LIMESTONE, Maine — In an effort to combat the outbreak of the flu last week at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM), students were sent home a week early. The students were able to attend classes remotely by way of the distance learning program MSSM has created.
Luke Shorty, MSSM’s executive director, said sending the students home early would “kind of break up the petri dish, if you will. Thanks to a grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, MSSM was able to purchase a Learning Management System (LMS) called Canvas, which is made for large-scale customized learning.”
Most teachers used their school laptops, Shorty said, but one teacher used a custom-built distance education suite with a large-screen TV, camera and computer.
School officials said the past week was a stepping-stone for MSSM’s Distance Education Program. The Cooke Foundation grant helps provide long-distance education with specific courses.
MSSM alumnus Dr. Tom Giblin teaches the school’s students remotely from Kenyon College in Ohio. His course, Shorty said, combined with experiences in recent days, have helped faculty and administrators learn how to develop such programs in the future for students not necessarily on campus.
The students were receptive to the idea of continuing classes while at home.
Oliver Wainman, a senior from Kennebunkport, said, “The distance learning system is proving to be a very beneficial tool for both the students and teachers during this interesting academic situation. Due to successful work by the IT department, teachers, and the students everything is running smoothly. It is almost as if we are in the classroom for our lessons, but with all the comforts of home.”
South Portland native and MSSM senior Lily Tedford said, “Although I’ve experienced some technical issues, almost all of my regular classwork can be transferred to a distance learning setting … this format could work well as a method to increase MSSM’s outreach and contribution to education across Maine.”
