, what is the nature of the illness.)

How absences will be handled: Students will be able to complete the assigned work when they are able to resume participation. If a student has a prolonged absence, they may request coaching from their teachers about prioritizing and streamlining their to-do list.

Students who are absent 3 days without a parent phone call to the school will receive a phone call home by the school counselor.

Class Participation Verification: (Note this initial plan is subject to change.) Since students can participate outside the assigned 25 minute period, teachers will gauge participation based on the artifacts that students submit each period. This could be an assignment submitted through Google classroom, a comment added to a shared document or an answer in a brief Google form. (Occasionally teachers may use this as an opportunity for a personal check-in prompt about how the student is feeling or a question intended to keep their personal relationship with students fresh.) These artifacts must be submitted before the next class period.

For example:

The check in task from Social Studies on Monday is due by the beginning of Social Studies on Tuesday.
The recording assigned for Music on Day 1 is due before that music class starts on Day 4.

How can students get help with assignments (and technology)?

Questions about class assignments and requests for clarification regarding content should be directed to the classroom teacher. Students may request an appointment for extra help as needed. Questions that apply to multiple academic classes may be directed to the team leader in order to address at the team level. Students may use this link to request technical support.

Meeting Student Needs:

Students with individualized programs will receive personalized work and support from the same professionals who they would work with in a typical week at school.
Special educators, related service providers, and interventionists will collaborate with teachers as needed and are available by email to address questions and concerns sent by students and parents.
Students may request an extra help session by appointment.

How (and how much) special education, 504, related services, ELL services, and academic intervention services will be provided?

Individualized supportive services vary greatly as they are crafted in response to the needs of each student. Generally speaking, students who access special education classes (for example: DBT, Math Lab, Academic Lab), ELL pull out support or intervention classes (Reading Intervention, Math Intervention and/or AIM) will be interacting with those teachers in this eLearning environment as they do in their daily schedule at Middlebrook. Push-in supports that are typically delivered within a general education class (push in speech/language, push in ELL, and the support of a co-teacher) will be provided through modifications accessed in the Google classroom platform. Note: There are a variety of ways that teachers can assign tasks to students in Google classroom. This includes ways that teachers can assign tasks that have already been modified - students may not have any indication that the task is any different than that received by other students in the class. (This discretion can be a positive in many ways.) So, don’t worry if the task a student receives does not overtly state that it has been modified. If you are wondering if more modification is needed, please email the appropriate teacher.

eLearning Roles, Responsibilities and Expectations:

Classroom Teacher:

Design and provide access to meaningful instruction based on the course curriculum
Post all materials and instructions to Google Classroom. Note, this may include materials created by the teacher or developmentally appropriate materials created from other high quality sources.
Monitor student progress .
Provide feedback to students
- During scheduled class sessions, prioritize responding to students in that class.
- As much as possible, respond to student questions and parent emails within 24 hours. (We ask students and parents to understand that teachers are not expected to respond during the weekend.)
Collect student work and update PowerSchool.
- When class work has been received, mark it as collected in PowerSchool.
- If a student is developing a problematic pattern of not submitting work, follow up with the student and copy the parent on the message.
- As of this writing, Middlebrook will not be assigning grades for student work completed as part of eLearning. The school faculty will continue to explore best practices around representing student learning. This is subject to review and change in the coming weeks. Quarter three report cards will be completed based upon student performance throughout the quarter at school.
Make every effort to be available online for each class during the scheduled time.
Check in with students to address social/emotional needs and maintain your personal relationships.
Collaborate with special education and related services staff as necessary.
Reach out to appropriate partners (including parents, counselors, or deans) when concerned about:

Class participation (3 or more consecutive “absences”)
The quality and/or frequency of work submitted
Any other behavioral/ social-emotional concerns that arise (ex. Comments made by students, inappropriate use of technology related to your class, etc.)

Students:

Pay attention to how you are feeling and how the eLearning is going for you. If you are having trouble or need support, talk to your parents and reach out. All of the adults who would support you during a normal school day are still here for you online. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your counselor, teachers or dean.
Participate in the learning by completing assigned work and responding to teacher posts or requests for feedback. Engage actively and complete work to the best of your ability.
Communicate with your teacher if there are circumstances that limit your ability to complete work on time.
Ask your teacher for help if you are confused by a lesson or feel like you are falling behind. Request an appointment for extra help if you need it.
If you feel like you need more of a challenge, engage in some independent research and then loop your teacher in on the great stuff you find. (Or, you can ask your teacher to suggest resources for learning extensions.)
Be thoughtful and kind in your online communications with your peers and teachers. All online activity should be school appropriate. Everyone is very busy and getting a lot of emails so thank you for being patient about getting a response.
Students are not to record, share or post any content, images or quotes of/from their peers or their teachers. Content from eLearning lessons and interactions may not be included in social media posting unless you have received explicit permission from your teacher in advance. (Please keep the email documenting permission and be prepared to share it with an administrator upon request.)
Any student or staff communicating pre-recorded media must meet school expectations of the attire and behavior. There should not be identifiable materials posted or in view within a backdrop and recording should take place in a home’s common area (kitchen, family room, etc.)

Parents:

Continue to keep abreast of communication from the district and Middlebrook. If you have questions, first check the FAQ document, if you still have a question submit it with this form. We would love to hear from you here when you have successes you’d like to celebrate!
Help set your child up for success. Review their class schedule together. Establish a workstation and, to the greatest extent possible, make a plan to limit distractions when your child is engaged in eLearning. Make a schedule of breaks for lunch, physical activity, and opportunities to socialize (online). Collaborate with your child to make a plan about how they are going to tell you which tasks they did and did not complete each day.
Check in with your child daily. Ask how the distance learning is working for them, what they need help on, and what resources they wish they had.
Periodically check your child’s team homework page and the parent portal in PowerSchool to see the to-do list and what tasks are marked as submitted.
Contact your child’s teachers, team leader, or school counselor to share any concerns or celebrations.
If your child is unable to participate in learning for a day or more, please report their absence by emailing mbattend@wiltonps.org. Please include the reason for the absence (if your child is ill, what is the nature of the illness.)

How should parents communicate to the school?

All school staff are available to parents via email. Questions about class content should be sent to the teacher. Parents may email school counselors, team leaders and deans as appropriate. General questions to school leaders may be submitted in this form. We request that you check the FAQ document to see if the answer has already been posted.

How will the school communicate with parents?

Primarily we will be communicating via email. As needed, we will schedule synchronous communication via phone or video conference.

What resources (analog and digital) will be provided to students, and families?

Please refer to the district eLearning website. Link

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