Riverside County Teachers Preparing For Online Instruction

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Nearly 1,100 educators in Riverside County and the greater Inland Southern California area are enrolled in an upcoming Google Camp to sharpen their online skills for the school year ahead, the Riverside County Office of Education announced.

Presented for the fifth year by the Riverside County Office of Education and the Menifee Union School District, the 2020 Google Camp enrollment is nearly triple over previous years due to coronavirus concerns that have forced remote learning, according to the RCOE.

The camp is a two-day learning opportunity for K-12 teachers and administrators. Scheduled to take place virtually July 22-23, the content will be focused on teaching and learning using Google Apps for Education, Chromebooks, Google Classroom, and many other educational solutions beyond the Google suite of tools, according to the RCOE.

"Ready or not, the coronavirus-induced school closures thrust all teachers and students into online-only learning environments in March. Since the 2020-2021 school year will likely feature some element of remote learning for many students, Riverside County Google Camp 2020 is ready to build the skillsets of teachers and administrators to enhance the learning experience for all," a news release from the RCOE read.

School districts in Riverside County have floated the idea of offering a hybrid model of learning for the 2020-21 school year that begins Aug. 12. The model would include some classroom time and some distance learning, but nothing has been set in stone as districts monitor the changing state and local COVID-19 orders.

In recent days the state's two biggest school districts — Los Angeles USD and San Diego USD — announced they would not offer classroom instruction when the 2020-21 school year begins. Instead, the districts will provide online learning only.

For teachers and administrators seeking more information about the upcoming Google Camp, click here.