jrosen wrote: » As society moves forward the need to social distance will reduce
khalessi wrote: » I put my answers in blue
Paul Fat Beard wrote: » Good answers in blue. Despite your concern over the virus, i think from your tone you recognise that compromise is needed. For example, if hospitals implement social distancing by floor area v number of patients and doctors using social distancing, then capacity has to be reduced? Waiting rooms in particular. As I said, any time I've been to a hospital it's a very crowded place. But methods can be employed to reduce risk. Do you agree then with normal capacity on public transport with mandatory face masks? If not what solution do you see? What about schools which is the point of this thread? Do you see a solution that doesn't compromise the children's education? I don't see a solution that doesn't mean teachers working longer hours to maintain the same level of education for kids. I don't believe distance learning generally works for most students as it can be hard to maintain concentration remotely. I struggled with a few classes as a mature student so I'm sure it's more difficult for kids. My preference is for my kids and their teachers to return full time as normal. A solution will be needed for teachers or students with health issues so that they are accommodated in a way that doesn't compromise them.
Paul Fat Beard wrote: » Good answers in blue. Despite your concern over the virus, i think from your tone you recognise that compromise is needed. For example, if hospitals implement social distancing by floor area v number of patients and doctors using social distancing, then capacity has to be reduced? Waiting rooms in particular. As I said, any time I've been to a hospital it's a very crowded place. But methods can be employed to reduce risk. Do you agree then with normal capacity on public transport with mandatory face masks? If not what solution do you see?I spent years wearing masks as part of my work day you get used to them. In China the children wear them, we will adapt. I have gotten some lovely face masks with vw buses on them that can be thrown in washing machine. I think they offer a solution on the bus. I wear them now in shops or in the hospital last week and I wasn't the patient, but I was thinking that by wearing it I am helping protect the staff as well as myself and patient. What about schools which is the point of this thread? Do you see a solution that doesn't compromise the children's education?Do you see a solution that doesnt compromise teacher health as by law they are entitled to a safe workplace? We had our staff meeting yesterday and the document last week totally disregards schools as workplaces which isn't acceptable either. I asked about wearing PPE and was told it might scare the children. These are the kids who watch horror movies not age appropriate and come in covered in blood for Halloween, though I understand point they were trying to make. We were told that PPE would not be provided and if we provided our own that was grand. So in that case money is the issue not fear. So far we are planning to come back as a whole school which has shown a host of problems. There is talk of staying in class bubbles, classes of 30+ and I move between classes so I am exposed to more than one bubble. I don't see a solution that doesn't mean teachers working longer hours to maintain the same level of education for kids.I am already working a 10 hour day minimum for online learning. Most mornings I wake up at 4 and get going. Not everyone has to do that but it works for me and I go most of day I don't believe distance learning generally works for most students as it can be hard to maintain concentration remotely. I did find for most my kids that they blossomed online, the typing helped them and I got more work done with them. I had issues with some children not fully participating as they didnt think I would ring their parents but I did. I struggled with a few classes as a mature student so I'm sure it's more difficult for kids. My preference is for my kids and their teachers to return full time as normal. A solution will be needed for teachers or students with health issues so that they are accommodated in a way that doesn't compromise them.My preference is to be back in classroom but I think it is disgraceful that the public going by this thread and others on Boards and government dont regard schools as workplaces and when it is brought up, teachers are slagged off. Yes there are difficulties but they will have to be tackled. Just deciding Coronavirus is gone is not a solution. Experts say it will be with us for a while so we have to plan for it not ignore it as it is inconvenient
Boggles wrote: » The need to social distance will solely depend on how widespread the virus is in the country. Remember we have to live with it, not the other way round, it's not a conscious entity. People are not feckless lemmings, there are not going out for 3 bottles a wine and a meal with 8 friends if Covid is ripping through come the Autumn and Winter. We have a small window to get it right, but true to form re schools so far we have had aspirations and feelings and absolutely no workable plans. The best case scenario is a scale-able vaccine in 12 months, and the following winter period to see how effective it was. The "second deadly wave" is not inevitable, at least here, if managed correctly. So far I am seeing hopes and aspirations and pandering to lobbyists. Not the ideal method to fight a global pandemic.
Murple wrote: » Everybody’s preference is for kids and teachers to return full time as normal. My preference is to go into any shop or restaurant. My preference is also for this virus to disappear never to be seen again over the next week or two. Preference isn’t really the issue though is it? Some might like to spin it that teachers are putting obstacles in the way in an effort to return part time. If children are in one day a week, teachers are still in for 5. If children are in 2.5 days a week, teachers are still in for 5. With either of the above scenarios, teachers are likely to have to plan and prepare work for the children in school as well as work for those at home. No teacher is arguing for that. All teachers want is the same regard as other workers are being afforded in returning to their workplaces and some recognition for the fact that our workplaces involve quite crowded conditions, less than ideal ventilation and sanitation, inadequate funding to remedy likely issues, multiple high risk events per day and ‘consumers’ that greatly outnumber us and that need constant reminding to follow even basic health and safety protocols. Unfortunately, looking for that for our protection and the protection of our families and the families associated with the school and we are dismissed as not wanting to go back.
khalessi wrote: » Answers in blue again
Paul Fat Beard wrote: » Perhaps I didn't present my opinions strongly enough. I shouldn't have used the word preference.You didnt answer my question. Do you see a solution that doesnt compromise teachers health as by law they are entitled to a safe workplace? Do you agree that workplaces all deserve the same aspect of safety? How do you propose to get your workplace to the standard that you require? It's not possible to achieve what you want and I don't for one minute believe that you think it is.The Department were supposed to issue guidelines on that last Friday that could be adapted as of now, we are planning for coming back as whole school with over 850 kids and hand sanitizer is being provided and I will wear a mask that is pretty and non scary and provided by me. There will be difficulties and there are a lot of questions to answer. My company's approach had been to close the building and make wfh mandatory. They didn't ask me if my house was suitable or if it suited me. I could resign of course. Doctors, nurses, paramedics, shop assistants etc all worked through the height of this pandemic because their services were vital. They stepped up to the mark. Speaking as a nurse I know my exnurse colleagues were nervous and scared during the pandemic. I also know they were aware that every precaution necessary would be put in place. They were given extra PPE, casualty was split into covid and non covid. A family member is working in Covid A/e and even though they have PPE they still worry about getting it and passing it on. My nursing buddies are laughing their asses off in disbelief when I tell them I have to battle for hand sanitizer in a classroom as that is the most basic ppe. Paramedics wore ppe family member in DFB. Shop assistants as has been said previously have perspex at tills gloves and masks, social distancing and limited numbers in stores with stop go system, queues or someone on door monitoring. I had to queue outside chemist one person at time allowed in and staff had perspex and ppe. Doctors nurses and Paramedics know infection is part of the job and do all they can to prevent it. So yes they continued to work but with increased protection provided as a safe workplace is a requirement by law Educating our children is a vital service. One of my children had 3 zoom classes, the other had none and the child in primary had sesaw. None of them have been taught since March. One of the teachers set up an app to give homework but only noticed after a month that she forgot to add the children. Wonder how she corrected the homework.I get there is problems and they need to be complained about. I use google classroom which allows me set work daily, I set worksheets the kids can upload when done and I can correct. It also allows kids to ask questions and me to answer almost immediately. I find it great. I wasnt allowed to live videos I wrote steo by step guides on worksheets and added videos that I watched to make sure they taught the content properly. It takes ages. I also rang children to hear them read and to chat as I miss the craic and they do too. It wasnt perfect but we made it work. And the kids enjoyed it. They also know they could ring me if down or if they had news or just wanted to chat as their folks had my number. 2 did but at least they knew they could. I had same issue with one of my kids teachers.She was using seesaw and sent out weekly work with no guide on how to do maths for example. I was livid. I got more interaction with the special education teacher who was great. I wrote to the school and explained that I was correcting and teaching my kids and seesaw was not cutting it. I also bollicked them in the school survey re online learning. I know how long it takes me and I dont expect everyone to what I am doing at all but I think daily interaction is necessary. The kids drop me messages and pm me using Google classroom re anything, getting grounded, new haircuts, new pets, the work, and I respond becuase for me teaching is not just the subject it is the kids and a happy kid will be happier to learn I won't labour the point as I'm sure you get the gist but the dog ate my homework doesn't cut it. Agreed that why I complained, no one needs to do what I am doing but the kids need more than a list of work. My other sibling teaches secondary and was online doing live classes all day everyday.
wirelessdude01 wrote: » Honestly as a teacher I cannot say that any of my children 'blossomed' by being online. Only about half of them really ever engaged. The list of reasons were endless. Most of them were just made up excuses from parents who just either couldn't be bothered, didn't have the time or honestly didn't see the point as they won't have me next year. Some adapted well but for primary aged children nothing beats being able to read the mood of the class infront of you and being able to make a snap decision to change the content or the way you are approaching something. . The thing that drove me mental about online was having the do different explanations for different children. In school this isn't necessary due to being there. So much duplication. Give me a noisy classroom with a good atmosphere anyway over this clinical and impersonal online stuff. Roll on some semblance of normal school again in September.
jrosen wrote: » Neither of mine blossomed. If I had to choose a positive it was that my secondary school kid found the lack of distraction really beneficial. He was able to follow his own work, school notified parents when kids didnt engage, but he was fully engaged which was a huge relief for us. Primary has just gotten more difficult to keep focus as the weeks have gone on, they were off last week and this week its virtual sports day. So pretty much another 2 weeks of no learning.
wirelessdude01 wrote: » I think pretty much every primary school has either run or is running a virtual sports week. I don't see the issue really. At this stage of the year anyway there wouldn't be much actual teaching or learning going on anyway in a normal school year. Everyone is exhausted now. I know that I am. School reports pretty much drained what little energy I had left.
khalessi wrote: » Answers in blue Sorry length of time between answers I am respond to the kids when they drop a pm.
daydorunrun wrote: » 2 months ago I thought homeschooling was a disaster, my opinion has changed- granted we only have one 9 yr old In primary to contend with. At first I ploughed into it head first and overloaded her. The school was pretty useless so I signed up for an online learning maths course but it was too intensive and lead to a lot of friction to the point it was having a negative impact on our relationship. Had to tell myself to chill out an back off. Since I’ve let her direct the proceedings in terms of doing stuff she was interested in interspersed with the maths stuff which she was falling behind with. She started and finished the Harry Potter series which had her hooked- there are 1.1 million words in the series so literacy has been covered. She is now finishing the year more confident in her numeracy ability and reading ability. Overall there has been more positive than negative and now we are considering homeschooling to finish out primary school. I used to think school was the be all and end all in terms of education, the Only thing that Would really be missed from our point of view is social interaction.
jrosen wrote: » Right now the virus is not widespread. If that continues do you think SD needs to stay come September?
the HSE was never fit for purpose
Paul Fat Beard wrote: » You don't need to answer but I assume you work in a fee paying school? We have regular team meetings in work and a common gripe has been they lack of teacher participation with our children. No parent I know had been happy with the performance of the schools. For my two older secondary children they have had no engagement whatsoever with several of their teachers since March. But wth the advent of calculated grades it would be foolish to complain to the school. I get that the department of education is probably incompetent and that there are achievable measures that can be taken around cleaning and sanitisers but new ventilation is not achievable. Smaller classes is not achievable either in the medium term. I don't believe this virus is going away nor that you can keep it out of ireland. A vaccine maybe developed in the next few years but after pandemrix, people who are aware of that will be wary in taking a newly developed vaccine. Personally I'd prefer to take my chances with the virus. So we need to get on with living and not sacrifice our kids.
Moragle wrote: » I can't understand why they can't at least try to start bringing kids back to school in july, when everything else will be open. Even on a staggered basis to see how things will work.
Boggles wrote: » The virus is not widespread because we hibernated the economy and limited the movement of people for 3 months, it wasn't that long ago you couldn't move 2 km from your home. The country is also basically shut off from international travel with virtually all planes grounded. That is all set to change. Again we don't plan for September we plan for December, because if we have to implement a plan in October / November it will be too late and it will back to closed schools if the authorities can't manage a potential resurgence. I don't know about you, but I have zero confidence in the HSE managing anything. The current Health Minister is of the same opinion.- Simon Harris 2019.
marilynrr wrote: What do you mean by get back to normal though? What's the figure or the bottom line? For all we know there's never going to be a vaccine and we don't know if people who have got it will have lasting immunity, this could become seasonal and come back every year. There hasn't been a new case in Kerry for a month, obviously it makes no sense to open the schools now but lets say it was end of September and Kerry had had a month without a new case....why wouldn't it be acceptable for kids in that county to go to school full time to receive their proper education? what is the period of time they would have to wait?
Deeec wrote: » Most schools are finishing up for the summer holidays next week and there are no plans in place for how they are going to reopen in September. Will school Principles be working over the summer to ensure all is in order to facilitate a September opening or will they return in the last few days in August and realize it is not possible to open schools due to lack of planning ahead. As a parent this makes me feel very anxious!
meeeeh wrote: » How do other countries manage? They are all back.
meeeeh wrote: » How do other countries manage? Most of them are back.
