Distance learning 15 March-18 May 2020:
Timeline and logistical FAQ

10 March	10:00 Leadership team meets with PYP and MYP Coordinator to formulate the ISB Crisis Management Framework and a potential distance learning programme 14:00 PYP Coordinator meets with Primary School teachers to discuss framework for distance learning programme
11 March	14:00 MYP Coordinator meets with Middle School teachers to discuss framework for distance learning programme 20:30 Denmark’s Prime Minister announces that schools will shut down as of Monday
12 March	School is open to students until noon, teachers meet to plan the distance learning programme
13 March	School closed. Teachers planning from home
16 March	Distance learning programme begins
8 April	Government announces that daycare and primary school children will be allowed to return to school under social distancing guidelines on 15 April
15 April	Kindergarten and Primary School students begin a gradual return to school. Parents sign children up for the in-school care programme, as desired. Distance learning programme continues (also for students in school) until a majority of students in a given class are registered for the care programme, at which point teaching returns to the classroom.
4 May	All Kindergarten and Primary students and teachers return to ISB
8 May	Government announces that middle school-age children will be allowed to return to school under social distancing guidelines on 18 May

Did students follow their regular schedule?

Mostly. In Middle School the decision was made early on to stick to the regular schedule as much as possible. This was intended to provide stability for both students and teachers. Students would know when their classmates and teachers were available to answer questions and give feedback on a given subject. Teachers would have a clear line between ”on” and ”off.” Because of this structure, many classes were able to start with a group conference call or chat so that teachers could check in on students and be sure everyone understood the day’s assignment

In Primary, the initial plan was the same, but a rigid schedule proved stressful for some parents and students. The programme was modified so that students receive all their assignments at the beginning of each day and could then work at their own pace. Teachers remained online during school hours to provide feedback when work was turned in.

What platforms did you use?

First of all, we recognize that we are extremely fortunate to have a well-resourced school. ISB was able to lend out laptops to the students who did not have access to one at home and Denmark is a highly digital country, where internet access is generally not an issue. This allowed us to lean heavily on a few specific platforms.

In the PYP we use a digital portfolio app called Seesaw. Because this is our second year using the app, parents and students were already quite familiar with it (although we have learned a lot through this process!). The primary benefit of Seesaw is that it allows both instructions and assignments to be posted in a variety of formats: text, audio, or video. It also enables teachers to provide succinct feedback each time an assignment is turned in. Parents were very happy about the high level of teacher responsiveness during this period.

In Middle School, students communicate with their teachers and each other primarily using Google Classroom as well as One Note. Some assignments are turned in here, while others are turned in using an IB-centred system called ManageBac. All of these were familiar systems, used extensively before the shutdown.