Online Curriculum Returns for Multiple Science Classes
As teaching spots continue to be vacated, three science classes are using Edgenuity until teachers are found.
By Sydney Teves
As teaching spots continue to be vacated, three science classes are using Edgenuity until teachers are found.
By Sydney Teves
Once again, more teachers left Pioneer with the end of the 2021-22 school year, leaving more spots to be filled. One position that the district was unable to fill with a permanent teacher was Allyson Landreth’s spot in the biology department.
Since there was no permanent teacher, the platform Edgenuity, which is usually used for credit recovery, was implemented into that biology class, and one chemistry and one physics class. Edgenuity is a completely self-paced program that is supposed to make the transition, when it happens, from a substitute to a permanent teacher much smoother.
As of now, the physics spot has been filled with a permanent teacher, Julius Munkem, but he is not currently on campus as he is in the process of emigrating from Africa. For the biology spot, it was filled with a long-term substitute, Eugene Baker, but he recently got a job at Hoover Middle School, which was his goal, and now the class has day-to-day substitutes until they find another long-term substitute or a permanent teacher.
Students are having varied responses to the new program they are having to grow accustomed to after doing similar online activities two years ago. Brett Newington, 11, likes the program for biology because of the extra freedom it provides the students with.
“It’s nice having our own pace,” said Newington. “We get extremely ahead and have a lot more free time in class.”
Other students, such as Anabella Sandoval-Perez, 11, have found the content itself to be repetitive and are not enjoying the way it is set up, which prevents them from thriving in the classroom.
“Since I am a more hands on learner it has made it a bit difficult for me to be doing everything digitally. I feel like I'm not retaining as much information as I'm learning,” said Sandoval-Perez. “I just wish it was a little more hands on.”
One advantage of the online program is that if students miss a day of school, they can easily do it from home or see exactly what they have outstanding in order to do it later.
“I like the fact that it's a different kind of interaction with the students. They know the expectations, I know the expectations and if they're not doing it, there's not a lot of excuses like a regular class,” said Baker. “Accountability is on the students.”
Another plus to having everything laid out with what needs to be done and when is knowing how much time some assignments will take versus others so students can plan their schedules around that.
“I feel like a self paced program can motivate you to not to feel pressured to finish a lesson so fast, so you have full understanding of the lesson,” said Sandoval-Perez.
Science Department Chair Steve Boyd said that hopefully Munkem joins the staff soon so that this is only temporary, because nothing can replace a real teacher who has the knowledge and training needed to teach.
“If we ever come to the point where all we're doing is giving students only online curriculum, then what do we even need teachers for at that point? That would be a sad, sad day for education if that’s what happens,” said Boyd. “But who knows? If we can’t find teachers, then maybe we’re going that route.”
Since there was no permanent teacher, the platform Edgenuity, which is usually used for credit recovery, was implemented into that biology class, and one chemistry and one physics class. Edgenuity is a completely self-paced program that is supposed to make the transition, when it happens, from a substitute to a permanent teacher much smoother.
As of now, the physics spot has been filled with a permanent teacher, Julius Munkem, but he is not currently on campus as he is in the process of emigrating from Africa. For the biology spot, it was filled with a long-term substitute, Eugene Baker, but he recently got a job at Hoover Middle School, which was his goal, and now the class has day-to-day substitutes until they find another long-term substitute or a permanent teacher.
Students are having varied responses to the new program they are having to grow accustomed to after doing similar online activities two years ago. Brett Newington, 11, likes the program for biology because of the extra freedom it provides the students with.
“It’s nice having our own pace,” said Newington. “We get extremely ahead and have a lot more free time in class.”
Other students, such as Anabella Sandoval-Perez, 11, have found the content itself to be repetitive and are not enjoying the way it is set up, which prevents them from thriving in the classroom.
“Since I am a more hands on learner it has made it a bit difficult for me to be doing everything digitally. I feel like I'm not retaining as much information as I'm learning,” said Sandoval-Perez. “I just wish it was a little more hands on.”
One advantage of the online program is that if students miss a day of school, they can easily do it from home or see exactly what they have outstanding in order to do it later.
“I like the fact that it's a different kind of interaction with the students. They know the expectations, I know the expectations and if they're not doing it, there's not a lot of excuses like a regular class,” said Baker. “Accountability is on the students.”
Another plus to having everything laid out with what needs to be done and when is knowing how much time some assignments will take versus others so students can plan their schedules around that.
“I feel like a self paced program can motivate you to not to feel pressured to finish a lesson so fast, so you have full understanding of the lesson,” said Sandoval-Perez.
Science Department Chair Steve Boyd said that hopefully Munkem joins the staff soon so that this is only temporary, because nothing can replace a real teacher who has the knowledge and training needed to teach.
“If we ever come to the point where all we're doing is giving students only online curriculum, then what do we even need teachers for at that point? That would be a sad, sad day for education if that’s what happens,” said Boyd. “But who knows? If we can’t find teachers, then maybe we’re going that route.”