Due to this shocking change in the way in businesses and schools' functions, our society is rapidly forced to adapt to this new way of life. Educational institutions in the U.S. and around the globe have shut down to manage the spread of the virus. K-12 schools will be out of school for months, where students must continue their work online.
This brings to question how educators are using technology in their remote distance learning environments and how these new methods heighten inequalities among youth who come from lower socioeconomic families.
By being thrown into this new way of teaching and learning, educators are quickly uploading course content online. Educators' level of technological competence varies. The ability to navigate online instruction may be more difficult for some teachers than others. This drastic social response to the pandemic requires rapid response and action on the part of the teachers. Educators are grappling with the need to develop course platforms quickly. According to Forbes reports that educators "are responsible for deciding what remote/online tools they will use." As there are no standard structures in place or online course development guidelines, many educators are having to learn and build classes on a whim. Thus, learning becomes more arduous for students as they are not only adjusting to this new way of life and education but are also attempting to simply find course content.
Some families do not have laptops or computers within the home, making it extremely difficult to complete online assignments through a smartphone. To make matters worse, in 2017, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration conducted a study and found that 7 million K-12 U.S. students do not have home internet services. In this technological era, which has been heightened by COVID-19, access to the internet is essential. To make matters worse, more than 20 million students in the U.S. rely on daily free meals for breakfast and lunch, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Now, volunteers are risking their lives to ensure students still received their free meals. Sclar, a history teacher from New Jersey said to CNN, "You've actually perpetuated the public health crisis out of concern that the kids aren't going to eat. It means we're way, way behind in understanding how serious the problems are in our country."
The unexpected nature of COVID-19 forced the school sector to respond immediately. Lack of educational policy planning impacted school response where unintended setbacks for teaching, learning, and student support occurred. Policies and plans will be established as a precaution if similar events happen in the future. But what will be encompassed in these policies, and will the development offer support for all students? As Nieuwenhuis says, "The success of any educational policy lies in its implementation" (1997, p. 141). Language and structure of policies influence policy outcomes. Dyer discusses the notion of backward mapping where the plan meets the public by focusing on the need and behavior at the lowest level and developing steps to address these needs from the bottom up. Policymakers have limited control in these developments; however, if possible, policymakers should deliver support and guidance to ensure the sustainability of these policies.
Needs will vary depending on the location. We can see this reflected in lower-income school districts where economic disparities are heightened. Flexibility within policies would help to overcome certain obstacles by providing appropriately delegated resources. It would behoove policymakers and school districts to collect data on educators' and students' needs during this crisis. This information would deliver on the ground experience and support the structure of educational crisis response policies.
Immediate response is needed to ensure online learning is equitable for all students. It is clear that educators need more online training support and guidance so they can adequately create online learning modules for their students and focus on educational learning dissemination. States should provide technology resources for educators that include information on online rubrics, ePortfolios, student response tools, online assessments, ADA compliance, inquiry-based learning, communication, and more. To ensure all students have access to class content, schools need to provide hotspots and laptops. Government and or private organizations should financially support schools in this process. Further, systems need to be established to guarantee students who receive free and reduced lunch still have access to these benefits. Based on what schools are experiencing now, hopefully, these unmet needs should be reached as educational policies are created through the backward mapping method.
Dyer, C. (1999). Researching the
Implementation of Educational Policy: A Backward Mapping Approach. Comparative Education, 35(1), 45-61.
Goldberg, R. (2018). Digital Divide Among School-Age Children Narrows, but Millions Still Lack Internet Connections. National Telecommunications and Information Administration. https://www.ntia.doc.gov/blog/2018/digital-divide-among-school-age-children-narrows-millions-still-lack-internet-connections
Maxouris, C. & Yu, A. (April 17, 2020). The coronavirus crisis spotlights the inequalities in American education. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-education-distance-learning-challenges/index.html
Newton, D. (March 26, 2020). Most teachers say they are ‘not prepared’ to teach online. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereknewton/2020/03/26/most-teachers-say-they-are-not-prepared-to-teach-online/#470f26f07f2c
Nieuwenhuis, F.J. (1997) Can research into the development of education in post-colonial Africa shape education policies in South Africa? International Journal of Educational Development. 17(2), 129-144.
So many variables involved. So many things to consider. Great thoughts!
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