Remote learning has redefined our classrooms. Now, the pandemic may mean the end of a cherished winter tradition – the snow day.
Teachers and students continue to adjust to remote and hybrid learning models. But the technology that lets students learn from home during the pandemic, can also let them attend school during a blizzard.
Katy Urban is the community relations manager for the Rapid City Area Schools.
Urban says the school district is looking to e-learning days as an alternative to cancelling school during winter storms.
She says while e-learning is a preferred option, snow days are still possible. She says the district opted for a snow day earlier this month.
“It’s been a really tough year and we weren’t quite prepared for e-learning, so our students didn’t take computers home, and things like that ahead of the weekend, so we did just give them that snow day. However, it’s nice to be able to utilize the e-learning days because that means that we won’t have to make those up at the end of the year.”
Urban says children have already adapted to the new learning environment. Holding online lessons is often better than rushed or abbreviated make up days.
The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology switched to online learning during the recent snowstorm.
Lance Roberts is the Provost for the School of Mines.
Roberts says this is something the University would not have considered a couple years ago.
"Normally our protocol is to work very closely with the county – Pennington County – to assess whether or not we should actually close the campus, like we have in the past for snow days, but in this particular situation knowing that we did have that ability to offer our courses online, we made the decision to instead go that route and opt for an online day or a remote work day instead.”
Roberts says the measures put in place during the pandemic allowed them to keep classes going.
He says the school will consider making e-learning days more common in the future.