Students across Warren County returned to school this week, with the learning environment looking very different for many. Amidst a global pandemic, many have traded in the traditional classroom for the dining room table or a designated space in their home.

Approximately 1,200 students in the county opted for virtual learning in response to concerns about COVID-19. Around 30 percent of students in the Warren County R-III District are learning from home, and about 19 percent of students in Wright City R-II.

Both districts will be using Google Classroom to deliver curriculum and conduct online assignments and provide feedback. R-III will also be using the Canvas program employed by many colleges to serve as a command post for online learning.

“We chose Canvas because of its ability to integrate with our Student Information Systems grade book and attendance program,” said R-III Superintendent Dr. Gregg Klinginsmith. “It also integrates with Google really well.”

Wright City has chosen to keep its virtual delivery as direct and local as possible, with district teachers writing the online curriculum.

“We thought it was important to have Wright City teachers teach Wright City kids as much as possible,” said R-II Assistant Superintendent Doug Smith. “We brought our teaches in throughout the summer to take our existing curriculum and transfer it to virtual means.”

For both districts, virtual learning students will have the opportunity to learn simultaneously with their peers who are seated in the classroom. However, they will not be required to learn in real time. They have the option to learn at their own pace, as long as assignments are turned in and requirements met.

“It’s all self-paced and self-guided,” said Klinginsmith. “They don’t necessarily have to work every day, but it’s good to keep a routine.”

Administrators want the option of virtual learning to provide a supportive alternative for families during the ongoing challenge of COVID-19.

“If you sign up for virtual learning, we don’t want there to be no face-to-face interaction, but we also want to be flexible enough to allow people to work through courses at their own pace,” said Smith. “We realize it may not be a reality if both parents are working, to have a child log onto a Zoom meeting at 10 a.m.”

A resounding message from both districts to families is that virtual learning this fall will not be like the model abruptly employed after the cancellation of school in March. The focus is on helping virtual students keep pace with their in-class peers and prepare them for a smooth transition back into the classroom, whenever that may occur.

“We’re going to do our best to create a robust and rigorous virtual curriculum that stays true to our standards,” said Smith. “If we have a child who transitions back for second semester, they need to be at the same level as those learning in the school. We’re going to try to maintain the same pacing and use a lot of the same resources in order that we might accomplish that.”

All R-II students are equipped one-to-one with Chromebooks, with additional technology having been purchased over the summer to meet the needs.

In the R-III District, all high school students will receive a Chromebook, but computers will be distributed to elementary and middle school students as requested.

R-III families in need of internet access are encouraged to use the parking lot of any campus building, which should allow for connection to district Wifi.

“If a parent needs to bring their child to the school to access an assignment or watch a lesson, they should be able to do that from outside the building,” said Klinginsmith.

Another important note is the distinction between different virtual learning models. In the “Alternative Method of Instruction” model, the school building is open with students having the option of virtual learning from home.

If school were to be canceled again and all students shifted to learning from home, the “AMI-X” model would take effect per the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. In the event of AMI-X, students currently enrolled in virtual learning would continue to fall under the same criteria and expectations.