Return Of Worksheets and Packets?

 As we know, so many school districts have extended spring break or closed until further notice.  I hear the idea of moving classes from in person to online bandied about all over the place.  Yes, that is the ideal solution to closure and will allow teachers to continue teaching but there are some problems with that.

In most places in rural Alaska, internet is not unlimited.  I've paid about $115 for 25 Gb which when streaming movies does not last very long at all.  Some of the major cities like Anchorage and Fairbanks have access to unlimited internet but that is extremely limited.

Furthermore, many students rely on their local school for access to videos and other online activities but if the school is closed, they can't do it.  Few places other than the large cities have a public library.  Most villages rely on the school library for access to books, or computers.  In addition, the internet outside of the major cities is not very reliable at all and sometimes comes in limited amounts each day.

I know we are not the only ones who have students in this predicament.  It is something so many teachers have to face ass school after school suddenly has to make the switch.  I suspect my school is going to put together packets filled with examples and worksheets to send home to students so they don't fall behind.  This makes it harder for some students to learn because they need the in person interactions so they can ask questions, interact, and figure things out with the help of a teacher.  I don't think either online or worksheets will meet the needs of certain students who need more specialized instruction.

I plan to approach the whole subject with the question of "Will this meet the needs of my students"?  If the answer is yes, I can use it but if it is no, I'll throw it out.  Honestly, until we meet next Monday, I don't really know how the district sees things.  I'll continue reading posts in two groups I belong to on Facebook that deal with this topic and if I see things I can use, I'm putting them in a file I keep.

Even though the whole topic of the Coronavirus is scary especially since we don't really know what is happening from day to day, hour to hour, and minute to minute.  This virus does provide a wonderful opportunity to discuss mathematical modeling and how it is being used by various groups to predict what will happen in various countries, in the world.

I might just make a packet on mathematical modeling to give students a better idea of the topic and how it is being used by the government to predict the spread of the Coronavirus.  My algebra I class is studying exponents and we are getting ready to study exponential growth.  Since the spread of the Coronavirus is exponential in form, it meshes nicely.

On Friday, I'll provide links for information on the Coronavirus and mathematical modeling.  These links can be used to put together packets for students so they can learn more about how people predict the spread of disease.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.