Plymouth High School’s first virtual make-up day on Saturday, April 12 will be used to fulfill the state’s requirement that instruction must be offered for 180 days each school year, as well as used as a learning module to plan future classes and programs. School administrators indicated that the virtual day will be a benchmark for future makeup days.
After school had been cancelled on several days due to inclement weather, administrators worked with Janice Curtis and others in the Technology Department to finalize the plan. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) approved the makeup plan when it was submitted. All students at PHS were issued a laptop computer for the entire school year to complete school assignments.
Plymouth High School Principal, Jim Condon, said they are measuring participation using the computers. According to Condon, teachers will be available from 8:00 A.M. until 3:00 P. M. on Saturday. He referred to the virtual teacher participation as “digital office hours”. Condon said students who are unable to contact teachers for help during the specified hours may be able to arrange a different time by contacting teachers individually.
Students have been instructed to go to the school corporation’s website (www.Plymouth.K12.in.us) and select Plymouth High School. There will be tabs to links for each teacher’s course instructions. The digitally transmitted class materials will be date and time stamped when students “enter“. A full explanation of the project that they are to complete, the number of possible points that can be obtained, and final deadline for completion will be spelled out. Teachers can use Moodel, My Big Campus or Google Docs for course work instructions.
Administrators said this is not extra course work, but will replace work that would normally have been presented in lessons on Monday. Teachers met on April 9, to put the work online.
As students complete their work and transmit, a second date and time stamp will lock in the data. According to Condon, students have until midnight on Sunday, April 13 to have their work submitted.
Carol Anders Correspondent
