Livestreaming of Instruction

The Burgettstown Area School District is committed to monitoring the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. We constantly assess to look for ways we can help our students succeed in these difficult times. There is no doubt that the quarantining of students has created a bit of a hardship on everyone, especially the students, and we want to ensure that students are able to succeed academically, regardless. To that end, beginning Wednesday, January 19, every teacher will livestream their classes by going live using Google Meet. The following Q&A is meant to help parents and others understand what to expect.

Q: What is meant by livestreaming instruction?

A: Every teacher will livestream their classes by "going live" using a Google Meet link within Google Classroom. In this way, a student who is not present for the day's lesson may access the lesson as it is happening.

Q: So are you saying that this is remote instruction like last year?

A: No, this is not remote instruction. This is simply the streaming of a teacher's class, real time, as the class occurs.

Q: If it is not "remote instruction" why do it?

A: The teachers have been uploading their class assignments, etc. to Google Classroom all year. In this way, students who were not present for class are able to access assignments. By livestreaming the lessons, students who choose to log in may listen to the instruction.

Q: So will my child still be considered absent?

A: Yes, all students who are not present, in person, are considered absent. Livestreaming the class simply helps the student follow along with a lesson if they so choose.

Q: Is my child required to access the livestream?

A: No. There is no requirement that a student access the lessons in Google classroom and there is no requirement that they access the livestream. However, we do encourage students to access them because it can help a student stay current.

Q: If my child does log in and does access the livestream, can their absence be removed from their record?

A: No. Again, this is not remote instruction. Students will still make up the work that they missed while absent from school.

Q: Will all my child's teachers livestream?

A: Yes, but the livestream may look different for each teacher. For example, if your child is in a history class and the teacher is "lecturing" and providing instruction by giving notes, the livestream may be on longer. However, if that same teacher has his/her students working on a project, he/she may only be streaming a very short time as he/she explains the day's events.

Q: Does this mean I can now keep my child home from school, especially if I fear Covid?

A: No. Again, this is not remote instruction. Our expectation is that students remain in school. Livestreaming is simply meant to be another tool to help students who can't be in the classroom for a short time (days, not weeks or months)

Q: Can my child ask questions or interact, real-time, with his/her teachers?

A: It depends. Because this is not remote instruction, the teachers are teaching their in-person students. They have not been instructed to monitor their livestream to ask or answer questions. Some teachers may remove the chat feature so as to not confuse students. The best advice for interacting with a teacher is to e-mail them.

Q: Wait a minute. One of my child’s teachers has been doing this all year, and he can interact with the teacher, real time. So what is different?

A: Now, every teacher will livestream. Teachers always have the opportunity to interact with their students who are not in person but this is not a requirement.

Q: I have many questions about this livestreaming that I do not see here. How do I get them answered?

A: We understand. We tried to think of the most important pieces of information to use to inform, but if there is something you want or need to know, please reach out to your child's teacher or principal.

Q: What will happen if my child's teacher is absent for a day or days? Will my child still have access to a livestream?

A: No. Only the classroom teachers are livestreaming. The teacher or substitute covering your child's class will not have access to, or be required to livestream.

As we now require livestreaming, please consider:

• It will not be perfect, especially at first. Our teachers are very dedicated and they want to do the best job they possibly can. We know there will be bumps along the way as we implement livestreaming and we ask parents to be patient. If a livestream link does not work, if internet connectivity fails, if the teacher can't be heard on the livestream, please know that the teachers are doing their best. If you experience difficulty, let the teacher(s) know. They will respond by trying to fix any glitches that occur.
• When all of a teacher's students are present, it is likely that the teacher will not be livestreaming.
• The school district is not requiring teachers to record their livestream. So, students and parents should not expect that they can skip a lesson and go back and view the recording.
• For security reasons, teachers will only be permitting Google Meets linked to school issued e-mails into the sessions.
• As time progresses, we will monitor the livestreaming to find ways to make the experience better. Remember, we want livestreaming to augment the Google Classroom materials.
• The focus of the livestream is on the lesson, but from time to time, the teacher may need to address an issue in the classroom. Remember, a classroom is a dynamic place. Teachers praise and teachers correct behavior. Think about your own home and your interactions with your children. Now think about if you had to manage 25 teenagers. Yes, teachers are trained. And yes, we can expect that they can control their classroom, and they do. Until now, we have not had a window into those classrooms. Please respect the teachers, the other students and your child and refrain from judging if you overhear something. Our classrooms are places of professional conduct and our teachers are good at what they do. But again, they are dynamic places with many personalities.
• Help us help our teachers. We don't know any good that has ever come from open criticism on social media. Everyone has a right to have an opinion and to have their own thoughts. When it comes to your child's classroom, class, and schooling, the best way to try and make change if you think something is wrong is to contact your child's teacher, your child's school counselor, or your child's principal. We don't know any educator that wants to fail and we hope our families demonstrate what everyone knows: Burgettstown families are special families. They are supportive families. They love their children and they respect their school.