Keewatin Patricia District School Board/CKDR Files
Students and staff across the region have adapted to virtual learning this year, but it hasn’t been without it’s challenges.
In a school year like no other for the first time ever, families had the option to keep their students at home to learn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jayne Pateman is a virtual teacher with the Keewatin Patricia District School Board and she talks about some of her Grade 1/2 class’ online routine.
“Our main priory in my classroo0m from day one has been to created that classroom community where everyone is safe and accepted ad it’s that environment where they’re excited to log on everyday and come on to their computer,” Pateman shared to board trustees. “We’ve done some great things in math with virtual manipulatives and tools around the house like spoons, Legos, blocks, buttons and beads. They really are getting those math concepts, in just different ways than what were used to.”
The KPDSB employs 50 staff solely dedicated to their school built in the sky.
Pateman adds students have made videos of science experiments, use a variety of online tools and stuff around the house for art and music.
“The patience and the resiliency that I have seen growing in my students is beyond anything I have ever seen in kids this age. Having to learn all these new tools, they’ve really had a chance to grow this way.”
As a first year teacher, Pateman notes she’s also got to grow along side her students.
Kailey Clark has been with the board for 9 years, but like many it was her first year of teaching students online.
“I’ve had to become uncomfortable with being unfamiliar and I’ve had to be vulnerable in front of the kids,” said the Grade 7 virtual teacher. “Them seeing me not know how to do something, I feel has really helped build our relationships and also helped them embrace the online learning.”
Clark says while kids do miss in person interaction with their friends, they’ve found other ways to connect.
“I’ve also had the opportunity to see some of the kids make friendships and had them tell me about some of the movie marathons that they’ve had with the classmates over Google Meet on the weekend, from all different communities in Northwestern Ontario. So, that has been something really cool to see.”
KPDSB staff, teachers, assistants and administrators continue to serve and teach over a thousand virtual students.
