Inventing the Cloud-based school
Guide for new schools in the age of Covid-19
It is still unclear how long our educational system will be required to operate remotely. Thus, due consideration must be afforded to how our schools may best respond to the new circumstances created by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The recent period was characterized by a wide range of initiatives, a huge amount of learning, creativity and difficulties. A set of ‘new normal’ practices quickly emerged: the weekly classroom conference call, the morning math exercises, ‘smiley surveys’… such initiatives took root through a beneficial and important process of improvisation and necessity. But due to the lack of clarity on the duration of the current state of remote schooling, it is important we employ a broad scope of planning to design the best possible educational realities for our students and us.
This is not to say that creative initiative or autonomy are to be discouraged. On the contrary: it means that these can – and should – be taken to the next level. Alongside the difficulties and constraints dictated by the current situation, one can find many opportunities for flexibility, independence, and doing new and exciting things. Circumstances may be leveraged to foster independent learning, utilize school resources to realize personal education, and more.
It is at this end that this document was created. It is designed (in light of the epidemic) to help administrators and teachers reassess their operations, set educational goals, and possibly even reevaluate existing methods and assumptions – in a systematic and reasonable way.
Steps for designing the cloud-based school
Considerations in planning school remote-learning: The next step after selecting our goals is to map out the central aspects that demand consideration and decision-making, in terms of how the school operates.
Remote-learning ‘Activity Building Blocks’: A variety of practices and activities that may be executed during this period.
Example school models: a list of adaptable ‘template’ models that describe how the school, in its various aspects, may be run. Each model was built using two selected goals.
Teacher survey tool: A short survey tool for encouraging teachers to think about school organization
