Safety, Accessibility and Class Time

Starfire STEAM classes have moved to an all virtual model. We are so excited by the positive responses of Starfire families and the possibilities unlocked by this change.

We’re sharing the top 5 benefits to students and teachers for the Virtual Classroom. Today, we’re talking about how we use class time and how class time is experienced in the Virtual Classroom.

Student safety

As teachers, our first job is to make sure children are safe and well. In online learning, we know that a parent is close at hand should a student require anything. Teachers don’t worry or spend time supervising approved guardians pick up and drop off.

More efficient use of class time

Tasks that can monopolize class time such as getting excused to go to the bathroom or waiting for students to get in line are managed more more simply in the virtual classroom. The start and conclusion of class are conducted quickly and smoothly. Students spend their class time on fun activities, engaged and focused on their challenges.

Accessibility for students with special needs

Learning from home provides students (in most cases) with a stable and secure environment that can be more easily tailored to their specific needs. See our Learning from Home resources on tips to adapt the home space for your learner. Starfire teacher Randel describes his experience with the virtual classroom, “students can focus better on problem solving without distracting each other. When a student needs to concentrate on a particularly challenging problem, it is easy for him or her to block all distractions from the rest of the class. Students can privately message me if there is something they need to feel comfortable or to understand the challenge.”