<p>"The early arrival of wintry weather in the Midwest this week gave Grewing an opening to test out a virtual class day at St. Cloud Cathedral high school in central Minnesota, having students whip out laptops or iPads and work from home. After a successful test run, Grewing declared Tuesday that students' cherished snow days are a thing of the past — at least at Cathedral. 'This is what we will be doing every single snow day going forward,' she said. 'I'll be honest. There has been some grumbling.'" ...</p>
<p>Last winter, my D’s school got credit for a couple of these virtual days. I was thoroughly impressed with her AP Psych teacher who on most of the 15 days they ended up off for snow/cold, she videotaped a lecture and though she couldn’t require them to watch it (because it was a “snow day”) - all the girls in the class (girls school) watched and stayed caught up in that class. </p>
<p>I think this is a good solution for some high school classes - especially at school’s where laptops are provided/required anyway and where you have a population of students who will very likely have internet without doubt at home. </p>
<p>Snow storm has not hit our town yet. But some classes at my D’s school are always recorded and available online. Many students take that option to go to class in his/her bed in a snow storm or not as the school would no longer announce a snow day after a law suit many years ago.</p>
<p>They’ve been doing “tele-learn” at my DS’s alma mater (he’s a freshman at college now) for at least five years. It’s not just for snow days, either. For example, the day before Thanksgiving is a tele-learn because it’s typically half-day and many kids are absent (the school is a magnet that draws from 5 surrounding counties and some kids have commutes of an hour or more). The school is in the middle of a multi-year renovation and they have used tele-learn a few days this year when large lab equipment was being moved in or some other highly disruptive construction was going to occur.</p>
<p>That’s all just wonderful, if you live in an area of the country where most families have computers, high-speed internet, (or internet at all) and the infractructure to make this all work. Not all of us do, even in 2014. </p>
<p>Our district started this last year. If we go over X number of snow days they have to stay later in June so this was a welcome alternative when days looked like they’d run out. I imagine this year they might use these all the time, in fact I may ask…</p>
<p>All the kids have Chrome books, but it hasn’t been implemented here because not all the students have internet at home. I like the idea because then they aren’t losing a day of summer for a day of shoveling snow, but that is an issue that should be addressed before this gets implemented as a regular policy. </p>
<p>Nice thought but teachers always had the option of providing kids with snow day assignments. Snow is usually forecast in advance but most teachers don’t bother to do this.</p>
<p>The occasional snow day should’t be a problem in MOST areas. Last year was an exception, where areas that some years have no snow days, ended up with 10+ days! At that point, you have to get creative in what your method of instruction will be. </p>
<p>In most schools, the day before a snowstorm it’s all anyone can talk about anyway - might as well prep the kids and give them work ahead (if possible) to do at home the following day if the snow day comes through. Again, in the situation where there has been MANY snow days this could be helpful. Otherwise, IMO, an occasional snow day never hurt anyone! </p>
<p>My high school kids had 11 snow days last year and enjoyed every one of them!
(me…not so much!!) The problem is we go by trimesters and they all were in one tri. Not good for AP classes, but I think AP homework was posted online for my son’s classes and expected to be done. He had to make sure he brought those books home every night so he was able to do assigned work. Yes, he would grumble, but then I would remind him that I didn’t get snow days in the south:)<br>
It’s already snowing here in Michigan so it looks like we are in for a long winter. 3 1/2 feet in the Upper Peninsula with Northern Michigan U being closed for 2 days already. Not sure we are all ready to do this again after last year…</p>
<p>Everyone here likes the idea because it makes sense. But has no one ever heard of the concept of ‘fun’? Or does that not matter, as long as your kid gets into a good college?</p>
That’s what my high school teachers did back in the late 70s when we had a series of very bad winters. I don’t think I went a full week of school from Christmas break to mid-March my first three years of high school, and we didn’t have to make any of it up either, since it was an “act of God.” My senior year, they built three snow days into the calendar and told us that anything more than that would be tacked on to the end of the year … things eased up weather-wise and we ended up only taking three snow days. </p>
<p>This plan is rational, reasonable, and financially responsible. </p>
<p>But if you have ever experienced the joy of being a kid and hearing “No school today…it’s a snow day!” you know that some things are just too delicious to be sacrificed for “progress.”</p>
<p>This is completely stupid IMO. What’s wrong with a little harmless fun every once and a while? Honestly, I feel a bit sorry for the kids growing up today.</p>
<p>Ease back! Nothing wrong with a little fun! Last year however that was to the tune of 15 days off of school - which is equavalent for 3 unplanned weeks of school off. That is a significant amount that cannot be made up without making the remaining days in class (and homework afterwards) really miserable - NOT fun! </p>
<p>As with most things, it’s meeting somewhere in the middle that makes sense. I suppose that’s why most states have a policy of how many days can be used as “snow days” (for instance, 5 days) before having to be made up. </p>