Last school year, students used a program called FlexiSched to schedule interventions with teachers during their studies. However, due to difficulties with the program, administration implemented My Flex Learning—which features a user friendly interface—for the 2019-2020 school year.  Kenneth Gable, the head of the Walpole High School music department, presented the new system to students during their study. 

“FlexiSched was not flexible enough for what we need to do for our schedule. It didn’t communicate with our student communication system, which is Aspen, and the new one does,” Gable said. 

FlexiSched also did not allow students to transfer into a new class the day of the study, forcing students to prepare and coordinate their study plans the day before, on top of other homework, priorities, and responsibilities. My Flex Learning allows students to make decisions about their study the day of, allowing students to seize opportunities for extra help when they need it.

“The fact that FlexiSched did not have an iPhone app was impractical. It was really inefficient and had a lot of technical problems, sometimes it would just go blank or break down,” junior Greg Tsougas said. 

Students are able to find My Flex Learning under the Student Resource page on their ChromeBook home pages. From the My Flex Learning link, students can access the list of interventions available during their study. Teachers are also able to sign a student up for an intervention when necessary. My Flex Learning allows X2 Aspen to edit the attendance list for studies when students decided to “flex” into another classroom, which makes it easier for teachers and administration to keep track of students. 

“Regardless of the scheduling, students should take advantage of this extra time we are giving them, which is a break, not another academic class with more homework or stress and anxiety,” Gable said. “Everyone needs that break, students aren’t any different, but the interventions are there if they do need that extra help.”

The guidance department, directed by Jennifer Dolan, is striving to provide the opportunity for students to receive the help they need without the burden of staying after school. 

“I think it is important for kids to take advantage of interventions during the day because once kids leave the building, there are so many different and competing priorities. There are students that can’t just stay after because financially, their families need the students to work, there are students that need to go home and watch younger siblings, and we also know that students are super conflicted when it comes to athletics. Students know that they’re supposed to be able to stay after, but we know it is hard to make that choice,” Dolan said. 

In addition to offering interventions during teachers’ free blocks, My Flex Learning also gives students the opportunity to switch into the library, so that they can work productively with fewer distractions.

“Right now, the same academic interventions are offered, homework club and some general academic support interventions will be available,” Dolan said. “Alternative settings are also something teachers will be offering where students take their tests not in the general classroom.”