BROCKVILLE – The Upper Canada District School board is moving forward with a new synchronized e-learning system, and Seaway District High School will be part of a pilot project for it in the 2019-20 school year.
The board announced plans in 2018 to harmonize timetables, bell times, and schedules across all 21 secondary schools in the next three years as the first step in the project.
Seaway, along with Gananoque Secondary School, Almonte District High School and North Dundas District High School, will be enable students using e-learning courses to use video-conferencing and other tools between schools.
Acting superintendent Susan Rutters presented the plan to board trustees at the April 24th regular meeting.
It will include students participating in video conferencing instruction in select courses.
Two of the courses in the pilot project will be Grade 12 level courses, one each in geography and Canadian history.
The pilot project will cost approximately $5,000 to run, with most of the expense funding equipment for the teachers teaching the courses, and headsets for students in the online classes.
Trustee David McDonald (Cornwall) asked if there were concerns that there were enough students at some of the schools in the pilot project to be able to run the courses.
“We consulted with the principals of the four schools and looked at what courses were requested by students,” Rutters told the board. “I think we will have more students than we have places for in this.”
The project will run in the second semester of the school year, beginning in February 2020.
