LANCASTER, Texas — Kimbernique Coleman is a 5th-grade teacher at Rosa Parks-Millbrook Elementary School in Lancaster ISD. She’s getting used to teaching online, just wrapping up summer school.
“We want them to feel like they are in class,” she says of her students.
As Coleman prepares for the fall semester, she feels ready for the challenges of virtual learning. Her focus is to get the students involved and have patience as they navigate the new platform.
"We want our kids to actually be engaged and have fun while they are learning, just how we would do it in our traditional classroom," Coleman said.
The day will begin in her Bitmoji homeroom.
Everything on the screen is clickable and user-friendly for kids to access. And for Lancaster ISD, teachers are using Google Classroom as their primary tool.
Students will be on video chat, and she can see what they are doing on the computers in real-time.
So when a student types a question or highlights words, Coleman can give feedback immediately. On certain assignments, students can also leave comments for each other like a class discussion.
There will still be quizzes and tests, but it will be online, and Coleman can track the answers live. All of her classes will be recorded too so students can watch them again.
She hopes parents don’t feel overwhelmed during this process. As a mother herself, she knows it can and will be difficult to help kids with online learning.
“The best thing that you can do is team up with your teacher, your school, and your district. And we are going to get through this together,” Coleman said.
Lancaster Independent School District will start school virtually on Sept. 8.