Library 'vital' part of learning curve for Markham families coping with school closures

#learningfromhome puts e-learning substitute for classroom to the test

Yorkregion.com.com
May 19, 2020
Heidi Riedner

Home schooling during the pandemic has been a tremendous learning curve for school boards and families alike.

Measures to keep kids on top of their work while out of the classroom have put the contentious issue of e-learning sharply into focus over a number of issues, including equity, access and privacy.

The York Region District School Board has “redeployed” more than 20,000 Chromebooks and 1,500 internet connectivity devices to students who need them to continue their education online since schools closed in March.

However, that hasn’t been enough for about 1,700 people who have signed a petition on change.org, urging the board to allow teachers to use video conferencing.

In response, York’s public school board said it will implement video conferencing, but cites both equity and privacy as top concerns as it continues rolling out its online education program – the Learning and Caring plan – through a “phased approach.”

On the other hand, the York Catholic District School Board has given its teachers the “option to hold live virtual teaching sessions as part of their delivery of distance learning.”

The Markham Public Library (MPL) is doing its part to make virtual classes not only as close to the real thing as possible, but also live and interactive.

“We are faced with an unprecedented time and we know the hardships our community faces,” says library CEO Catherine Biss.

“Although our physical branches are closed, we continue to support Markham residents in many ways through our virtual programming and also our free digital library offerings.”

Programs for kids of all ages include Circle Time (English), Cantonese Songs & Stories, Mandarin Storytime, Coding Club, the Spring Reading Challenge and STEAM Tuesdays, offering activities for kids to try at home.

“It’s essential that we support the parents in building kids’ literacy (and also digital literacy) skills and encourage them to learn new things,” says Biss.

The library also hosts weekly virtual "meetups" for both kids and adults.

“It’s vital that we provide the opportunity to connect members of our community while we practice physical distancing. With so many parents feeling overwhelmed nowadays, we believe it’s beneficial for them to connect with other parents and feel supported.”

Whether it’s building kids’ literacy skills or helping adults dealing with stress, MPL aims to provide a community hub of support to help Markham residents get through the pandemic. 

Biss says the library’s virtual programs have been tremendously successful and have received a great deal of positive feedback from the community.

Since launching in April, they have received more than 26,000 video views on the Facebook Live platform alone.

“With hundreds of positive comments from the community, we know we are providing something valuable to the residents in Markham.”

Most of MPL’s virtual programs can be accessed through Facebook Live and Zoom, but can also be accessed via the Online Events page of the MPL website or by subscribing to the library's e-newsletter.

MPL’s new Spring Reading Challenge is open to children up to the age of 12, where they will be asked to read and complete a series of fun challenges throughout the month of May. Those who complete all the challenges will be entered into a draw for a $25 gift card.

"As we all navigate through the challenges of this pandemic, we will continuously listen to the needs of the community and provide the support they need," says Biss. "We want the Markham community to know that their library is here for them.”

The following list includes where programs are hosted:

Facebook Live: Circle Time/Mandarin Storytime/Cantonese Songs & Stories/STEAM Tuesdays/Trivia Night

Zoom: Parents’ Meetup/Coding Club

Google Classroom: Spring Reading Challenge