Great for those who have working electricity and internet.There are online resources for homeschooling families. Perhaps that would be a place to start?
You have been pushing your deep connection with locals via "a few phone calls" and "poor folks you know on the ground". You are starting to sound like a privileged cat from FLA who is cloaking his self interest as altruism. I have kids in this school system for almost 10 years now. Sounds like you don't beside checking with a novia and a few chicas. I think you are pushing a theme that you really have no hands on experience with. You sound more and more angry also these days.Great for those who have working electricity and internet.
I said resources, not online classes. Things like syllabi, lesson plan suggestions, help with grading metrics and other things a homeschooling parent needs to homeschool effectively are available. They make the process of educating one's children at home easier for the parent who chooses to take on that responsibility.Great for those who have working electricity and internet.
WeWe are in the same situation. While it is correct that nothing definite has been said, they have been throwing around several ideas. Maybe I have misunderstood, but I believe the talk has been for a good while that education would be virtual / internet-based for those who can do that. Since more than a month, our eldest's school has already been prepared to give fully virtual classes, the problem is, indeed, that they have to wait for the government to give the official guidance, so as Bob mentioned, just waiting here... I hope Bob is not right about having to wait several more weeks though... I understood that they would say something straight after the 16th, so hoping that...
Last spring, any completed schoolwork was photographed and uploaded to a platform where they graded it, so there was no need for any printer, but we have a fully equipped home office so printing/copying/virtual classes/etc won't be an issue, should that be needed...
Hare in Jarabacoa parents had to register and then take buses to Santiago to get the laptops, no children just a parent. Not all parents received them. Some students already had them, most of the high school students from the catholic semi-public schools.I thought I remember reading that all kids got laptops or something along those lines. Not true or selectively true?
Sometimes foolish people on hereYou have been pushing your deep connection with locals via "a few phone calls" and "poor folks you know on the ground". You are starting to sound like a privileged cat from FLA who is cloaking his self interest as altruism. I have kids in this school system for almost 10 years now. Sounds like you don't beside checking with a novia and a few chicas. I think you are pushing a theme that you really have no hands on experience with. You sound more and more angry also these days.
It's ok though, you don't have to be alone. We realize you don't have hands on in these matters and you don't have to be angry or alone or try to exploit the poor for for your own self interest. You are no hero sir, for telling folks to go "f--k off". That is horrific violent language for a community board
There are online resources for homeschooling families. Perhaps that would be a place to start?
I will make a couple of suggestions as to what I would do as a parent IF I had kids in the DR right now. I do not, but would be in a position to make a few purchases of less than $50-$100 if necessary. Unfortunately, many families don’t have the resources to do that, and will be hurt the most if classes don’t resume.I fully agree, hence my question that I hoped to get answered was regarding any experience with alternative solutions, such as for example: Homeschooling.....
I will make a couple of suggestions as to what I would do as a parent IF I had kids in the DR right now. I do not, but would be in a position to make a few purchases of less than $50-$100 if necessary. Unfortunately, many families don’t have the resources to do that, and will be hurt the most if classes don’t resume.
You could try online programs for reading and math etc. Many of them are expensive, but offer free one month trials. PM me and I can provide some specific ideas. You could also order some basic workbooks from Amazon or even Scholastic in the age level and language that your children speak. Or, workbooks in the language you would like them to practice. Check reviews before purchasing.
If school resumes shortly, you could then use any purchases for extra practice or as a supplement
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One of the first announcements he has made. I despair for the kids' education. And how exactly are parents supposed to stay at home to educate their kids?
Many can probably do that. Thats a strength of the culture here that they take care of the extended family. But some will be left behind.Don't many Dominicans have extended families? With tios, tias, abuelos/as, can they make it work?
Okay now off to the races. But wait, how will this be implemented? Wealthy, private school students will have the majority of their educational met in regards to access, at least.
Children will be provided with a laptop or tablet. Great, and if they rely on paqueticos at 200-300 pesos per week? That’s gone in 5 minutes of streaming.
Wifi subsidization of some sort? Great, in a country with a sustainable power grid. What about kids who don’t even have the electricity for Wifi?
As usual, the poorest students will suffer the most. This plan needs to make considerarions for those students.
Is it better to send them to school next Monday 24, and expose them to this Covid/Chinese Virus?
No. I am not being caustic, nor confrontational, but just relaying a message concerned parents here have been discussing.
Actually, my two Canadian guests (one who is a member here within) just assisted me in 'framing' this question, so as not to insult the wide populace within our community.
Many of my employees, and to note, the family I entertained here today are indeed concerned. They want to hold their children back from classes, or formal education until at least January 2021 at the earliest.
Yea, but many have uneducated parents, relatives that can barely read, write, or do basic mathematics. Virtual classes will be ok for high school or motivated middle school, but for Kindergarten and grade 1-2 I think it will be a complete disaster.Don't many Dominicans have extended families? With tios, tias, abuelos/as, can they make it work?
One of the reasons we always have lots of children is because we do give one on one teaching, as well as classroom teaching. During the March-June Covid school interruption we had our teachers providing online tutoring/homework...etc. Limited success. When we brought students in for evaluation to pass them to the next grade, and for many of them to get their certification to go to other schools we had to spend 3-4 weeks one on one getting most of them up to grade level because most students had limited access to internet/computers..etc. Most were using their parents phones ondata plans with multiple cutouts. I think we can do proper social distancing...etc and create learning pods/bubbles that are safe for both students and staff but I don't think the government will give us that option. Wait and see I guess. The new president and school minister have not mentioned private schools yet?How much debate, discussion, and questions would happen in a normal public school environment? I am not familiar at all with RD public schools, but I am intimately familiar with Haiti's methodology. Much rote memorization. Mostly 1 way communication, at least in the primary and middle school grades. From what I can tell, it's the same here, although again I don't have any direct experience.
The most important group if you really want to move forward long term.Exactly. This decision will be hardest on the poorest and the youngest Dominican learners.