Teachers throughout the world have had to find innovative solutions to the challenges that a virtual education pose, and our educators at Baltimore Design School have been no exception. While our leadership team ensured that teachers had the training and tools they needed to practice distance learning during the last quarter of SY 19/20, it […]

Teachers throughout the world have had to find innovative solutions to the challenges that a virtual education pose, and our educators at Baltimore Design School have been no exception. While our leadership team ensured that teachers had the training and tools they needed to practice distance learning during the last quarter of SY 19/20, it is evident that they spent the summer upping their game.

Today, Mrs. Cafaro-Edwards and Mrs. Hucker shared a 5-step system they developed, using technology to create a “manageable system for students to access missed or past work.” Both teachers have shared this strategy with BDS colleagues as well as colleagues in other schools who found it to be helpful in their respective classes. The system involves a series of five steps so that students can easily asynchronously access any work they may have missed due to connectivity issues, absences, etc.

Teachers start by creating a virtual classroom that students can visit, allowing them to feel ‘connected’ to a space. Mrs. Cafaro-Edwards has a link to ‘chill vibes’ that students can listen to. They can click on her pictures and posters to learn fun facts about their teacher. They can click on books which link to content that scholars can read. In addition, she clearly posts work, and links past work for students to easily follow along.

Cafaro-Edwards says “I am already finding it VERY helpful and a huge time saver for me to be able to refer students and parents to this system to access information from days they missed.”

Ms. Nutsugah, Health teacher for Junior high, filmed this personable video for scholars and their families.  She was able to inform students of expectations while offering just a glimpse of her creativity and humor, setting the tone for an amazing year.