Article Summary: Snow Days Turn Into E-Learning Days for Some Schools

Morones, A. (2014). Snow Days Turn Into E-Learning Days for Some Schools. Education Week, 33(20), 6-7.

In our schools today, technology is such a growing and prevalent tool that it begs the question, can it be used to eliminate snow days? In this article by Alyssa Morones, she recounts how many different states have had to cancel school as many as ten times that year. There are states that have been implementing e-learning days where teachers will post videos of themselves teaching a lesson and students can take notes and complete the assignment for the day. This then eliminates the need to make up the school day missed at the end of the school year when it can be hard to keep students focused.

A study done by Harvard University found that having to push a lesson back due to a snow day did not negatively affect students statewide test scores. However, a similar study was done in Maryland, and they found that as snow day accumulated to about 10 days, there were negative effects on students achievement. When it comes to circumstances such as missing 10 days of school in a year, I can see where having e-learning days would be beneficial. However, just like the findings done by Harvard, I don’t think that when there is only one day missed that it is necessary to jump to an e-learning day.

Further into the article, it brings up some issues that you might run into, such as students not having access to internet or having internet troubles because of the weather as well. One school in Ohio uses “blizzard bags” which are pre-made lessons that students can take the materials home and are essentially things they should be able to do independently with little to no parent assistance. They also allow students up to two weeks to complete assignments given on e-learning days to account for any issues. In my opinion, I think that having this assignment lingering around for two-weeks, it could become more work for students than it would have been to have just pushed back the lesson a day in class. Another issue I forsee with my students would be that in my district, our first grade students are not allowed to bring their chromebooks home, so when it comes to getting their assignment, they will need access to some type of computer, tablet or device that could connect them to our LMS. Which brings up the issue of passwords and login information, most of our students do not know their login as it is already added onto their chromebooks for them when they start the year. There would have to be a lot of set up and preparation done especially in first grade if we wanted to have an e-learning day. I do see this being more manageable in second grade and on, as long as all the students in the class are allowed to bring their Chromebooks or whatever device the school uses home.

As with everything, there are benefits and drawbacks. I do think that e-learning days could be possible to eliminate snow days, as long as there are guidelines and a set up for teachers to be able to explain to students and parents. I think that this would be beneficial for districts at the end of the year when they wouldn’t have to worry about keeping the school open extra days, however I only see this if the school is missing about 5 or more days in the year. Anything less, in my opinion, can be made up the next day and would have little effect on student learning.