Schools nationwide have now closed and switched to virtual/ remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Millions of students around the world from grades kindergarten to grad school are now participating in virtual/ remote learning, which also includes the 70 million students in the United States alone. Schools and teachers have been doing their best to make sure their students still get the same quality education they would get in a classroom setting. Many schools are using the program called “Zoom” to have live meetings with their classes. At Morton East, most teachers have been using Microsoft Teams not only for their live meetings but to also receive and give out assignments.

The technology and platforms schools are using aren’t the only important part of virtual learning, but the teachers are the most important.

“Having a platform like Microsoft Teams really allows for a much easier way to deliver instruction remotely. Most importantly are the teachers… they embraced the technology and have worked collaboratively to redefine teaching and learning,” says Assistant Principal Randall Borgardt.

There are also many other school staff members that are available to help support and provide motivation for students during these difficult times.

“Counselors, support staff, and clerical are utilizing Google Voice to contact students/parents to encourage engagement in remote learning and support student’s social-emotional well-being,” said Assistant Principal Randall Borgardt.

If a student is needing to bring their grade up or having trouble with an assignment, they can also receive help by simply asking questions just like they would in a classroom.

“Students need to attend virtual sessions and during those sessions they need to ask questions and reach out for support as needed so they can be successful with the assigned learning tasks,” says Assistant Principal Randall Borgardt.