School’s Out, but for How Much Longer?
As COVID-19 de-escalation continues, frazzled and frantic parents are naturally concerned about whether, when and how their kids will return to school. As many with children in state schools report a mixed experience in terms of support and remote learning provision, we’ve looked at how Barcelona’s international schools got ahead of the curve during shutdown. And how they are now preparing for the “new normal.”
American School of Barcelona
Anticipating the coming storm, the American School of Barcelona (ASB) started preparing for virtual school a few weeks before shutdown, addressing expectations of parents and staff and training the latter in video conferencing. Forward planning and guidelines in place—plus already using technology like iPads, Google Classroom and Seesaw—meant a quick transition to virtual schooling in week 1 by tweaking existing structures and systems to its community’s needs.
Remote learning followed the curriculum with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning, initially leaning towards more pre-recorded posts and asynchronous learning. Over time, more live classes and synchronous learning were introduced and programs adjusted in response to students and parent surveys. However, ASB remained conscious throughout that teleworking parents of younger kids in particular need the flexibility to home-school via asynchronous options at a time that suits them.
As well as communication with families, ASB made the most of networking with other schools like AS Milan, other Barcelona international schools, schools in the Mediterranean and the Association for the Advancement of International Education. By the time assessments came around, the school was confident it could rise to the challenges of providing the full gamut of remote education. Director Mark Pingitore reports a positive overall experience for older kids, who loved the autonomy and self-paced learning, while acknowledging it has been more challenging for very young students.
As de-escalation progresses, ASB plans to get kids back on campus for year-end goodbyes and closure. Virtual step-up ceremonies are planned for kids moving from elementary to middle or middle to high school, and the high school graduation ceremony is likely to be held as usual, but with just parents in attendance. The school also plans a free two-week summer program in June with English, math and fun activities, followed by its regular English summer program in July.
To ensure safety and social distancing, ASB plans to limit class sizes and is fortunate to have the space and extensive facilities to do this. The only limitation right now is the need to keep the June and July programs separate as these will occupy a lot of building space. As well as face masks, it is also looking into buying the technology for temperature checks if required.
Moving into fall, ASB is planning for several scenarios. Mark predicts reduced class sizes will be required throughout the country, necessitating anything from “shifts” to alternating who is on campus and when. Given the difficulties this poses for working parents, ASB aims to achieve the closest thing to a safe but normal school day as possible for everyone.
Mark doesn’t rule out the possibility of a second wave of the virus later in the year and affirms ASB is keeping a close eye on other parts of the world and will be ready to smoothly revert to virtual school if necessary.
The school has made it a priority to address parents’ concerns about their kids’ progress, wellbeing and the standard of remote education they are receiving. As well as making the June program free, to relieve the financial pressure next year’s tuition fees have been frozen for all existing families. Counseling staff has also been on hand to support students emotionally throughout.
Benjamin Franklin International School
Back in January, Benjamin Franklin International School (BFIS) anticipated the pandemic would impact Europe and Spain as it had in Asia. It quickly swung into action, creating a transition plan for its Virtual Learning Program and ensuring both staff and its online platform were prepared and up to the demands. This enabled fast implementation of high-quality virtual learning from day one of lockdown, with a combination of live instruction and social interaction through synchronous and asynchronous learning. After initially trying to keep to schedules, it made adjustments and adapted over time based on feedback from families and ongoing communication with the school community to meet students’ academic and socio-emotional needs without compromising the curriculum.
As de-escalation continues, BFIS plans to continue teaching online for the rest of the school year, and beyond if another shutdown occurs further down the line. It will re-open campus in phase two, but only to offer academic and emotional support to those students who need it, plus students in lower grades whose parents can’t telework. It’s also offering some opportunities during summer for students to consolidate their learning after this unique semester.
Looking ahead, the school doesn’t anticipate a return to normal schooling in September as long as social distancing measures prevail. It intends to abide by government mandates and predicts all schools will need to be creative and re-invent spaces to get students on campus sometime, somehow, whether in rotation or with staggered schedules. The school is planning for the major impact this will have on schedules while keeping in mind what’s best for students. It anticipates schools generally will move to a hybrid model of online and off-site instruction—especially for upper grades—with some on-campus classes. As we settle into the “new normal,” BFIS aims to get all early childhood and elementary students on campus every day and is analyzing the different options to make it happen safely.
The school currently has strict hygiene and safety protocols in place governing social distancing, moving around campus, outdoor play, lunch, transportation, use of materials, etc., created in collaboration with stakeholders like parents, the board, teachers, administration and staff to find feasible, effective teaching and learning options for the coming year. It’s preparing to be flexible and continually revise plans as new information and guidelines become available.
As well as making adjustments to the academic program, support has been available for students through the Learning Support Teams, Counselors and faculty. BFIS believes ongoing multi-channel communication with its families, and an engaged, caring community has been key and is proud of what it has managed to accomplish during a difficult time through communication, collective efficacy and teamwork.
Learnlife
Learnlife's breakthrough, non-traditional model is based on a mix of core methodologies and concepts practiced by the world’s most innovative schools. Having implemented hand sanitizer and hygiene awareness campaigns back in February when the MWC was canceled, Learnlife took the—then contentious—decision to move everything online and close the space before the Catalan government announced the shutdown. It credits its self-starter "learning guides" (they don’t refer to them as “teachers”) and learner-centered approach as key to a quick and successful transition. Throughout shutdown, programs, schedules and screen time were continually adapted in response to learner feedback to arrive at an even mix of collaborative group work in calls, self-directed projects and offline work, and individual, asynchronous projects and wellness. While learners—aka explorers, creators and changemakers—are aged 12-19, and therefore capable of a certain amount of autonomous learning, Learnlife is conscious of the difference between remote and online learning and the need to offer asynchronous options that families can follow when it suits them.
It doesn’t currently anticipate a full return to the space before September but is considering July and summer programs in response to demand from some learners and parents. With schedules already staggered, it’s confident about being able to avoid overcrowding and is exploring creative, fun ways to ensure physical distancing like placing plants between desks or keeping some remote learning options in place. It doesn’t use the term “social distancing,” believing it’s now more important than ever to facilitate safe human connection. Hygiene training—and a dedicated member of staff—forms part of practical, on-site activities like cooking so learners should already be somewhat aware of safe practices.
Learnlife reports very positive feedback from learners and parents and believes its success lies in fostering precisely the skills necessary to deal with the crisis: autonomy, adaptability, creativity, empathy, emotional intelligence. Learning or emotional support has been available for kids and parents via a learner help desk, Wellness Wednesdays, whole-community calls, individual check-ins and safe spaces to air concerns and talk about issues. The school has also organized a series of workshops for educators and/or parents (both from their community and outside) on topics like wellbeing, talking to kids about confinement, screen time, gaming and more. Since many learners have thrived remotely, it plans to keep certain practices in place long-term and believes the crisis is a golden opportunity for everyone to rethink how, when, where and why learning occurs.
Kate Williams is a freelance writer, editor, translator and Director of The Writer Stuff. She left her native England for Barcelona in 2003 and never looked, or went, back. When she isn’t writing or discovering all the cool stuff going on in the city, she enjoys hiking in the Catalan countryside, kayaking on the Costa Brava, and volunteers at a local animal sanctuary. You can read more by Kate here.