BRADFORD COUNTY, Fla. – A third option for learning is being offered to students in Bradford County, and it involves web cameras being placed in traditional brick and mortar classrooms.
Bradford Innovations allows registered students to attend their regular classes virtually alongside students who are in the physical classroom. The program uses Google Meets to make it happen.
According to the Bradford County School District, it will allow students to receive the same instruction as if they were in the classroom for six hours a day. It says it will allow for a seamless transition with a student is ready to return to the classroom.
Superintendent Stacey Creighton said the classwork will be exactly the same with a few obvious exceptions.
“They won’t be called on at home to answer questions, and they obviously would be missing, you know, the interaction with their peers, but the classwork will be the same. And the assessments will be the same,” Creighton said.
A concern in a rural school district like Bradford County: Internet connections.
“We’ve had internet issues across Bradford County, and obviously this would not be the best fit with those without internet,” Creighton added.
Equipment, however, is not an obstacle. Creighton said the district has a one-to-one ratio of laptop devices for students, meaning everyone who needs a device will be able to have one.
School in Bradford County is scheduled to begin on Aug. 10. In additional to traditional in-person learning and Bradford Innovations, the district is offering Bradford Select, which is a learning option provided by MyDistrict Virtual School. It’s a 100% virtual option that requires a semester-long commitment.
No action is needed should students wish to return to the classroom in the fall. Click here for more information about Bradford Virtual. Enrollment for Bradford Innovations is available on the Focus Parent Portal.
Creighton said she’ll be presenting the reopening plan to the school board Monday.