Oakland Unified School District officials handed out laptops and other supplies to teachers and staff on Friday to ensure they have the tools they need to make distance learning as effective as possible amid the coronavirus pandemic.
OUSD Spokesman John Sasaki said there’s no telling when they’ll be able to reopen for in-person learning.
"This kind of follows up the effort to get all of our kids technology and make sure we close the digital divide, but part of that effort really has been to make sure that our teachers have the best possible technology that they can have," he told KCBS Radio.
Kindergarten teacher Elizabeth Diaz picked up a new laptop and hot spot at New Highland Academy. "It’s really challenging just to see them in one square, so yeah, this becomes very handy," she said.
Diaz added that she and her family use the same WiFi, which slows down her internet connection.
"My sister takes online classes," she noted. "There’s like four people using the WiFi. When I was teaching, one of the days, you know, my class just dropped. It’s very painful."
Right now, the kindergarten teacher uses two laptops to see all 20 of her students, but getting them to stay engaged has been a challenge.
"You have to be very creative, and you have to start jumping in front of the screen and singing," Diaz said.
OUSD plans on handing out nearly 2,400 laptops at about 70 school sites.
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