Beating the Winter Weather Blues, and more

With so many weather-related cancellations this year, catching your students up before test time is a daunting task. As you may have seen in the news coverage, there are many innovative – and some traditional – ways to keep students learning even though they can’t physically make it to school. Although lost school days get the most attention during the winter months, this is a year-round problem for educators. Students get sick. They have family complications or travel plans.

There are many ways to turn absences into at-home learning days. If you’re already using online educational technology, teachers can assign students work, monitor their progress, and provide feedback remotely. Many online programs also have printable materials that can substitute work for students who don’t have technology at home or for multi-student households who have to share their access.

In many states, when weather causes a school closure, it can still count as a normal school day if a certain percentage of students complete their at home work within an allotted timeframe. To help you prepare for any of these lost school days, Edmentum offers a special bad weather bundle that can be an invaluable tool during challenging winter weather or other absences. Our Bad Weather Bundle includes:

• Online, offline and mobile-friendly content to fit all student situations, regardless of internet or technology access
• A full K-12 library of lessons that teachers can assign individually or as a group to keep students on track with planned classroom topics
• Practice assessments including technology enhanced item types so students can prepare for state tests during a school closure
• Diagnostic assessments in reading, math, and writing that automatically prescribe lessons down to the early elementary levels so students can work on closing skill gaps

Does your state allow for at-home learning days when weather causes a closure?  If so, what has your school done to participate in this initiative?