{"id":1319746,"date":"2020-05-03T18:45:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-04T00:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/?p=996076"},"modified":"2020-05-04T07:52:42","modified_gmt":"2020-05-04T13:52:42","slug":"monday-profile-school-district-tech-duo-rises-to-the-occasion-to-roll-out-online-learning-in-short-order","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/monday-profile-school-district-tech-duo-rises-to-the-occasion-to-roll-out-online-learning-in-short-order\/","title":{"rendered":"Monday profile: School district tech duo rises to the occasion to roll out online learning in short order"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script> jQuery(document).ready(function($) { \/\/$('.gallery-container').lightGallery({ \/\/download:false, \/\/}); $('#imageGallery-996076-378').lightSlider({ gallery:true, item:1, loop:true, thumbItem:9, slideMargin:0, enableTouch:true, enableDrag: false, currentPagerPosition:'left', onSliderLoad: function(el) { $( '.gallery-loading' ).hide(); $( '.swift-gallery' ).css( 'opacity', 1 ); \/*var maxHeight = 0, container = $(el), children = container.children(); children.each(function () { var childHeight = $(this).prop( 'scrollHeight' ); if (childHeight > maxHeight) { maxHeight = childHeight; } }); container.height(maxHeight);*\/ } }); }); <\/script> <\/p>\n<div class=\"row gallery-loading\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<p class=\"text-center\"><i class=\"fas fa-circle-notch fa-spin\"><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" style=\"opacity: 0;\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-996076-378\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled gallery-container\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-1024x747.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent | Brandon Beaudette, technology director for the Roaring Fork Schools, works from the deck of his home in New Castle.\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><strong>Brandon Beaudette, technology director for the Roaring Fork Schools, works from the deck of his home in New Castle.<\/strong><br \/>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-1024x747.jpg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-1024x747.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/a> <\/div>\n<p><!-- END .col --> <\/div>\n<p><!-- END .row --> <\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-3-1024x804.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"John Stroud\/Post Independent | Ben Bohmfalk, technology integration specialist for the Roaring Fork Schools, works from his home office in Carbondale.\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><strong>Ben Bohmfalk, technology integration specialist for the Roaring Fork Schools, works from his home office in Carbondale.<\/strong><br \/>John Stroud\/Post Independent<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-3-1024x804.jpg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-3-1024x804.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/a> <\/div>\n<p><!-- END .col --> <\/div>\n<p><!-- END .row --> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Schools didn\u2019t exactly have a worldwide pandemic plan in place to take learning from the classroom and move it online before COVID-19.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If they had, though, it might look a lot like what has transpired in a few short weeks this spring, according to the Roaring Fork School District\u2019s dynamic technology duo of Brandon Beaudette and Ben Bohmfalk.<\/p>\n<p>The takeaway so far?<\/p>\n<p>A lot of lessons are being learned about how education could be delivered in the post-pandemic future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis whole process, to me, has really forced the school district to be able to make decisions far faster than we\u2019ve ever been asked to do before,\u201d Beaudette, the district\u2019s director of technology, said during a recent Google Hangouts interview from his home office in New Castle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInternally, I feel like we\u2019ve done a pretty good job being responsive to the volume of changes that came at us pretty fast,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve never seen our organization work in this manner, so it\u2019s been fun to watch that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bohmfalk, from Carbondale, is the technology integration specialist for the district, and a former teacher himself at Basalt and Roaring Fork high schools.<\/p>\n<p>His job is to work directly with teachers to incorporate technology into their instruction practices.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy position has gone from this optional resource that teachers may access if they want to incorporate technology into their instruction to, &#8216;OK, this is what we\u2019re doing,&#8217;\u201d said Bohmfalk, who also sits on the Carbondale Town Council.<\/p>\n<p>One of the best things that\u2019s come out of the current situation is a heightened level of teamwork across the district, Bohmfalk said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe degree of collaboration that teachers are engaged in right now, I think that\u2019s going to last,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s always been hard, because our communities are so spread out. A teacher in Basalt and a teacher in Glenwood might not ever see each other, but now they realize they can do a lot of productive work through these virtual meetings. That\u2019s something I think will last.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Elementary, my dear Ben<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Prior to joining the school district in 2013, Beaudette worked in the IT department at Colorado Mountain College.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Before that, he was a radio signal systems specialist with the U.S. Army and later worked in computer forensics as a police detective.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve always been involved in technology,\u201d Beaudette said. \u201cAfter the Army, with my background, I ended up in law enforcement and gravitated into online investigations, mostly white collar crimes\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been lucky to be able to pull on those different experiences for my work now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Beaudette started with the school district as a computer technician and worked through the ranks to become the lead technology director.<\/p>\n<p>Normally, that involves oversight of information technology throughout the district, and working with Bohmfalk and other members of the instruction team to make sure the right tools are in place.<\/p>\n<p>Online learning occurs every day in a lot of classrooms throughout the district, but no one was ready to go 100% online, Beaudette said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTechnologically speaking, we had the infrastructure in place,\u201d he said. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t speak at all to the extra load on teachers, and what this change meant for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Beaudette approached the challenge from the technical side of things, he apprciates Bohmfalk\u2019s efforts to keep the teachers in mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Digital Down Under<\/strong><\/h4>\n<div class=\"p402_hide\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/05\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-2-1024x1018.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-996100\" width=\"512\" height=\"509\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/05\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-2-1024x1018.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/05\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-2-300x298.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/05\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/05\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-2-768x763.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/05\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-2-1536x1527.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/05\/TechieProfile-gpi-050420-2.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><figcaption><strong>Ben Bohmfalk steps outside for a little sun and fresh air after a morning full of video conference meetings. <\/strong><br \/><em>John Stroud\/Post Independent<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Bohmalk\u2019s technology job was created six years ago to implement&nbsp; a computerized learning management system for the district schools.<\/p>\n<p>He took lead on a project to put school-issued Chromebooks in the hands of all students, fourth grade through high school. That program was expanded to include third grade this year.<\/p>\n<p>He also worked with teachers to set up the online coursework platform called Schoology, where middle and high school students complete and turn in their class assignments. Elementary school teachers and students use Google Classroom.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to that, after having taught high school social studies in Basalt and Carbondale for 10 years, Bohmfalk and his young family lived in his wife\u2019s native Australia from 2012-14.<\/p>\n<p>There, he got a job for an Australian university as part of a team of instructional designers tasked with migrating curriculum to an online distance-learning format.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s like what we\u2019re doing now, except that instead of transitioning from a print-based model we\u2019re transitioning from a face-to-face model to an online model,\u201d Bohmfalk said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The goal was to create a blend of asynchronous instruction, where coursework is delivered to students to do on their own time, with synchronous components involving real-time online interaction with teachers and classmates.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think we have a good blended approach to distance learning right now, where we have core information students can access anytime, along with support and interaction around those resources that students can access in real time,\u201d Bohmfalk said.<\/p>\n<p>It might have been tempting to jump at the latest new tool ed-tech companies were essentially offering up for free when schools across the country had to close down for the remainder of the school year due to the public health emergency.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve been really intentional in this distance learning transition to say we\u2019re not rolling out new tools,\u201d Bohmfalk said. \u201cThat\u2019s where Brandon has been really good about saying, \u2018let\u2019s use the platforms we have.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith his forensics background, he also has a good eye and a good instinct for things like student data privacy and internet security.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Closing the digital divide&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>A big obstacle before the district could begin providing formal online instruction was to make sure as many of the district\u2019s students as possible had the resources they needed.<\/p>\n<p>On the IT side, that meant working with schools to make sure students had access to devices and adequate wifi service to be able to do school work from home.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really important to me that the product we deliver is of high quality, and is a good experience for students and staff members,\u201d Beaudette said.<\/p>\n<p>But that\u2019s hardly the only concern for families right now.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are suffering through this,\u201d he said, noting that the district\u2019s needs assessment turned up a lot of disparity when it comes to family situations.<\/p>\n<p>From the start, the district endeavored to check in on families about basic needs such as, \u201cdo you have food? Are the lights on?,\u201d Bohmfalk noted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat may be more important than anything specific to content learning,\u201d he said. \u201cThat kind of connection and support of our students and their families is one of our top priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After check-ins were made and needs determined came questions about internet access and computers.<\/p>\n<p>Through that process, the district determined that about 200 families were without home internet service. Some of those families still have not been reached, which is a major concern, he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re trying to be as flexible as possible to try to accommodate the fact that there\u2019s just a lot going on for people right now, and we can\u2019t guarantee access to everyone the way we can in the school building,\u201d Bohmfalk said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Even some teachers and staff members have limited home wifi access and occasions when their internet service is down. The district even opened up its public wifi outside buildings so that, if need be, a teacher or student could at least sit outside and get online.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Kid litmus test<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Bohmfalk and Beaudette also both have their own children learning from home, so it\u2019s been a good opportunity to check in with them and their teachers to make sure the systems are working.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cParents are our teaching partners now, more than ever,\u201d Bohmfalk acknowledged. \u201cSure, we\u2019re providing the curriculum and the supports, but part of a teacher\u2019s job is classroom management, engagement and keeping kids on task. That\u2019s out of our hands now, and we really do rely on parents to help engage their students and keep them moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For his own part, Bohmfalk said that, every weekday morning, he looks at his sixth-grade son\u2019s schedule and helps explain it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen he says he\u2019s done, I look at all his work and usually he has to go back and work on something a little more. When he\u2019s done, he has some free time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Beaudette said he has enjoyed watching his fifth-grade daughter become engaged in her own learning.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhether she\u2019s self-learning or interacting with teachers or her classrooms, it\u2019s been really fun to watch her become an online student,\u201d he said. \u201cI would never be able to see that in school, and now I get to be a part of it with her \u2026 because it\u2019s happening in the same house, and sometimes in the same room with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For teachers with school-age children of their own, that juggle between teacher and parent has been another reason for the asynchronous approach to providing online instruction, Bohmfalk said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe idea that everyone in the house is going to be actively learning and teaching all day, that\u2019s just not practical,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ve tried to be flexible and keep the content to a manageable level.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While there has been some pushback from parents who would like to see a more structured approach and greater student accountability, Bohmfalk said he believes it\u2019s the right path for the current situation.<\/p>\n<p>Once people understand the disparity in home arrangements and gain a little empathy for people who are in challenging situations, he said they might come to understand it differently.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are some serious issues going on right now, so we\u2019re trying to say there\u2019s more important stuff than what content we\u2019ll be able to cover by the end of the year,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the end, once the district\u2019s approach is analyzed and adjustments made, he said there\u2019s also a good opportunity to evaluate which methods might continue in the long run.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith some adjustments, we probably have a system we can fall back on if we have another extended closure in the future, or even if we\u2019re out for a week because of a big blizzard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>jstroud@postindependent.com<\/em><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/monday-profile-school-district-tech-duo-rises-to-the-occasion-to-roll-out-online-learning-in-short-order\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brandon Beaudette, technology director for the Roaring Fork Schools, works from the deck of his home in New Castle.Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent Ben Bohmfalk, technology integration specialist for the Roaring Fork Schools, works from his home office in Carbondale.John Stroud\/Post Independent Show CaptionsHide Captions Schools didn\u2019t exactly have a worldwide pandemic plan in place [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1319746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-04 00:10:59","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1319746"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319746\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1319753,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319746\/revisions\/1319753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1319746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1319746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1319746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}