Crises – Opportunity by Cheryl Pruitt

Anomalies that fall upon us, allow us to be creative, to change for the future. The pandemic that fell upon all of us this time was that of COVID-19- a nightmare of sorts which came true to realize come of our worst fears and exposed some significant gaps. Everyone was highly impacted by this pandemic but the sectors which suffered the most were in health, employment and education.

Cheryl Pruitt said this article will focus on the education.

To keep everyone safe, the world went to eLearning and at a much faster pace than what most were prepared. No physical classes could take place, hence the system had to shift towards the online mode of teaching and learning, a regime very new for many students and teachers.

Cheryl Pruitt added that virtual learning for students in kindergarten through 12th grade been around for over a decade however there is still so much to be learned as it is nowhere near like the traditional brick and mortar experience dating back to the industrial revolution. From attendance, engagement, to academics, to social and emotional support, this type of teaching and learning provides a new avenue to explore but must be further enhanced, especially for children of color.

With a virtual system implemented, the rate of absenteeism has increased by six per cent. The stats show that across the board for schools/districts new to the daily use of this concept it was not easy. It has been found that more than one million students are now at the verge of failing. Mostly children of color. Students who were traditionally straight “A” students have consistently dropped in performance. The system was also not applicable for everyone and more than sixty per cent of the countries who had this system implemented, had no policies in place, Cheryl Pruitt.

Teachers have had to flip to a new norm and most of them delivered exceptionally, but this hard labour has taken a toll on them. In some cases, student information and learning management systems change however many remained the same which questions the true effects on teaching, learning and engagement. We see this with a startling number of retirees and resignations along with increasing student truancy.

Although students are thought to be safer in their environment, the isolation and restriction that come with this virtual-learning has been hard for both teachers and students. Aggravated trends of mental illnesses were reported in teenagers who were having enough of this on-screen classroom. Constant exposure to blue light from these devices made the number of students with eye issues grow, most of them also reported to have increased headaches.

Parents made amazing adjustments. The general assumption that every person in every corner of the world would have a device and internet were found quickly to not be the case. Even though many districts have tried to accommodate this issue, the question still remains what is the engagement and is anyone being educated and if so to what degree. The most overwhelming part for parents was the fact that they had to be at home to take care and teach their children, a skill many lack. Teaching one’s own child has always been difficult, even if you are an educator The burden was so immense that some had to quit their jobs just to be there for their children in this challenging time.

Cheryl Pruitt further added that schools throughout the world have had to be forced begin to imagine and implement a different way of teaching and learning to leverage resources and technology. For those who were working and delivering an alternative in virtual and blended learning, the criticism was very harsh. The truth is that we were not prepared, and we still are not which is devastating as it is costing us the future of our coming generations.

Education is transforming.