In Primary School Strahoninec, we have started online lessons from 16th March 2020. In the first week, teachers were still in school, arranging the platforms for learning, having teacher meetings and brainstorming how to cooperate with students remotely. The school offered equipment for students who had no computers or mobile phones at school and the local municipality helped with buying additional laptops.
From March 16th until 25th May we were working remotely with all the students. The younger classes communicated with their teachers in Viber groups and text messaging, but some teachers organized web sites to publish the materials in one place. The older classes joined Microsoft Teams classes where they had channels for each subject. These online lessons are still in progress every day and the school finishes 26th June for everyone.
On 25th May schools opened for the younger classes (ages 6 to 10) and they have normal lessons every day of the week, four lessons per day. The social distancing and extra precautions are taken every day. At the entrance of the school there are disinfectants for hands and shoes, the desks in the classrooms are moved so that students sit at least 1.50m apart from each other. This system works quite well and only teachers, staff and students are allowed in the school premises.
Currently there are no professional development seminars and all the teacher conferences that have more than 150 people, are postponed for autumn. All the professional development is taking place online, mostly webinars, video conferences and MOOCs that teachers can attend at their own pace. Luckily in the north of Croatia and in Međimurje county there have been a few infected people so the majority of the people is safe and healthy. Everyone hopes to start the new school year in September in schools, but the Ministry of Education has already published a backup plan with three possible scenarios using online lessons if needed in case of another outbreak.
text written by: Tea Horvatić, KA1 coordinator and English teacher in Primary School Strahoninec
#rainbowsagainstcorona
March 30th 2020
The students of 3rd grade and their families made beautiful messages during the lock-down period:
