During this global pandemic, education nationwide has been re-envisioned and recreated. The summer of 2020 became a period of focused planning for St. Cloud Area School District 742 administrators and educators who learned from the sudden shift to online learning the previous spring. They sourced the good outcomes of the spring’s experiences and built upon lessons learned. As the start of school approached in September, in addition to K-12 distance and hybrid learning models, the Distance Learning Academy (DLA), an alternative (entirely) online learning model for kindergarten through twelfth-grade students, was born.
Now halfway through the school year, DLA principals Heather Ebnet and Deb Jokela couldn’t be prouder of how DLA students are doing.
“Elementary is clicking along,” says Jokela. “We kind of have a groove going.”
“For high school,” says Ebnet, “it’s a lot easier of an adjustment [to distance learning] and even for middle schoolers. Their platform, using Schoology, is a beautiful way to engage students in what’s going on virtually. We have announcements and everything we’d have in a typical building; we’ve transferred over to a virtual setting. Teachers also adapted. They put things on there [Schoology] and organize the same way, so they [students] have a consistent view when they go in.”
Ebnet also focuses on the flexibility of distance learning through the academy. Students in middle school and high school seem to really like the flexibility of the schedule, for example.
“My own kiddo is in DLA,” says Ebnet. “He can go to the bathroom when he wants. It gives them [students] the freedom they crave. … It also gives independent learners a chance to learn at their own pace.”
The classrooms may be virtual but look similar to an in-person class setting. Picture a teacher walking around the classroom after students have been divided into small groups. The teacher stops at each small group to see how the group progresses. It’s similar in a virtual setting. Break-out rooms are created for small group work and the teacher pops in and out of the small groups to check on progress.
Even in the elementary setting where young students need to move around and have hands-on learning, students are experiencing similar activities.
“When you’re learning a three-dimensional world that is online, it can be challenging,” explains Jokela. “And that’s why we accommodate by sending home a lot of materials, from math manipulatives to actual clocks they can manipulate to coins to learn money. We’re trying to do all the things we can to compensate for that.”
What has truly been inspiring to see develop is the teachers’ creativeness in how to engage students in ways they never thought possible.
“I’m just so blown away in terms of their creativeness, willingness to learn and try new things,” says Ebnet. “I can’t say enough good things about what our teachers have been willing to risk. Not everything works the first time and sometimes technology can be glitchy. [But] they’re not getting frustrated by it. They are working through it, sharing ideas and collaborating.”
Collaboration across content areas and schools has had a large impact on teachers and students alike. Teachers don’t need to have certain prep times to drop in on another teacher’s Schoology platform to see and share ideas. The sharing of resources online makes the content more consistent for students as well.
“I’ve heard from teachers that say they will take everything back [to the classroom] when they are back in brick and mortar,” says Ebnet.
“One of the obstacles that I didn’t foresee going into this is that they [teachers] are working with all new teams,” says Jokela. “They are 100% in. They are working with people they’ve never worked with before including myself. We are learning to trust one another, take risks with one another, and that’s why at this point … it feels more synchronous and smooth. It is a great feeling.”
The success of the DLA is a positive addition to 21st-century learning in St. Cloud Area School District. In terms of school enrollment, it is the largest school in District 742. The Board of Education has approved continuing an online learning option for future academic years for grades 9-12. Approval from the State of Minnesota will make the DLA a permanent option for learning and teaching in St. Cloud Area School District for years to come.
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