UPPER MORELAND TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT Bear DEN Virtual School DISCOVER • ENGAGE • NETWORK

w w w . u m t s d . o r g ABOUT THE Bear DEN Virtual School

The Upper Moreland Township School District has focused its efforts on a virtual opening of schools for the 2020-2021 school year. Although not an easy decision to reach, it was one based upon the need to create a safe and consistent environment for students and staff.

In the spring of 2020, Upper Moreland School District organized a Continuity of Learning Plan. The plan arose out of a crisis situation with little time to plan, organize resources, or develop structures found within traditional schooling. Like many districts, Upper Moreland relied upon the professionalism and dedication of staff, along with the support of the community, to continue learning for students while stay-at-home orders were placed in effect. Although there were many positives, we know it was not perfect.

Now, the District is ready to enter into the 2020-2021 school year better prepared and provisioned to support student learning and growth in more robust and synchronous environments. Teachers, staff and administration have been working to transition the curriculum, instruction, materials and resources of Upper Moreland programs into virtual learning environments Bear DEN Virtual School FAST FACTS that will look and feel very different from the Continuity Offered K-12 of Learning Plan from this past spring.

Upper Moreland Teachers & This document is designed to provide the families of Curriculum Upper Moreland with insights into how our approach to virtual learning is based upon our desire for students, Devices provided to ALL students families and staff to DISCOVER, ENGAGE and NETWORK to provide consistent and uninterrupted learning for Daily schedules of asynchronous & the start of the school year. With your support, synchronous learning the Upper Moreland Bear DEN Virtual School will create opportunities for children to continue Recorded sessions to offer flexibility their learning in robust, synchronous and flexible environments. Intervention/Enrichment provided

Special Education services provided as per needs DISCOVER • ENGAGE •NETWORK

The focus of the Bear DEN Virtual School will be for students and staff to discover, engage, and network using the curricular, instructional and technology resources available to all students. In the spring, attendance and participation was not mandatory. Teachers and staff did not have access to their materials. The district had a short time to plan and distribute materials to students, and most lessons were delivered asynchronously. Under the DEN principles, school will start on August 31 with:

Student access to synchronous lessons throughout the day; Teachers available for questions and reteaching; Attendance and participation is tracked and reported; Grades will be generated and feedback will be offered to students and families; Accommodations, modifications, and specially designed instruction will be provided

Each student will be provided a district issued Chromebook, access to either Google Classroom (K- 12) or Blackboard (9-12), and curriculum materials to extend learning beyond just a Chromebook device. Bear DEN Virtual School RESOURCES Google Classroom or Blackboard In order to be successful within the context of discover, engage, and network, teams of teachers and Google Apps for Education staff members will partner to create learning experiences, environments, schedules and supports EdPuzzle, Quizlet, Socrative that follow the Upper Moreland School District curriculum and mirrors a more structured school MyVrSpot, Screencast-o-Matic day than what was experienced in the Spring of 2020. Discovery Education, McGraw-Hill, FOSS, Project Lead the Way

PebbleGo, Smart Music, Talking Points

And MORE! LEARNING DOES NOT HIBERNATE! The Bear DEN Virtual School provides the opportunity to offer consistent and scheduled learning for students and families with minimal interruption based upon COVID-19 transmission concerns. Unlike a cyber charter school, the Bear DEN Virtual School offers families and students access to all resources, activities, arts, athletics and academic opportunities.

Virtual Learning Asynchronous Learning Instruction will include direct teaching using videos, independent tasks directly tied to the lesson objectives from the previous day, and/or modeling for upcoming lessons. Asynchronous tasks may include more independent requirements including responses to reading, writing, completion of problems, and developmentally appropriate analysis and synthesis of topics and content. Synchronous Learning Instruction is contact with students and teachers during real-time. This can be achieved through interactive modes including Google Meet sessions, discussion/sharing boards, and individual and small group conferences.

Structure of the Day Daily schedules will be posted and include live sessions, intervention/enrichment periods, office hours, recorded instruction, and asynchronous activities for students.

Structure of a Lesson Depending upon the grade level, each content area lesson will include learning objectives, modeling by the teacher, practice with support, and opportunities to practice independently. Through synchronous connections, students will be able to collaborate with peers, ask questions, seek feedback, and clarify their learning.

Structure of School Teams of teachers and staff members will collaborate to create opportunities for students to engage in activities that mirror a traditional school experience-- from lunch bunch groups to clubs and activities, the Upper Moreland staff is leveraging resources to develop many of the supports and structures that make UMTSD a special place to be-- only now in a virtual environment! SAMPLE SCHEDULES UMHS

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