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Coronavirus Latest: Philadelphia Schools Begin New Phase Of Online Teaching Called Planned Instruction

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Students in the Philadelphia School District are going back to school without leaving home. Starting Monday, the lessons go online.

With six weeks left in a school year turned upside down by the novel coronavirus, Philadelphia is moving into a new phase of online learning never tried before. It's called planned instruction.

"The focus on planned instruction will be new content and lessons led by teachers in all the content areas," Philadelphia School District Superintendent Dr. William Hite said.

More than 81,000 children have district-provided Chromebooks. Superintendent Hite says students will be assigned grade-level appropriate projects that will be graded.

"We don't know yet if the grades are going to be based on participation or the actual content of work," Hite said. "The grades are really designed as a way to give feedback, but it is structured to do no harm to students."

Nicole Manley, elementary math teacher at public Cyber Charter School Insight Pennsylvania, has this piece of advice for teachers tackling online instruction for the first time.

"Don't set your goals so high that they're unattainable," Manley said. "If you expect your student to sit at a table from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. like they do at school, it's not going to work. Even if you can get an hour a day out of your students, I call that successful."

Manley says the same goes for parents.

"Come up with a schedule. We're going to do this for an hour, and then after that, we'll play for a bit and we'll come back." Manley said.

The Philadelphia School District's academic year ends June 12. Dr. Hite says he has not ruled out remote learning continuing until the next school year, especially for older high school students.

Families having issues with online instruction or equipment can call the district Chromebook hotline at 215-400-4444 or email FamilyTechSupport@philasd.org.

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