Planning Ahead for Flu
September 21st, 2009UMaine associate professor of education Ed Jadallah and Gail Garthwait and Tim Hart from the College of Education and Human Development are available to discuss what schools should be doing for advance preparation for a possible flu outbreak that could keep large numbers of students or teachers at home and relying on e-classes, online seminars and conference calls to keep up with schoolwork.
The story: The U.S. Department of Education is recommending several steps public and private schools should be considering in advance of a possible flu pandemic that could keep large numbers of students or teachers at home should an outbreak occur.
The hook: UMaine associate professor of education Ed Jadallah, Gail Garthwait, associate professor of instructional technology, and Tim Hart, instructional technologist, are available to discuss some of those steps and considerations — which should be reviewed well in advance of any emergency that could disrupt the continuity of learning.
In preparation of a severe H1N1 outbreak, school districts need to have specific online learning tools and processes in place, Jadallah says. This could be as basic as e-mail attachments, homework and materials available at a teacher’s website to video presentations and live Web conferences.
Many freely available tools exist to create a successful online learning environment. Schools should investigate the ones that will match both their technological infrastructure and curricular goals, adds Hart.
The extent of online learning would be dependent on a school district’s technology capabilities and the e-learning tools and programs already in place. The main issue with many of these online learning technologies is making sure that students’ have access to the technology being used and that both the teacher and students are familiar with the environment, Jadallah says.
Prior to an outbreak is the time to develop an e-learning plan and pilot the programs and technology that may be used. The U.S. Department of Education has released recommendations to help prepare school districts for the possibility of long-term closures. Collaborations or using applications developed by Google, Apple, Microsoft, Pearson, Scholastic, Curriki, INACOL, and others are recommended to support continuity of learning in case of school closures.
Contact information: Professor Jadallah can be reached at 581-2488 or by email: Edward.jadallah@umit.maine.edu. Garthwait and Hart can be contacted at 581-2487 and 581-2478, respectively. Please contact George Manlove at 581-3756 for assistance.
