How the pandemic will transform teaching

Pandemic-forced school closures — from kindergarten to college — will transform how teachers teach and students learn, Kim Hart and Alison Snyder write.

Why it matters: This could be an opportunity to make changes that result in better outcomes for students and better resources for teachers.

• In a new survey of parents by the National Parents Union, 61% said schools should be focused on rethinking how to educate students and coming up with new ways to teach children moving forward as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Here are some of the ways experts say education will change:

1. Redefining assessment: Standardized tests have broadly been canceled this year. While there will be a need to assess where students are academically when classes resume next year, there will likely be more of a focus on mastery-based assessments.
2. New power in the hands of students and parents: Many are considering delaying or forgoing college given the risk of a second wave of this pandemic and the uncertainty of the job market on the other side of a degree.

• That’s an opportunity to address concernsabout the cost of higher education in the U.S. and how it serves students — and society.

3. More emphasis on personalized learning:Students will eventually return to classrooms and campuses, but virtual education will stay part of the mix.

• Blended learning options where students are split up for classroom learning for a few days a week and online for the remainder will likely become the norm, says Andy Rotherham, co-founder of nonprofit Bellwether Education.

4. Renewed focus on inequities: Larger reliance on remote learning has magnified existing socioeconomic disparities when it comes to access to broadband and devices, plus the availability of a parent to steer at-home learning.

• “Do children have hot spots? Do they have access to devices?” says Elisa Villanueva-Beard, CEO of Teach For America. “It’s essential.”

Yes, but: There will be a strong pull toward the status quo because people are longing for life to return to the way it was before the pandemic.

The bottom line: One of the most impactful changes brought on by the pandemic is a greater appreciation for teachers’ skill, patience and creativity.

• “Ultimately you can have all the tech in the world, but really great learning is a human endeavor,” Rose adds. “It’s about the teacher and student relationship.”

-Today’s virtual education isn’t working

The sudden shift to remote learning has exposed cracks in today’s digital teaching strategies, Margaret Harding McGill reports.

Why it matters: School districts that moved classrooms online early encountered challenges in trying to replicate a school day on a screen.

• “Just taking everything we used to do and trying to wedge it into a new virtual reality is not a promising practice, it doesn’t work,” says Michelle Reid, superintendent of the Northshore School District in the Seattle suburbs, which launched remote learning March 9.
• The district shifted its focus to critical content on a project-based manner, with both real-time learning and go-at-your-own pace assignments.
• Reid says the district is contemplating consolidating educational tools so parents don’t have to juggle different platforms.

Demand for ed tech services has surged, as has interest in training for teachers.

• Outschool, a business that offers live online classes for kids, saw a spike in enrollment, CEO Amir Nathoo tells Axios. 3- to 8-year-old kids are the fastest growing segment.
• Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda says the online platform has seen increased interest in courses for educators that aim to help make online teaching more engaging and effective.

What’s next: School districts should vet and limit which products they use, per Josh Golin, executive director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

• “We’re going to have to have a real conversation about what are acceptable business models for ed tech — because if we don’t have those conversations, the business model is going to be advertising-funded education,” Golin said.

 
-Q&A: Kids’ mental health

Children and parents alike are feeling the stress and there is evidence this could be long-lasting. Here’s some advice from experts on how to help children cope, Kim writes.

1. My child is acting out or overreacting to minor things, and other times withdrawing from the rest of the family. What can I do?
2. These are normal responses to stress, says Melissa Whitson, an associate professor at the University of New Haven who specializes in children’s trauma.

• Feeling helpless can exacerbate stress, so help children assert some control over the situation in small ways. Reframe social distancing as doing something good to help others.
• Let them make signs, make masks or take part in some sort of volunteer effort. “Finding ways to feel like we are contributing to something is very helpful. That goes for kids, too,'” she said.

1. How do I get my kid to give up the iPad without triggering a tantrum?
2. Plan in advance for transitions from screen time and decide how you’re going to cope when there are problems, says Elizabeth Englander, director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University.

• Carve out non-screen time and let children know about upcoming changes in the schedule, she said.
• Also, don’t be afraid to kill the internet if you don’t think the kids can handle making the transition, so they understand the privilege is linked to responding well when it’s time to put the screens away.
• She also suggests showing kids calming routines, like going outside, reading a book, or sitting on your lap.

1. The homeschool expectations are too much and I can’t keep up. Am I failing my children?
2. “Nobody is going to be completely keeping up, that’s a very tall order under these circumstances,” Englander said in a webinar earlier this week. “This is about moderating our expectations.”

• Even if it’s a struggle to keep up academically, focus on social and coping skills. Have family conversations, family meals, and keep old routines when possible.

Πηγή: axios.com