The Positive Changes to Education due to Covid19

ost of us have really struggled this past year. Covid has changed everything about the way we teach and the way students learn.  But I want to take a moment to point out that all this change is not all bad.

For example, think of this little boy I heard interviewed on a digital education webinar. He said:

“I love online classes because I feel safe studying from my kitchen table at home. I don’t feel that way at school”. 

So it made me think. 

Is it possible that there are teachers and students who love studying from home? Are there parents who are delighted to work from home while their kids study at the kitchen table?  Are there teachers who love teaching through a screen?

As it turns out, yes, there are.

I’ve been reading a lot of newspapers and educational journals over this year, and I’ve found tons of evidence about the positive effects of the pandemic on education.  Turns out, there are lots of reasons that students, parents and districts are very happy with their at-home learning experiences. Let me describe a few:

Parents got a front row seat to their children’s education for months on end.  Many reported that prior to the pandemic, they had no idea what their kids were studying or how many classes, projects or online platforms that they were managing on a daily basis.  This awareness led to improved relationships with their kids, true admiration for what they are doing, and a better understanding of how they can help. 

A nice side effect of this same awareness was that parents now realize how challenging it is to motivate, educate and inspire young kids. I think we are now more aware of teacher effort than ever before. The fact that teachers had to adapt their entire curriculum to teaching through a screen in the space of only a few days was truly remarkable.

I know a lot has been written about students suffering from depression and loneliness after spending so much time alone at home during the pandemic. That is definitely true, but I don’t think that represents the full picture. 

There are many students who suffer from bullying, ostracism or emotional issues who feel more safe at home. They reported feeling “relieved”, and “grateful” when they realized they didn’t have to go back to the school building.  They honestly prefer to stay home where they feel more comfortable and more in control of their situation. 

Other students need the flexibility that online classes provide.  For example, some students who suffer from health issues are physically incapable of attending school daily. They have enjoyed changing the focus from attendance in class to just being responsible to learn the material and complete the work on time. Other students have jobs that help support their families, or are student athletes or actors and prefer the flexibility offered by online classes.  This type of flexibility has helped many of these students stay in school and graduate. 

At first, online learning was a little chaotic. No one knew exactly how to do it or how to make it interesting and efficient. But after a while, teachers were commenting that it forced many students to become more independent and autonomous.  Since teachers are not readily available all the time, students are figuring things out on their own, deciding when and where to study, and solving their own technology issues. Although this was forced on them, it certainly has its benefits!

This emphasis on independence has also affected teachers. There are many school districts that have given teachers much more autonomy over their curriculum and shifted the focus away from standardized testing. So, in the past, when schools spent a large amount of time preparing students for the state test, they are now giving teachers the opportunity to focus on what their students need and like. 

Let’s do more of this and allow teachers to do what they love … to teach!

Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say. No moment in history has ever proved that more than now.

Over this past year, teachers had no choice but to incorporate all types of tech tools into their teaching. Zoom was only the half of it. They found websites, apps and devices that helped them to engage and motivate the students.  They made massive improvements on assistive technology, “back channel” communications, social-emotional “check ins”, science simulations, online educational games and probably a million other things as well.   

As a technology specialist, I’ve been campaigning for this type of innovation for a long time. I was delighted to show teachers how to incorporate these things into their tool box of resources. Many teachers told me how amazed they were that they could grow and change so much in so little time.  They have realized a new sense of flexibility and greater possibilities in the ways to teach effectively to both online and in person students.

She is so right. 

The traditional teaching model has been around since the dawn of time. But now, due to Covid we’ve learned new skills and adapted very quickly. Not all of this change has been positive, but much of it has. Most importantly, it has opened the door to new possibilities, proving to us that we don’t need to stick with the same teaching method just because we’ve always done it that way. There are infinite ways to teach content, create connections and inspire the minds of our students.  I hope you agree. 

So what are your takeaways from the 2020-21 school year? What did you learn about yourself or your teaching this year that you want to keep?

Leave a message in the comments and let me know.