Changing course
Remote learning has led students at Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School to seek information on their own and become independent thinkers.
The combination of hands-on instruction and classroom theory that teachers use to guide students from all seven school districts in the county to obtain professional certifications and licenses in 15 programs didn't change when the school was required to provide remote instruction to comply with COVID-19 gathering restrictions.
The vo-tech is using hybrid instruction in which students attend classes in school two days a week and on alternating Fridays, and remotely two days a week. The way remote lessons were taught changed, and the results have been encouraging.
“It gave us the opportunity to use different ways to teach. We learned we can do this. We can do the online just as well,” said Eric Collins, an instructor in the heating, ventilating and air conditioning program for 24 years.
Remote instruction required students to do more work on their own and will help them think on their feet when working in the industry.“It puts more onus on theIt “It puts more onus on the student. We're always there in person to answer questions and help them out. This forces them to read and research, and come to their own conclusions. It will make them stronger,” Collins said. “In the trade, no furnace job goes right. You find something that is a roadblock, and you go around it. You have to work to please the customer at all times.”He taught theory and did demonstrations online, but limited the hands-on work students did at home.“I didn't want them to attempt anything for safety sake. We don't want them to try something for the first time without a professional there,” Collins said.Before the pandemic, he split his two-hour class in half with one hour devoted to theory and one hour to hands-on laboratory instruction.During remote instruction, the two hours consisted of theory, watching instructional videos and accessing other online content.“We never fell behind in theory, but we did miss one hour a day of lab. So we'll compensate with two hours of lab and keep theory up to date online,” Collins said.It will take about a month for the students to get up to date in their lab work using hybrid instruction in which half of his 83 students are in school on Mondays and the other half on Tuesdays. They alternate on Fridays.Collins said combining remote and in-person teaching provides a dynamic education.“This is going to change the education system going forward. I don't see this as a negative,” he said.Students in Amy Ellison's cosmetology class became more engaged in their schoolwork during remote instruction.Cosmetology is among the most popular programs at the school. with more than 100 students enrolled every year. They are divided into two group. Each group has its own teacher.
Before the pandemic, students worked in groups in the school salon, but didn't like answering questions or participating in class, she said.“Now they do it on their own and they're more willing to talk. Before nobody wanted to talk or answer questions. Online, they're more willing to respond. They participate more,” Ellison said. “It forced students to get the ambition to get online and research different skills and trends in the industry.”Students are given mannequin heads and hands, tools and supplies to take home and use to practice different styles and techniques they find online, she said.Working together, students would submit videos they made of them performing manicures on each other and styling each other's hair. Grades can be based on the work they do in the videos or work they demonstrate in school, Ellison said.Using Microsoft Teams, she said she would demonstrate hair curling and other lessons for the evening class that many students have to take to accumulate the 1,250 hours the state requires for certification.In sports medicine — the vo-tech's newest program — Dr. Jen Hindman used Teams to conduct online classes in which she could demonstrate exercises or first aid, and see and interact with her 27 students.Using the Canvass app, she posts exercise demonstrations, tests and videos that students review.She demonstrates exercises that students can perform safely at home.Theory can be taught online, but in-person instruction is better for teaching exercises and first aid, she said.“They do exercises they can do at home with no equipment. We're concerned about liability with doing things at home, so I created safe things they can do with their siblings and family,” Hindman said.Then students have to perform those exercises when they returned to in-person instruction.“When they come back, I can look at their form, make adjustments and give feedback. I can't give feedback online,” Hindman said.Students use the exercises they learn to develop exercise programs that build strength, she said.During remote instruction, motivated students took advantage of the time they had to study online to prepare for live classes when hybrid instruction resumed last week.“Some were better prepared than others. A handful took the next step and became independent learners, and looked into topics they were interested in. It gave them the opportunity to dig into topics of interest on their own,” Hindman said.
