Commentary by Rep. Tony Cook
Typically, schools and families would be busy planning celebrations including prom and graduation, but now they shifted their attention to finishing out the school year remotely. For parents, this transition comes with an abundance of distractions as many balance working from home and teaching their children.
To help families navigate e-learning, the Indiana Dept. of Education offers online resources to keep students in all grade levels engaged. By visiting doe.in.gov/covid-19 and clicking “Remote Learning Resources,” parents can use the resource database to find activities and lessons by grade level and content area. While school districts had to cancel field trips, online tools are available to help learning come to life. Students can visit fun attractions, including virtual tours of state museums, zoos and more, all via the IDOE website. If you don’t have internet or can’t afford it, IDOE offers information about low-cost or free broadband services, or you can contact your provider directly for help.
The state recently teamed up with Indiana Public Broadcasting to offer educational programing that aligns with Indiana’s curriculum standards for K-12 students. Visit PBSLearningMedia.org to find your local listing and grab-and-go activities, lesson plans and interactive lessons.
Students needing help with math and science homework can visit askrose.org or call 877-ASK-ROSE (275-7673) for free tutoring. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology provides the service to all students in grades 4-12.
This is not how young Hoosiers and families across our state envisioned finishing out the school year, but staying at home is a necessary step to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Families are busy juggling working from home and making sure their children stay on track with their school work, and I hope these resources help as we all try to get through this together.
State Rep. Tony Cook (R-Cicero) represents House District 32, which includes all of Tipton County and portions of Hamilton, Madison, Delaware, Howard and Grant counties.
