As schools around the world transitioned to distance learning models in response to the novel Coronavirus pandemic, there have been milestones and moments that have been key, and as reported by the World Economic Forum on April 22, 2020, we have seen unprecedented global cooperation in response to the suffering and social-distancing efforts.
As the virus made its way to Latin America, Futuro Verde was weeks, and in some aspects years, ahead in our preparation for this required shift to online learning. The timeline below details our school’s response to this crisis and our preparedness efforts.
2014, over a period of months
Futuro Verde webmaster Khalida Lockheed spearheaded our application to Google to become a “Google For Education” school. Our application was accepted, giving us free, unlimited access to domain-specific @futuro-verde.org emails, Google For Education Apps like Gmail, Classroom, and the like. This step allowed all Futuro Verde board members, staff and students to have Futuro Verde emails and a controlled and safe shared domain for our IT needs.
How did this help us during the pandemic? All staff and students were already united under a common domain, which facilitated both more complex and collaborative online processes as well as an assurance that email server filters follow our students’ safeguarding protocols and policies.
2015, over a period of months
Futuro Verde webmaster Khalida Lockheed, in her dual role as webmaster and design manager, shifted our www.futuro-verde.org website to a content management system (WordPress), allowing for greater flexibility and collaboration.
How did this help us during the pandemic? Having the ability to quickly and easily link students and families to all of our online learning tools and resources aided in a smooth transition into a full online learning mode.
2016 school year
Secondary teachers began implementing the Google for Education Classroom app with more consistency starting in 2016. Students in upper secondary grades had become accustomed to having a parallel online platform which was initially used to document assignments and projects and to digitally receive student work for projects assigned.
This year as well, some preschool and primary teachers began to experiment with the Seesaw Platform, used then as a supplemental family communication tool.
How did this help us during the pandemic? As we shifted to online learning, Classroom and Seesaw became our main platforms for student online, at-home engagement and work. Our previous experience with both platforms made this new leap to larger use volume much more manageable and smooth.
2017-2019 school years
As Futuro Verde grew, we were able to acquire much needed, full-time support in IT and we began to purchase and systematically use several key databases, tools and programs that support student learning. Specifically, we acquired: Turnitin, a similarity detection tool to help students learn how not to plagiarize their work; EBSCO a database of reliable sources for information across a myriad of subjects and grade levels; Reading A to Z, a platform that provides independent level reading support for our pre-k and primary students; and IXL, a license we purchased for school-wide use to reinforce our students’ math abilities through an online platform personalized to their current needs and abilities and updated continually to meet their needs.
Additionally, from an administrative perspective, we purchased a school Zooom pro account in order to facilitate the confirmation of strategic university, governmental and private partnerships to benefit our students. And, perhaps most importantly, in 2019 we became a PTC member school.
How did this help us during the pandemic? Futuro Verde’s databases, tools and programs have been pillars in our instructional focus during online learning, shifting from the supplemental structures they once were to more integral and central tools for learning during our online program. Zoom Pro has allowed us to continue to effectively coordinate as staff and to maintain that high level of care and personalized attention our teachers and school are known for.
Via the listservs established by the PTC as a part of our membership status, PTC membership has meant that we have been kept at the forefront of the response by reputable international schools around the world. Furthermore, as I mentioned at the start of this article and as the World Economic Forum has confirmed, the unprecedented global cooperation between international and government schools has been invaluable to us at Futuro Verde. Our leadership team and governing body began receiving advice and updates from partner schools in China, then the rest of Asia, then the Middle East, Europe, Africa and now Latin and North America as the virus spread across the globe. The virus came to our continent last and we have benefited greatly from the lessons learned by our partner schools and we have modified resources eagerly shared with us by other schools who are weeks ahead of us in their response in order to best meet the needs of our unique student population. And please know that we have extended that same level of support in return, sharing our own best practice with other schools in the hopes that it might help them better weather this storm we are all in together.
This doesn’t mean we were perfectly prepared for everything though…
In the one day we took for teacher training on March 17th before immediately moving to online learning with students, we hurriedly got up to speed on Google Hangouts, for daily student check-in and accessibility for office hours with teachers throughout the day. We had always had access to this App as a part of our “Google For Education” status, but our first real use of the app coincided with the crisis. Luckily our amazing teachers are dedicated learners themselves and so they dove into this new challenge, and the others that have come, as we continue to innovate our approach and program as the weeks go by.
I sincerely hope this look back in time related to preparedness has helped further contextualize the value of investing in a high quality education for your child. Effective, coordinated efforts require time, in this case years, and they also require vision, commitment and determination. As Head of School, I am deeply appreciative for our fantastic staff who have contributed to our readiness for online learning, to our international school partners for their generosity and time, and, most importantly to our students and their families for their commitment to progressive, high-quality and future minded education on the Nicoya peninsula!
For more information on our specific programming, please visit our website which houses specific information and resources related to our online and distance learning program. And, stay tuned for new response to the crisis yet to come! The latest updates from our partner schools outside of Latin and North America is that most countries and schools are beginning to transition back to on-campus learning, with modifications and precautions new to all. So, if the pattern of this global crisis stays true, a whole new challenge awaits our community soon when Latin and North America also begin to transition back! If you know us well, you know we have been preparing for that for weeks now already…