Remote Learning: What Does Individualized Learning Look Like

Carroll School's mission is always to give each child what they most need. Everything from curriculum to teaching mindset to daily schedules is centered around this idea of supporting each child's unique learning profile. So how exactly does this translate to a remote learning setting?

As Kurt Moellering, Upper School Division Head, recently said, "Many of us faculty and administrators joked in the first days of this that we were starting a school from scratch, starting over." As it turns out, this is exactly what happened as faculty, administration, and staff started working out the specifics of setting up a remote learning environment that meets the individualized needs of our students.

What exactly does individualized learning look like in a remote setting? Perhaps the best way to convey it is to look at a student's Remote Learning Schedule.

Here is a 5th grader's schedule. This student's homeroom teacher/advisor is Mrs. Sampar.

• 8:30: The class meets every morning with Mrs. Sampar. Like in our typical day, this time is dedicated to checking in with each other, planning for the day, and asking questions.
• 9:00: This student has independent work for the next hour. Work is posted each morning by 8 am in Google Classroom.
• 10-11:30: This student's schedule includes Language Class with Ms. Casey 2x per week, Math Class with Mr. Walker 2x per week, and independent work every day. Language and Math classes meet as a group (same group as at school). As in our typical class, the teachers move as quickly as they can to teach new concepts but as slowly as needed to ensure understanding is set before moving forward.
• 11:30: This student rotates between History and Multi's (art, music, movement) each day. In our typical schedule, students have either History or Science so some students will have Science here.
• 12 noon: At noon, this student has a 1:1 tutorial with Ms. Thibeault.
• 12:30: Lunch and a much-earned break!
• 1:00-1:30: This student can opt to attend office hours for Math and Language Arts to get additional support or ask questions of the teachers.
• Fun Fridays starts with Morning Meeting and is followed by an All School Livestream lead by Sue Kingman. The rest of the day is dedicated to Multi's (art, music, Bounders, PE, STEM, etc.) and includes lots of fun creative and active projects.
• Because individualized education includes caring for the whole child, our Counseling Team is readily available to any student or parent who needs wellbeing support.

Most importantly, schedules are adapted based on the grade level.

Here is an example of a Beginning Readers student's schedule. Notice that the younger kids have most of their "live" classes in the morning.

Here is an example of a Middle School 6th grade student's schedule. The "blocks" coincide to the blocks on their typical school schedule.