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School Supplies
Families are asked to gather the following supplies for student use at home: Grade 1-6 School Supply list for the 2023-24 school year.
Full-Time Online Learning for Elementary Students
Social Studies, Math, Art, Health and Life, English Language Arts, Music, Science, Physical Education
CBe-learn elementary students form relationships with peers and teachers as they learn across the full Alberta Education Programs of Study. Learning occurs at, and also away from, the computer. As part of their virtual school experience students get to know additional students, teachers and members of the school leadership team through school routines and activities such as assemblies and other community building and leadership opportunities. Students are invited to participate in virtual clubs, virtual reading buddies, in-person pop-up events, as well as virtual and in-person field trips.
NEW | In 2023-24, families may request to take Art, Music & Physical Education either in-person or online. Families are currently expressing their preference for the September 2023 to January 2024 reporting period. Students registered for these in-person course offerings will come together on Friday mornings.
Fall 2023 | Sample Student Schedules
Partnership Between School & Home
At CBe-learn, certified teachers design, facilitate and report on student learning. The CBe-learn teaching team offers additional support and challenges to inspire all students registered in regular programming.
A caregiver in the child’s home acts as a learning coach to help the student develop positive learning routines and habits. The learning coach supervises asynchronous learning as described in the section below. Such adult support needs to be available to young learners during the school day.
Many learning coaches share that they enjoy seeing their child’s learning unfold within their child’s online program on a daily basis. Families are encouraged to share perspectives about their child’s learning with teachers and the school leadership team. Transparency about the amount and type of support offered in the home allows the student's learning team to best plan for future learning.
The school leadership team supports students, learning coaches, families and teachers. Such support is focused on enhancing student wellness, learning and the school community.
For more information about the important roles of the student’s learning team, please carefully review Roles & Responsibilities of the Elementary Learning Team (Student, Family, Teacher, School).
Asynchronous Instruction
The following are examples of the learning tasks CBe-learn students engage with before, following and in-between online sessions with their teachers and peers.
- Students check their Google Classroom stream each morning and several times during the day for messages from their teachers and school administration
- Students review and follow video, audio and written explanations and instructions
- Students create video, audio and written responses to posted material
- Students participate in surveys
- Students and teachers participate in discussion boards
- Students practice and show their learning when completing assignments offline
- Students review and respond to teacher provided feedback on student work
- Students engage in tasks away from the computer – and yes, even outdoors!
The ability to access posted instructions and tasks for review purposes supports student learning. Engagement in posted materials and completion of posted tasks leads to success in synchronous sessions. Within teacher-provided timelines, there is some flexibility about when learners engage in asynchronous materials.
Synchronous Instruction
In the CBe-learn elementary program, most synchronous instruction occurs via Google Meet. During Google Meet sessions:
- Students show and explain their understanding of asynchronous work
- Students ask questions about their asynchronous work
- Students interact with their teacher and peers as they further explore content and develop skills
- Teachers monitor, guide and assess learning
Given the purpose of Google Meet sessions as described above, students must be available for Google Meet sessions.
Volunteers
Thank-you to our valuable volunteers! Some volunteers contribute to virtual aspects of our program from the comforts of their homes. Other volunteers support during in-person learning events. Please contact cbelearn@cbe.ab.ca to inquire about volunteer opportunities at CBe-learn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is attendance at real-time virtual sessions with the teacher mandatory?
CBe-learn follows attendance processes
to align with The Education Act and CBE
Policy 6020. Attendance is expected at scheduled real-time virtual
sessions. Students will be marked absent if they do not attend these sessions. If the student is unable to attend a real-time
session, the parent/legal guardian contacts the teacher and informs the main
office.
Is the completion of independent
assignments required?
All learning tasks are designed to support student
learning. Completion of all tasks, including those that will not be submitted
or marked, is expected. If a parent/legal guardian believes a child already
knows and can do what the assignment is asking, they should encourage their
child to complete the task independently. Once the teacher is confident that
learning outcomes have been achieved, future assignments practicing the same
outcomes may be optional. The parent/legal
guardian is encouraged to communicate with the teacher about
the
challenge level experienced by students as they complete tasks at home.
Can the daytime caregiver join
live sessions?
Just like a face-to-face classroom, the teacher is the
only adult regularly present in live sessions. Other adults may be scheduled by
the teacher to join real-time sessions; such guests could include invited
experts and CBE staff. Parents/legal guardians/daytime caregivers should not be
heard or seen during live sessions unless invited as a guest for a specific
purpose.
Why are a camera and microphone required?
Teachers are expected to form a connection with
and between students
and
monitor student learning. Being able to see and hear young learners is critical
in achieving each of these.
What if there is a special
circumstance which prevents a student from using a camera or microphone?
Such circumstances should be discussed with school
administration. Please
contact via email (cbelearn@cbe.ab.ca) or phone (403-777-7971)
How do noise-cancelling
headphones
with
a built-in microphone
support
learning?
Noise cancelling headphones with
built in microphones protect the privacy of learners and
families while reducing background
distractions for the entire class.
How much time will the student
spend in live sessions with a teacher?
Each student in Grades 1-4, will receive a minimum of
8 synchronous sessions (varying in length) in a regular 5-day school week.
These sessions will account for at least 5 hours of synchronous time each week
for every learner. Synchronous
session time in Grades 5-6 may vary to
accommodate time students need to complete lengthier assignments at these older
ages.
Why might the live session
schedule change from time to time?
Teachers plan according to current learning outcomes and the current and specific needs of their students. In the absence of having to share rooms, hallways and furniture, such scheduling flexibility is an advantage of online learning.
How much time will the student
spend working outside of online meetings?
The amount of time spent each day on asynchronous materials and tasks will be different for each student and at each grade-level. While our youngest learners can expect to engage in asynchronous work up to one hour each day, our oldest elementary students could expect to spend up to 3 hours daily on such tasks. The Learning Coach is encouraged to discuss the amount of time spent on asynchronous work with the teacher - especially if this seems inappropriate for the learner and their learning goals. Asynchronous learning tasks should be neither too easy nor too difficult for the student.
Will students receive feedback on
all assignments?
Just like in in-person learning, many tasks are
assigned for practice and enrichment purposes. During online
sessions students talk about and show what they have learned during the
completion of asynchronous tasks. School
administration encourages teachers to request
that some asynchronous tasks are turned in. Teachers review the submitted
assignments to identify
student successes and struggles and to determine
next instructional steps accordingly. Sometimes
the teacher may provide detailed
feedback that guides student learning. In
order to benefit
from such feedback, students are encouraged to review provided feedback with
their learning coach.
What is the best way for
parents/legal guardians to communicate with the teacher?
Communication with the teacher occurs through the teacher’s ____@cbe.ab.ca email address. Guardians may request a virtual meeting via email. Please keep in mind that teachers meet with various groups of students throughout the school day and that these meetings with students take priority over the monitoring of email during school hours.
What kind of support should be
offered at home?
It is essential that an adult in the home helps the student organize and follow learning routines. It is reasonable to expect that younger learners will need help understanding instructions provided in Google Classroom. Sometimes the daytime caregiver will be asked to support the student in completing a task. The teacher should be informed about the support the child receives when completing assignments at home. Please carefully review Roles & Responsibilities of the Elementary Learning Team (Student, Family, Teacher, School).
What if the student does not
understand what to do?
The student should first review instructions and supporting materials posted in Google Classroom. If the student still has questions, they can ask someone in the home to help them understand what to do. If the student is still unsure, they should be encouraged to ask the teacher either via the teacher’s _______@educbe.ca email address or at an appropriate time during a real-time virtual session. The student/parent/legal guardian can also email the teacher to ask a question or request a real-time virtual opportunity for the student to meet with the teacher.
Are there times when an adult should not be helping the student?
Sometimes the student will be asked to complete a task
independently at home. It is important that the child demonstrates
what they can do without any adult support on such tasks.
If this seems unreasonable, the parent/legal guardian should discuss
with the teacher and then, if needed, a member from
the school leadership team.
Where can the student/family
access technology support?
As much as possible, teacher time should be reserved
for instruction and learning support. Please check
these links for support:
·
videos for technology tools
·
digital citizenship
·
Technology
Support for Students & Parents
Can the teacher share student information to help in the planning of external social events?
Teachers cannot share student information for any reason. We encourage families to share information as they feel comfortable at in-person events.
Have a different question?
Feel free to submit your question via the electronic form below.
Link: Questions for CBe-learn Elementary Team
Additional Information for Families
