UHS: Instructional Adjustments

Good afternoon,

As we continue to make gains and strides in the hybrid model, we wanted to let families and students know of some adjustments that students and families may see in some courses.

First, over the first three weeks of the year, our teachers have prioritized synchronous learning, for the most part. That means that the majority of our classes the teacher is teaching to a group of students live, and the students and teachers are on a similar schedule. Synchronous learning allowed our teachers and students to get into a routine, for teachers to introduce direct instruction, and for staff to become acquainted with the names and faces in their sections. There are many positives to this model, from enabling teachers and staff to be on same page as their students, to get the learning going, and to establish connections.

At the same time, some of the feedback we have been provided is that some courses have become a bit too homework-centric, and also that class time in the building is not necessarily being used for activities, as teachers are working hard to keep both in-person and remote students on a similar page, with the same assignments. We are working, as a result, to make some adjustments, as well as to get more differentiated assignments integrated into classes.

The term that is often used is "asynchronous" learning. Asynchronous learning is a general term used to describe forms of education, instruction, and learning that do not occur in the same place or at the same time. Asynchronous instruction can be in the form of pre-recorded slides, assignments in Google Classroom, a paper and pencil assignment, videos to watch, independent studio time, or a reading. In other words, the instruction by the teacher and the learning by the student do not necessarily occur at the same time, or the student can work on something at one time and consult with the teacher at a different time. For example, the teachers can assign a video with some questions or a written response to be done by the end of the week - the student can complete that assignment during the regular class time, or during a convenient time for the student. In the interim, the teachers will provide times that they are available, which may mean that there are not specific responsibilities during a class time.

The reality is that asynchronous learning is something that has always happened in class, with learning stations, differentiated instruction, purposeful grouping, and different assignments for different students, a hallmark of universal design principles. It now takes on more of a focus because that work may happen at home, where families can see it, but this is at the core of the practice standards and skills - and students will hardly be left to their own devices without (a) support or (b) accountability. What this will allow us to do is create different learning experiences for students, emphasize specific objectives and tasks, focus on skills through content, and give students a range of experiences - all of which have been part of our focus. 

For students who are fully remote, there will remain opportunities for students to connect with in-person classes and for teachers to balance direct instruction with independent learning, and to provide check-ins. Please do not interpret a shift to implementing asynchronous learning as a complete pivot away from synchronous instruction, but more of a thoughtful joining of the two, as, in some cases, the classes were already running in this manner.

We will continue to reflect on what we do, elicit feedback, and make adjustments as we see fit. To those ends, we expect you will continue to see changes and, ideally, improvements. We thank you for your continued patience, feedback, and support.