30 Mar2020
AACTE Responds to COVID-19
By Wendy Murawski
This article originally appeared on the ASCD InService blog and is reprinted with permission.
Social distancing. Stay-in ordinances. Home schooling. Experiences many of us never thought we would be living at the beginning of 2020. Now, the “new normal,” at least for the near future, involves students of all ages at home all day and parents trying to move their work to a virtual format. Managing the stress of change is a lot, but trying to do it while entertaining a kindergartner or overseeing a high-schooler’s online activities is enough to ramp up anyone’s stress level.
Just as businesses are trying to figure out how to sustain their work by renegotiating how to run the corporate world, so too must parents and caregivers renegotiate how things are done at home.
23 Mar2020
AACTE Responds to COVID-19
By Jennie Carr
Like most of you, I got the email from our president one afternoon last week expressing that our institution was transitioning to remote learning. Instantly, my heart dropped and a zillion thoughts started running through my head. How will I ensure my students get a good experience? What about all my interactive learning experiences? What if my student doesn’t have access to the internet? How am I going to do this?”
After a little reflection, I realized we tell our students not to panic when we assign them a task or assignment that to them seems unforeseeable (the first time they’ve written a 20-page paper or presented for 30 whole minutes). Moving to remote learning may seem unforeseeable to you. However, I urge you to take a breath. Instead of panicking or being irritated, consider an alternative perspective:
This is a chance to try something new. You can take advantage of this unique opportunity. There are dozens of online platforms that have generously offered services for free to support students and faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve been desperate to try these platforms but I have not had the time or the financial resources. Personally, I love instructional technology. The past few days I have been like a kid in a candy shop. I cannot wait to explore these pedagogical tools. Consider going back through your emails and pick one to try. Maybe it will rejuvenate you!
