Today, for a keynote at the SITE 2021 conference, I reflected on the impact on our educational systems as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the pivot to remote teaching. In particular I took a deep dive into where we have been, where we are now, and where there is potential for future systemic and permanent change. For the overview of where have been and where we are now, I focused on just three things: 1) how access to technology has changed as a result of the pandemic, 2) how remote teaching has resulted in a significant shift to a focus on learners in the learning process, and 3) how the pandemic has highlighted not only deficiencies in teacher preparation but has impacted teacher preparation programs in a significant and positive ways. I referenced Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point: How Little Things can Make a Difference as a possible framework for guiding our efforts to permanent change by “thinking small.” By request, I share below a partial list of references that I used for my presentation.
- United Nations Policy Brief: Education during COVID-19 and beyond
- Common Sense Media – Looking Back, Looking Forward: What It Will Take to
- Permanently Close the K– 12 Digital Divide
- Digital Learning Collaborative: Early Emerging Trends in 2021 State Policy
- USA Today: A year into the pandemic, thousands of students still can’t get reliable WiFi for school. The digital divide remains worse than ever
- Designing Post Covid Learning Spaces
- BREAKING THE MOLD: How a global pandemic unlocks innovation in K–12 instruction
- COVID-19 and student performance, equity, and U.S. education policy: Lessons from pre-pandemic research to inform relief, recovery, and rebuilding
- National Parents Union Survey Of K–12 Public School Parents
- WILL SCHOOLS CHANGE FOREVER? Predicting how two pandemics could catalyze lasting innovation in public schools
- Acceleration, not remediation: Lessons from the field
- COVID-19 School Response Toolkit
- 4 Essential Steps to Secure Funding for Hybrid Classroom Technologies
- Teens Did Surprisingly Well in Quarantine
- Teens in Quarantine: Mental Health, Screen Time, and Family Connection 2020
Thank you SITE for providing me the opportunity to share my thoughts!
Kerry Rice, Ed. D. 