As the battle to contain the COVID-19 virus continues on, the debate as to when and how to remove restrictions placed by states has ramped up. In the midst of this debate is if/when to reopen schools. As of this post, 27 states have mandated school closures for the remainder of the school year and 3 states have recommended that action on the part of local school districts. In New England, New Hampshire and Vermont have mandated closings for the remainder of the year, while Maine is recommending that same action. Connecticut has extended its school closures to May 20. On April 21, 2020, Massachusetts joined the growing group of those closing brick-and-mortar operations for the remainder of the school year. Rhode Island is currently set to open in early May, however, all eyes are on the Governors of states who have not done so for updates that could potentially extend earlier targets in the coming days.
In an incredible shift, the likes of which has never been seen in education, our nation’s schools have developed and implemented remote learning plans. Most of these plans rely heavily on online platforms to deliver instruction and warehouse assignments. In other areas, where this crisis has accentuated a digital divide by economic levels and geography (rural v. suburban/urban), paper assignments are being delivered or mailed out to students with support from teachers and others to complete the work.
Michael Horn, head of strategy for The Entangled Group, an education venture studio, and distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, has authored numerous books and articles, and presented widely on the subject of technology and its ability to disrupt education as we know it. His work has led to 7 recommendations, recently published in an ASCD article, for schools who are braving this new frontier with little time to prepare. The big takeaways? Focus on what’s important – our students, first and foremost – and what are the essential learning objectives to accomplish over the next weeks of the shutdown. Horn’s seven recommendations are as follows:
- Expect some failure and admit some mistakes
- Tap the strengths of home-based learning
- Build a strong share culture anew
- Create schedules and routines
- Meet students’ emotional and health needs first
- Celebrate wins with kids
- Define your most essential learning objectives.
His article sums up all of the above by reminding educators to engage students in active, meaningful learning experiences.
While these recommendations are focused on remote learning, there’s much to be said for what learning should look like when schools reopen for face-to-face learning. There will be a new normal that will need to be established when it is safe to welcome our students back to school. Recommendations 5, 6, and 7 will require the utmost attention when that day comes, be it in a few weeks or next fall.
The TMS Team wants to extend our gratitude to all educators who made this shift in a matter of days. The diligence and persistent pursuit of ensuring that students know they are cared for, even from afar, and moving forward with their learning in the midst of this pandemic is a testament to their heroic efforts. These acts of kindness and caring permeate our profession. They existed long before our world was turned upside-down by this virus and they will continue on through the surge and long after the pandemic subsides.
TMS has listed some resources for remote learning on the COVID-19 Updates page of our website. We hope you find these to be a valuable resource. We would also like to remind our clients that Dr. Judy Houle, Senior Vice President of Entrepreneurship, has a background in virtual education and is willing to work with our current clients for no extra charge on the implementation of your remote learning plans. Feel free to email Judy if you would like to know more.