eLearning in SC: After test run this week, Lexington Two students are ready to learn from home even when school is closed

LEXINGTON, S.C. (WIS) -Lexington School District Two is gearing up for its first eLearning makeup day after classes were canceled due to Hurricane Dorian in September. Lexington Two is now one of 15 school districts statewide to be selected for the eLearning program.

This week, Lexington Two students and staff went through their first practice run, making sure everyone is good to go when the program is put to use for the first time for that district in November.

Lexington Two officials say, after this week’s test run they’ll be ready to implement the eLearning system even if something comes up before that scheduled makeup day, November 11. The eLearning program will allow the district to continue classes from home if school is canceled because of inclement weather.

The program was first launched last year in five “pilot” school districts including the Kershaw County School District. This year, 10 more school districts have been added to the list, including Lexington School District Two, making it only the second Midlands school district now participating in the program.

School officials say the goal is to eventually take eLearning statewide to all public school districts.

Bailey Pearson is a Lexington Two teacher at Cyril B. Busbee Middle School. Pearson explains how eLearning days will mean no longer having to take an unexpected break in the school lesson when school is canceled. This week, students learned how to keep the learning going from home.

“They’ll go through the lesson just like they would at home. They have to access the documents, make sure they can see them – with internet and without internet just in case anything happens. So, just to practice and see if there are any issues so we can work those out before the real lesson. It doesn’t take away from their ability to learn and be on track to do well and master the material,” Pearson said.

Students can still be marked “present” even when schools are closed thanks to eLearning.

Lexington Two has scheduled its first, official eLearning day for November 11, which was supposed to be a holiday for students and staff. Now, students can work from home on November 11, and still be marked “present” for the day they missed in September, as long as they complete the online assignment.

In the future, eLearning days may take place on the same day that schools are closed due to severe weather. Elementary and middle school students will then have five days once they return to school to complete their given assignments. High school students will have three days.

As long as the assignment is submitted on time, the student will be marked “present.”

Busbee seventh grader, Caden, says, “This program’s going to help up, because that, if we miss a weather day we can just do it that day. So, we won’t have to worry about making it up and having to do another day of school.”

Another seventh grader, Rose, says, “I think eLearning is going to be so much more better for our productive environment. You’re just downloading the documents and changing the WIFI. I think that’s pretty much it, and then you’re going in and doing the assignments.”

Kids in kindergarten through second grade will have paper assignments.

Students in grades three through 12 will be provided with an electronic device, like an iPad or Chromebook where they can do the assignment really from anywhere – with or without internet. That was the importance of this week’s practice run, to make sure students know exactly how to do this on their own.

Copyright 2019 WIS. All rights reserved.