AP Teachers: 'Go with Hybrid, Please'
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/08/20
Nearly
half of Advanced
Placement
teachers believe schools should be implementing a hybrid approach.
Forty-eight percent told Fiveable
that the mix should include in-classroom teaching and remote learning
at home. Fiveable is an education technology company that provides
Advanced Placement study resources, including weekly games, live
streams and other resources to give students an edge in their
learning and testing.
The
survey queried about 250 people who were high school teachers within
the Fiveable network. The survey took place online a couple of weeks
ago.
Teachers
didn't agree on what should happen in the fall. According to the
survey, a third (36 percent) suggested that schools "should
definitely open" for face-to-face learning; another 24 percent
said to keep the learning going at home; and the rest didn't know
what to think.
The
biggest concerns for educators as they ponder the reopening of school
facilities involved virus exposure (47 percent), meeting
recommendations for physical distancing (16 percent) and dealing with
possible "unrealistic expectations" set by administrators
to get students "back on track." Eleven percent said they
weren't concerned because their schools had "already prepared
for all of the above."
When
they considered concerns for their students, health was at the top of
the list. Thirty-eight percent said that exposing students to the
virus would be the biggest worry should their schools open up.
Another third (33 percent) said social-emotional health was the main
issue. And a quarter (23 percent) responded that they were anxious
that students would feel "academically overwhelmed."
"During
the initial transition to remote learning, teachers, of course,
experienced a variety of challenges such as keeping students
motivated, adapting to new tech platforms, not having direction from
administrators, and ensuring their students had access to Wi-fi and
laptops," said Amanda DoAmaral, founder and CEO of Fiveable, in
a statement. "It’s important that these factors are being
addressed as administrators weigh the options for the most effective,
yet virus-cautious approach for the fall."
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.