93-3-WMR Audio on Demand presents the Preston and Steve show podcast. And now, Preston and Steve's news

update with Kathy Romano. Today is Wednesday. It is September 2nd. Good morning, Kathy. Good morning in the

news this morning. Students in the school district of Philadelphia are starting the school year today, but they won't be in the classroom.

Classes will be held remotely through at least the first quarter, which ends in November.

That means technology will play a key role, and Superintendent Dr. William Height said it will be different, a different experience than the virtual learning students had a few months ago.

This is unlike the spring and individuals will have lessons. They will be graded. We are taking attendance, said Dr. Height. So it's really important that individuals are logged on. So they weren't doing that before? No. So like in the spring, it was sort of like, even though a lot of districts weren't saying it, it was just recommended that you continue. Just kind of like modules and things like that? It was, well, so, I mean, our experience was they were given things to do at home and there were, it wasn't live teaching. Like, it wasn't lessons. There were either recorded lessons or just some instructions on what to do. And then, uh, Jace would do, you know. I didn't know that. Yeah, I thought they were doing that, going through the full machinations of a regular day.

So if a kid acted up in class, would the teacher instruct the kid to smack himself?

But now they're doing, I mean, they are. They're taking attendance. Okay, like a regular class. You are expected 100% to be, yeah, I mean, even so much so where if, you know, your kid isn't logged on, you get that absent phone call from the school.

I think that probably will play better, right?

I hope so, yeah.

Just go do this.

Hey. Yeah. Even then, that has a little bit more structure. And part of it, part of the reason I would assume is, you know, like we spoke to teachers yesterday, there's a lot of work that goes in to putting on a virtual class. Yeah. And with all attendance and making sure that they have all the necessary teaching aids and things like that. So I think that's why they couldn't get it together in the beginning of the year when the quarantine happened. It just came tearing out of nowhere. And they were kind of, you know, doing the best they could. And they've never had to do this before. You know, at least there was some time now. Yeah, no, you're right. Planning time. Right, yeah. So, you know, they have it down now. So there are three technology support centers where families can pick up Chromebooks for their students if they haven't already. The district is loaning one to any student who doesn't already have one. There will be a hotline for technical support issues.

There are three locations where parents can pick up the Chromebooks for the students from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

And those are at the Education Center at the Philadelphia School District Headquarters, which is 440 North Broad Street in the first lobby.

Fitzpatrick annex building, which is in the rear of the elementary school. And that's at 4101 Shalfant Drive. And then Martin Luther King High School, 6100 Stenton Avenue. Yeah, yesterday was our device pickup day. Okay. So we had to go get those. But do they all have to be Chromebooks? Or can you log on if you have your own lab night? They're compatible with Google Classroom, so it's easier. Like, if you have the, we had the iPad and some of the things you couldn't get to. All right. So it's compatible with what they're using. But the Chromebook are what we had to use. I'm sorry, did you have to pay to rent it for the year? You know what? I don't know. It's, I mean, they've used Chromebooks every year.

Oh, they have? or what we had to use. I'm sorry, did you have to pay to rent it for the year? You know what?

I don't know.

It's, I mean, they've used Chromebooks every year.

Oh, they have.

I'm picking up ends tomorrow afternoon in his school district. And it's like a $75 fee, but you get to keep it for the year. And then, in theory, return it at the end of the year. So that's a question I have because I read a story about a lot of the Chromebooks that were picked up last go around were pawned. Oh, no kidding. Like, it ended up being like sold, like, you know, and that's an issue. Yeah, like, how could they not be? To at least make sure that you return it and get, you're penalized if you don't right yeah Nick I don't know if we

had to pay for it enough but you can call Rochelle and ask her okay she's building a nuclear reactor

you didn't start school your kids didn't start school yet Preston no uh Parker starts at

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