DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – The Dawson County Board of Education welcomed teachers from Riverview Elementary School to present their teaching and learning efforts using technology at its February work session.

Angela Buytendorp, Christy Millholland and Beth Murray represented the school in discussing the challenges of virtual learning and transitioning back to classrooms.

Especially for early grades, relying heavily on technology tested both students and teachers.

Riverview Elementary School teachers’ response to COVID

After talking with the teachers, Brian DeRose, the coordinator of instructional technology, submitted the presentation to the Georgia Educational Technology Conference.

According to DeRose, the conference in 2021 only accepted half of the submitted presentations, which included theirs.

Buytendorp, Millholland and Murray not only had to engage the students, but also the parents.

At the work session on Feb. 1, the Board of Education listened to efforts to enhance learning with technology.

When outlining the teaching process, DeRose explained, “It wasn’t just pushing out homework assignments and assessments online, but it was the training the parents in doing these projects.”

For example, parents created digital valentines with their kindergartners and first graders. The teachers compiled these valentines into the students’ personal folders to read at the end of Valentine’s Day.

To keep students ready for in-person learning, the teachers wanted to make virtual learning feel like a classroom.

Buytendorp, Millholland and Murray felt routine was the key. They attempted to mirror daily classroom structure as closely as possible.

Teachers worried about children missing out on social activities as well as academics.

In their presentation, Buytendorp, Millholland and Murray gave examples of both challenges and solutions with virtual learning.

One approach to address these concerns was a talent show. Another figured out a way to still celebrate birthdays by everyone eating a favorite cookie together.

Even though the setting changed, Buytendorp, Millholland and Murray proved younger students could adapt and be a normal class.

“I think COVID really did a lot for our teachers as far as transforming everyone,” DeRose said. “But these ladies with the little K-2 have really come a long way in the classroom.”