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Instruction FAQs
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How much work should my middle/high school student be doing?
This varies based on grade level (a 6th grade student should have less work to do than a 12th grade student) and course (an advanced level course should have more difficult work than a regular course), but generally a middle school student should have about 3-4 hours of work per class (a little higher in science and social studies as they are semester courses), and about 3-5 hours per class at the high school level. Factoring in that middle school students have 6 classes, they could have anywhere from 4 to 5 hours of work per day, including work done on WebEx or Collaborate and video lessons. With 8 classes, high school students could have anywhere from 5 to 8 hours of work per day. It is important to remember these are ranges. Not all students work at the same pace, especially from home where distractions could be a major issue. If you feel your student is struggling to get work completed within these guidelines, please reach out to your child's teacher.
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Why are teacher’s Blackboard sites so different and seemingly difficult to navigate?
Over the summer our technology department worked hard to create a common template for all teachers to use (see below). The goal was to create a consistent experience for parents and students as they moved between classes. Based on feedback, there is still a wide range of how teachers are setting up their sites and organizing student coursework. To help students quickly find what they need, we have asked middle and high school teachers to directly link the content to their class announcements page.
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Why are teachers having my student watching instructional videos at home and practicing when they are at school?
In setting up our hybrid learning plan, we researched various models to determine which would best serve are students in a learning environment that could change rapidly based on the state of the pandemic in our area. With students in grades 3-12 attending school two days per week at most, we needed to make sure our face-to-face time was used in the most efficient way possible. What staff have been asked to do is create ways for students to be introduced to a topic while learning at home (often short instructional videos). Then when students are in class (either face-to-face or virtually) teachers are to help students process what they started learning at home. This allows teachers to give immediate feedback as students work to master the content. More details on this type of hybrid learning plan can be found at Hybrid Learning Plan.
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What does the daily schedule look like in RCPSOnline (100% online)?
The schedule will vary teacher by teacher. There will be opportunities for synchronous learning for live instruction and asynchronous learning for on-demand instruction.
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How do we register for RCPSOnline (100% online) classes?
You will register through your home school.
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What does the schedule for the blended (in school) and RCPSOnline look like?
Blended (hybrid) plan students will attend two days in person and participate in virtual instruction for the other three. Parents will want to establish a time where students may view the video lessons conducted by their teacher and to complete assignments. Students may submit work via Blackboard on the days that they are not in school or submit them to their teacher when they return. Wednesdays will be used by teachers to provide synchronous sessions with their students to check on their progress and to answer questions that they may have.
The RCPSOnline (100% remote) schedule will vary teacher by teacher. There will be opportunities for synchronous learning for live instruction and asynchronous learning for on-demand instruction.
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How will the fall 2020 remote learning look different from the spring 2020 remote learning?
The fall 2020 virtual instruction looks different by providing instruction on new content. Students will have actual video lessons that they may view with actual teachers providing the instruction. Students will be required to complete assignments and will be provided grades based on their work. Synchronous sessions will also be a part of the virtual instruction for this fall.
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Will there be live teaching?
Students will be encouraged to attend the synchronous sessions provided by their teacher but are not required. We understand that due to different schedules this may not always be possible.
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Will there be a classroom camera shot in live teaching?
No. Only the teacher or the teacher’s screen will be shown in live teaching.
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Will there be more than one teacher teaching my child?
Yes, in some cases. RCPSOnline will not change the current school teaching assignments.
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How do elementary students participate in synchronous sessions if they have to share a computer with a sibling?
The schools and teachers are working to coordinate synchronous learning times and will work with children accessing instruction if they are unable to join at designated times. Parents should contact their child's teacher or principal to discuss their specific situation.
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How long will the online learning last per day?
The amount of time that on-line learning will last truly will depend on the child and their grade level. The amount of time that a kindergartner is on-line and working will vary from that of a fifth grader. If a parent finds that their child is struggling with the amount of work that has been assigned, they will want to contact their child's teacher.
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What subjects are available in RCPSOnline?
All of our core classes will be available online including English, Math, Science and Social Studies, as well as most electives in the blended RCPSOnline program. The RCPSOnline Academy, which is a separate standalone program, has a wide array of available courses for students in high school.
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Will the online lessons provide videos?
Yes. Instructional videos are one of the many resources available to our students.
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Where are our online classes?
Blackboard is the learning management system that houses our RCPSOnline classes. You can access Blackboard through the student Classlink portal.
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How will my child submit homework?
Online assignments will have the ability to be submitted via Blackboard.
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How will you assess my child (especially for 100% remote instruction)?
In a 100% remote instruction scenario, teachers will provide online instruction and assign coursework designed to assist the student in mastering the content. Tests and other assessments will be provided to the student to be done at home and will usually be submitted to the teacher via Blackboard.
In the hybrid in school/online scenario, instruction will mainly be in a three-phase process. New content will be explained online (often via video) and the follow-up checking for understanding and reinforcement activities will be done mainly when in class. We don’t want teachers giving assessments during their valuable face-to-face time, so students usually will take tests and other assessments at home.
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What instructional technology resources are used to support the subjects?
Students will use Blackboard to access content in all core subjects. Classlink will be used to provide access to additional instructional resources.
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What if we don’t have Internet connectivity?
RCPS is providing several opportunities for Internet access for our families in need. In May 2020, RCPS surveyed our families on their home Internet availability. For families identified in the survey, RCPS will provide a hotspot for instructional purposes. Families not previously identified can join the waiting list. These hotspots will provide content filtering for security purposes. Also, RCPS has Internet access in the parking lots of all school facilities. RCPS has also partnered with Roanoke County to provide parking lot Internet access at Catawba Community Center and Bent Mountain Community Center.
Cox Communications offers low-cost internet through the Cox Connect2Compete program.
Comcast offers low-cost internet through the Internet Essentials program.
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What is synchronous learning?
Synchronous learning is online education that happens in real-time (live instruction).
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What is asynchronous learning?
Asynchronous learning is flexible on-demand instruction including self-guided lessons, recorded streaming video content and discussion boards.
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Will attendance be taken in RCPSOnline?
No, but if a student is not responding through work or not signing on when asked by the teacher the parent will be contacted. If there is no improvement, a social worker will become involved and will work to support compulsory attendance (meaning participation).
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Will my child need their laptop in school in the hybrid schedule?
Secondary students (grades 6-12) will need to bring their laptop to school each day in a hybrid schedule. Elementary students will leave laptops at home. It will not be necessary for an elementary student in grades K-5 to bring the laptop to school. Laptops are available on-campus for elementary students in grades K-5 when needed.
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How can we contact my child’s teacher?
All RCPS teachers are available through email, phone and Blackboard. All teachers also have voicemail.
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Technology FAQs
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I need internet access - what are my options?
We have a limited number of hotspots for familes that have previously been identified as needing a hotspot. If you need a hotspot but were not previously identified, you can be placed on the waiting list by sending an email to techsupport@rcps.us.
Also, RCPS has Internet access in the parking lots of all school facilities. RCPS has also partnered with Roanoke County to provide parking lot Internet access at Catawba Community Center and Bent Mountain Community Center.
Cox Communications offers low-cost internet through the Cox Connect2Compete program.
Comcast offers low-cost internet through the Internet Essentials program.
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Will I get a hotspot provided by RCPS?
In May 2020, RCPS surveyed all parents in our district to assess the need for Internet access. From that survey, we identified the families in need of a hotspot. For families on that list, the hotspot will be distributed when the student laptops are issued. The hotspots are secured by a password and will include a web filter. These devices are designed for instructional use only.
Families that are not on the initial list for a hotspot will be added to the waiting list.
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What the the specifics about hotspots?
Verizon is the initial carrier for our hotspot program. We have the ability to request a different carrier (US Cellular, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T) if needed. All hotspots are filtered to protect our students from inappropriate websites. Most video services are blocked as well. The data plan will have unlimited service for the first 30 GB per month. If the data cap has been hit, each hotspot will have 500 MB per day. We have a hotspot available for the families that replied to the Internet survey in May 2020. If you are not on the initial hotspot list, we will put our students on the waiting list.
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Is there a cost for the hotspot?
There will be no hotspot charge for students on the free/reduced lunch program. Roanoke County Public Schools will also offer other families the ability to join the hotspot program for $35 per month. Payments will be made to the home school of the student. There will be options to make payments electronically.
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What happens if we lose the hotspot?
Students are responsible to return the hotspot at the end of the loan period. If you do not have all or parts of the hotspot, you will need to pay for the replacement cost. The replacement hotspot is $107.00. The replacement power supply is $7.00. Payments will be made to the home school of the student.
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What RCPS device will my child use?
All laptops are a Dell Latitude device with Windows 10 and the Microsoft Office Suite. All laptops are covered under an accidental coverage warranty.
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What security measures are in place for the RCPS device?
All laptops are filtered for web content and malware attacks. All laptops are protected by next generation threat protection software. All students have limited user privileges.
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Why do we need a VPN connection?
All student laptops have a secure VPN connection to the RCPS network to allow the same user experience whether on campus or off campus. VPN will also allow for remote software installation and remote technical support.
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What tools will be used for synchronous learning?
RCPS will use Cisco WebEx and Blackboard Collaborate Ultra for synchronous learning.
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Will my child get email access?
All secondary students (grades 6-12) will receive an RCPS email address. All email addresses are protected by our Gaggle email filtering system. Elementary students (grades K-5) will not receive an RCPS email address.
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How will we get to the instructional resources that my child will need?
Students will access Classlink for most instructional resources. This system will also act as a single sign-on system for all programs.
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Support FAQs
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Is there anything that I can try if we have trouble with our laptop?
Yes. The first thing to try is rebooting the laptop. If that does not work, please request support or notify the school.
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How do we request support?
Students can take RCPS devices to the home school for repair. Also, requests can be made to the RCPS tech support via our support page. A tech support hotline is also available at 540-562-3880.
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Where do we take our laptop for repair?
Students can take the laptops to their home school. Secondary schools have laptop repair depots. Elementary laptops will be repaired by central office technicians.
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Will I be charged for laptop repair?
You will not be charged for normal equipment failures or accidental damage to the laptops. However, charges are levied for intentional damage to RCPS equipment.
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How long will the laptop repairs take?
Typically, we are on a next day repair time for most laptops. In rare cases, a loaner laptop will be available
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What should I do if I lose part or all of my RCPS technology equipment?
You must report any loss or theft of equipment to the home school. All students and staff are responsible for their equipment.