With the assistance of a new K-5 online learning platform, teachers at Allegan Online have been helping students find even more success with their virtual learning. The platform offers students a clean interface, integrated video conferencing, engaging activities, fun games, and simple visuals to help them track their learning progress.
For Allegan Online teachers Julie Eckwielen and Amy Rogers, it was a long time coming.
“There were a lot of pitfalls with (the previous learning platform),” Mrs. Rogers said. “It was an uncomfortable and wonky program.” She said that the previous platform was a choice born of necessity when Allegan Online expanded to welcome all student ages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We needed something immediately,” Mrs. Rogers said.
But as time went on, it became obvious that the program wasn’t meeting the needs of its learners. “When we finally went to (Allegan Online principal) Michelle Ostling to explain what our concerns were, her eyes got so large,” Mrs. Eckwielen said. “She was in complete agreement that we needed to find something else.”
Mrs. Eckwielen and Mrs. Rogers started their search and soon discovered the “Stride” virtual learning platform. They were almost immediately hooked. “It is so much better than what we were using,” Mrs. Rogers said.
The program provided extensive professional development and support in order to help Mrs. Eckwielen and Mrs. Rogers get it up and running for their students. “We have a team from Stride that we meet with every week,” Mrs. Eckwilen said. “We developed a relationship with them.”
As that relationship grew and the Stride team learned more about Allegan Online’s successful program, it reached out to Mrs. Eckwielen and Mrs. Rogers and asked if they would participate in its virtual professional learning conference. “They were very curious about how we are so successful getting our kids into our building and participating,” Mrs. Rogers said. “They wanted to know how we have built our sense of community in a virtual school.”
The teachers shared information about the school’s “on pace” parties, community engagement events, and their efforts to support parents by meeting one-on-one to demonstrate the program and discuss expectations that will help ensure their students find success with virtual learning.
Those parent meetings have proven to be invaluable. “We find that parents walk in and don’t know what to expect about virtual learning,” Mrs. Eckwielen said. “We want to emphasize that this is parent-led and that parents work side by side with their kids, making sure they are understanding and doing the work, and if they don’t pass a checkpoint, that they review with their student.”
Those parent expectations, the Stride learning platform, and continued support–both virtual and in-person–from Allegan Online’s teachers have helped set up the school’s students for future success. And word is apparently getting around as the program continues to grow. “I have students from Shelbyville, South Haven, Bangor, Paw Paw, and Grand Junction,” Mrs. Rogers said. “We have kids from all over the place.”
