Wood County Schools to use Schoology this fall
Official: Online platform will help improve remote learning, communication
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PARKERSBURG -- Wood County Schools will switch to the Schoology online platform this fall to improve remote learning and better communicate with parents and students.
Christie Willis, director of curriculum and instruction for Wood County Schools, said the need for a central platform was made clear when the spread of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, let to a shutdown of all West Virginia schools and a move to remote learning.
"When we went out on March 13 due to the school building closures, we did not have a one-stop shop learning management system," she said. "That was one of the biggest complaints. We had different platforms teachers were using to communicate with families. If you have more than one student in the school system, you may have three different platforms. We had LiveGrades, some teachers were using our Innovate site, some were using Dojo, and there were some others teachers were using. We realized we needed something where everyone knows to go look."
Teachers are being trained on the Schoology platform now and Willis said the school system is looking at the best way to teach parents and students how to use the platform and to provide technical support when needed. This school year, every student will be issued a tablet to allow them to access the system and wireless hotspots will be available at numerous locations throughout the county.
The Schoology system will allow parents to check grades and assignments, receive materials and communicate with teachers all on the same site. Willis said the system also allows students to submit work online to reduce the physical movement of materials between families and staff.
"It has a lot of really nice communication features," she said.
Willis emphasized Schoology and virtual school are two separate and different platforms.
"Schoology is for remote learning," she said. "It's five days of learning, two days on campus, three days off campus."
Virtual school, in comparison, is a full semester online program students attend in place of in-person classes and is administered through the West Virginia Department of Education.
Willis said the previous remote learning was a stopgap as school systems suddenly had to close physical buildings and move lessons online. As a result, much of the work was intended to help students retain knowledge rather than learn new lessons.
With Schoology, "New learning will occur. We are moving forward," she said. "There will be grades. It is going to be different than it was in the spring."
More information on Schoology will be made available in the coming weeks, Willis said. The state has asked all school systems to aim for a Sept. 8 opening date for students.
For more information, visit Wood County Schools at www.woodcountyschoolswv.com or download the Wood County Schools app.
Contact Michael Erb at merb@newsandsentinel.com.