More exciting and fun information from our friends at the American Baseball Foundation:

“Throughout the entire educational system, from pre-K through university, so essential for the reproduction of civil society . . ., we are learning that online learning is a poor substitute for the classroom, the studio and the lab. It does not have the rigor, accountability, engagement, or depth of learning that takes place in the context of human relationships. We have a nation of students telling us that they miss learning together, that they miss being taught in person, and that they simply do not learn as much or as well sitting in front of a computer screen.” June 2020 Grant H. Cornwell president Rollins College

OurJune BASIC instructional staff worked to adjust “classroom” hours with the 44 students who undertook our first virtual program. Games were introduced in which the students vied for points to take home pizza for the family. We held a “surprise” raffle for all families with a $150.00 gift card as the prize. We asked our families to play sports with their children and to help them win points by sending along the video of the sports activities. In the whirlwind of contests, prizes and activities, our teachers noted that even if the students attended the classroom meetings, some of them shunned the camera and the teacher’s questions about the BASIC curriculum. We hadn’t studied Dr. Cornwell’s summary of online learning, but we felt his frustration

Our academic results reflect Dr. Cornwell’s hypothesis, in-depth learning takes place in a relational atmosphere. Only thirty percent of our readers improved their months to grade level, while 44% improved in math.

However, as the photos and video demonstrate, we made it fun!