Impact of the Pandemic on Urban Schools

Following this lesson, readers will be able to evaluate if virtual schooling or attending brick and mortar school has an impact on students in an urban area.

By the end of this lesson, readers will be able to determine the preparedness of Chesapeake Public Schools' to return to school virtually and brick and mortar during a pandemic in an urban area.

1. Virtual teachers have to re-visualize the boundaries for their classrooms. Some rules have to be more lenient online than they would be in brick-mortar classrooms. Building relationships is different online than brick and mortar.

2. It is harder for the children that need support to get it online. They need to get in person help and accommodations but they chose to do the school year virtually.

3. Students need supplies and updated materials quarterly and some teachers are left to drop off supplies every quarter because parents are not printing materials out.

B.M Williams Primary

Title I School in Chesapeake, VA

Google Map: Take a look around the community where the school resides to get a better understanding.

While virtual learning seems to be an advancement in this technologically savvy era and convenient for most, options need to be explored if this is equitable for urban areas and the difference in virtual learning and brick-and-mortar learning.

According to Al-Azawei and Al-Masoudy (2020), demographics plays an intricate role in the relationship between teaching and learning. While demographics should be studied and not overlooked in a virtual setting in an urban area, it is not impossible to learn in the most unlikely environments.

From common knowledge we understand that discussion is an important part of learning, as it helps to better understand a subject and brings about change to see individuals’ perspectives through dialogue.

Due to the pandemic most schools across the United States offer virtual learning. Based on observations children may not learn the same virtually as they do in brick and mortar causing a major gap in data. Students with accommodations, whose parents have opted out of face-to-face learning, are not receiving the same quality assistance as they would get in a brick and mortar setting. Teachers are left to compete with student's home environments causing a greater distraction for low learners.

Cavanaugh (2013) states, "many students that struggled in a traditional setting bring their academic shortcomings to learn virtually" (para. 25).