Schools all over the country created asynchronous days: an out-of-school learning day when students work on assignments from home. Cobb County jumped on asynchronous days during COVID-19, giving students an asynchronous day every Wednesday, but when COVID-19 restrictions ended, the school board also removed the asynchronous days. Recently, Cobb County added three days for asynchronous learning to the yearly schedule. The past asynchronous day, August 21, 2023, NC allowed students to remain at home and receive assignments over CTLS.
The school board believes that asynchronous days may benefit students by allowing them to work on missing assignments or study while teachers remain at school to work on grading assignments or attend meetings. NC required all teachers to meet with their departments for yearly evaluations during the August asynchronous day. The option for asynchronous learning helps teachers avoid taking time from their regular teaching hours to attend a meeting.
“Asynchronous learning days provide an opportunity for students and teachers to ‘learn’ on the same day. While students are completing academic assignments on CTLS, teachers are participating in professional development and collaboration. Teachers are also encouraged to set office hours to support students as needed. Students who are missing an assignment, or scored below passing on an assignment, may be given an additional opportunity to demonstrate mastery in that area,” Assistant Principal Tonya Polk said
NC announced two additional asynchronous days throughout the 23-24 school year: October 16, 2023, and March 4, 2024, which replaced half days in the calendar. Asynchronous days fall on a Monday, allowing students to return on Tuesday and continue the typical school week. Asynchronous learning days help students focus on time management and hold themselves accountable to finish the work they receive.
“I look forward to asynchronous days because I feel it gives me time to catch up on my own instead of falling behind from workloads. I also always have my computers to help keep track of which class I’m currently doing work for which makes it super easy to stay organized and focused,” sophomore Lisa Scranton said.
While typical school days allow students to experience a hands-on learning environment, asynchronous days allow students to create a sense of responsibility for the work they need to accomplish. Hopefully, asynchronous days will allow students to focus on their missing work and work on that day’s assignments in the comfort of their own homes.
