With schools closed all over the state until May 4, school is still “in session” at Tabor Academy –at a distance. Though geographically apart, faculty and students jumped right into distance learning on March 26 to kick off the spring trimester.
Tabor faculty worked over the break to rethink curriculum, learn new tools, and develop collaborative strategies online in order to ensure educational continuity for the students.
“While the format and forum will be different, the skills and objectives we have been working on together since September will remain familiar,” says Eileen Marceau, Associate Head of School for Academic Affairs. “Our focus remains on developing our students as confident, independent learners, and our transition to distance learning is an opportunity to test our own progress.”
With students at home in locations around the world, the school has set time aside for “synchronous” class experiences but is focusing on “asynchronous” coursework to help students keep pace towards the learning goals of their courses.
Tabor teachers provide learning objectives, materials, and tasks in approximately two-week increments through the school’s learning management web portal. Classes and advisors gather in video conferences to check in on the assignments, ask questions, catch up with one another, plan and engage in some discussion about the material.
“Asynchronous work is typically for deeper learning,” says Marceau, “while synchronous meetings are more about connection and maintaining community – an important goal of this effort.”
Marceau explains that the teacher in this model becomes more of an instructional coach, learning mentor and facilitator, providing structure and goals for students and supporting them both individually and in group settings online as they fine-tune ideas, share work, reflect and expand their understanding, and demonstrate their learning through a variety of media.
Developing community and sharing perspectives is also critically important to the Tabor experience. In order to maintain community, student clubs and activities can meet online after the school day and in the evenings.
“Teams, discussion groups, dorms, friend groups and more are finding video conferencing to be an important tool for staying in touch and keeping the relationships and ideas going,” said Director of Communications Kerry Saltonstall. Advising and counseling are also continuing online. “Faculty advisors are in regular contact with students and families to be sure everything is going well and students have what they need and are staying engaged.” College counseling work continues individually, and even the school’s mental health counselors are available as needed for individual consultation during this uniquely stressful time.
“It is pretty impressive to see how so much of what we strive to do normally can continue through connective technologies, even when we are apart,” said Saltonstall. “While we much prefer to be together on campus, sharing experiences in real-time, we are pleased with what has been possible through the hard work and perseverance of our community.”
“It’s been a tremendous, all-hands-on-deck effort,” says Marceau. “This is our core value of life-long-learning in action.”