Hallsville School District faces technology concerns for students if learning from home
HALLSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Hallsville School District is working through ways to continue teaching students after reporting four positive COVID-19 and around 115 potential close contacts.
The district has been able to provide its students with virtual and in-seat learning methods this fall, but lending out devices to use during at-home learning is not possible right now.
As of Wednesday, Kari Yeagy Hallsville School District's Communications Director said the district has been able to provide every student that has been placed on quarantine with hot spots for virtual learning if needed, but technology devices like computers or iPads is a different issue.
"We do struggle greatly with having the amount of technology that we need," Yeagy said. "Because we don't have those devices right now to loan out because those devices are still being used every single day within our classrooms right now."
The district sent a technology survey to families about what devices they have or need if moving to virtual learning was necessary.
Yeagy said the district is still trying to get responses back.
Yeagy said if a student does not have a device at home, the district is providing them with paper packets.
"We've had teachers deliver packets to a student's home inside their mailbox," Yeagy said. "So we are finding ways to get them their instruction, it just isn't as quick as it would be if it was online."
Katy Crane, a Hallsville 7th grade math teacher said the district has tried to plan ahead and be more proactive with students who might who don't have all the resources at home.
"I know our district has done a good job of figuring out those students ahead of time," Crane said. "So we can actually plan for that this time rather than trying to play catch up like we did in the spring."
Crane as of now she has yet to have any major difficulties with her students that are currently learning online.
Yeagy said the district said has spent a lot of time training its students on what school would like if they were asked to quarantine from the health department or a potential shut down.
