Since COVID-19 entered the world in 2020, it has left a significant mark across the educational landscape. Looking back at the past two years of education, we can see numerous changes that have occurred as a result of the pandemic. Some of these changes will be temporary, and even now are fading into memory, while others will continue to impact teaching and learning for the foreseeable future.
A significant change that has come about as a result of COVID-19 is that many teachers, parents, and students came to view education differently than they had previously. During virtual learning, many parents had a front-row seat in their children’s classrooms, and therefore gained insight into what students were learning and how teachers were instructing them. Parents became significantly more involved in the day-to-day learning of their children, which led to increased collaboration between teachers and families in many schools. Growing parental involvement in schools also has led to the recent push for parents to have a greater say in the curricula their children follow. This issue has caused tensions between families and schools in many districts across the country, and could lead to a permanent change in the ways in which educators develop their lessons and curriculum.
Another change that has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic is the increased use of technology in the classroom. Some aspects of the greater focus on technology will be, I believe, permanent. For example, in the district where I work, we moved from a shared-device program to a one-to-one program in which each student has their own Chromebook for use at home and school throughout the year. My district intends to continue this program in the future, as they have seen the benefit of access to technology for students who may not have such access at home. While technology will inevitably continue to be a large part of education, the extent to which lessons are delivered and assessed using technology is already decreasing since the early part of the pandemic. During the 2020-2021 school year, all worksheets, lessons, and exams in my school were delivered via computer to accommodate virtual students. The 2021-2022 year, in contrast, featured more hands-on projects and paper worksheets. It seems that the balance that is being struck at this point is to have a mixture of computer-based and hands-on activities, and I believe that this will continue into the next school year.
Overall, COVID-19 has impacted the world of education significantly over the past two years, but not every change is likely to be permanent. In the future, it seems that parents and guardians will continue to have a greater say in their children’s schooling. Technology will also remain part of the educational landscape indefinitely, though schools are not relying on tools like virtual learning as much as they were in the pandemic’s early stages. It will be interesting to see how increased family participation and use of technology will continue to impact education over the next few years as we move forward into a post-pandemic world.
On this blog I have previously spoken about how the COVID-19 pandemic has left an indelible mark on the education system in America. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the rapid adoption of technological innovations for instruction and assessment. Teachers have incorporated a variety of computer-based learning tools into their curricula in order to serve a population of students that may learn online, in person, or in a hybrid environment. Of particular interest to me are the various technological tools for assessment that educators have adopted in order to gauge student learning.
One tool that has become increasingly popular for assessment since the start of virtual and hybrid learning is Google Forms. There are pros and cons to using Google Forms to assess student learning. For schools that use GSuite as their primary instructional technology, it seamlessly integrates with Google Classroom and GMail, making it very convenient for teachers and students alike. Google Forms also makes it easy for teachers to determine which questions were answered correctly and which were frequently missed. This feature can help them determine the course of future instruction, as they can gauge student understanding of the topics assessed through a Google Form. Another pro of using Google Forms is that it has a variety of different question types. Teachers can create multiple-choice, checkbox, dropdown, linear scale, short answer and long answer questions. The diversity of question formats allows teachers to determine how they can best gauge their students’ knowledge of concepts learned in class. While Google forms has its benefits for online assessment, it also has some limitations. One issue I have noticed while administering Google Form quizzes is the lack of numbered questions. This may seem like a small issue, but when working with students who require questions to be read aloud, not having questions numbered can easily lead to frustration and confusion. Especially when students are working virtually, it can be difficult to help them find their place in an exam.
Another assessment tool that is commonly used in classrooms since the start of COVID is Blooket. Blooket is a website similar to Kahoot that assesses student knowledge using a game format. In my experience, students enjoy using Blooket to test their understanding of concepts because of its competitive nature. Therefore, student engagement is a major pro of using Blooket. I myself have witnessed students choose to study extra for a quiz because the teacher created a Blooket as a study guide. Blooket has a variety of game formats - some that are played solo and some that can be played as a class. Having such a variety allows students to test their knowledge in a way that works best for them. While some students love competing with their peers in a class-wide game, others prefer to learn on their own. Both types of learners can be accommodated by the diversity of game types Blooket offers. The biggest con of using Blooket for assessment is that it only offers multiple-choice questions. For certain topics, multiple-choice questions cannot address the breadth or depth of knowledge teachers wish to see from their students. Thus, a lack of short answer questions may limit the extent to which students show their knowledge on an assessment.
Digital assessment tools have gained popularity among educators in recent years, particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding increase in virtual learning. Of these tools, two that I see commonly used in classrooms are Google Forms and Blooket. Both have their pros and cons, and should be used in tandem, along with a variety of other digital tools, to fully assess student learning.
The modern world is full of technological innovations that shape our daily lives. Smartphones, smartwatches, computers, tablets, and the internet are indelibly woven into the fabric of our society. Additionally, improvements in transportation have increased the accessibility of travel. These technological advances have led to a dramatic increase in connectedness among people and cultures across the globe. With this increasing connectedness comes a greater need for understanding of others with various cultural backgrounds. In the past, people’s social and professional circles largely consisted of people who lived in close proximity to them. This is no longer the case for many individuals worldwide. People often have friends and colleagues who live in other countries, and need to be able to effectively communicate with them in order to maintain professional and personal relationships.
As teachers, we must ensure that our students leave school prepared for the challenges of the modern world. With our society being as globally connected as it is currently, it would be a disservice to our youth if we did not teach them how to function as a citizen of the world. If students have no knowledge of the world outside of their town, state, or country, they will be unprepared for the demands of a global society. When students understand the perspectives of people in other countries, they are able to more effectively communicate with these individuals, which can help them develop stronger personal and professional relationships. In addition, students who are exposed to viewpoints from around the world may develop an increased sense of empathy for those who are different from them. Intercultural communication and understanding are crucial in the modern world, and we as educators are responsible for instilling these skills in our students.
There are many ways in which we can teach our students about people and cultures across the globe. An innovative approach I have seen in my time as an elementary school paraprofessional is the “mystery class” project. Several years ago, I worked with a third grade teacher who would coordinate with schools in other states and countries to do virtual meetups with her class. Prior to meeting, the two classes would exchange clues about their location, such as traditional foods for their area, local weather, and the language most spoken in their region. After a week of clues, the classes would set up a time to have a video chat via Skype. If the time difference was too great, each class would record a video about what it was like to be a child in their part of the world, and then the other students would watch the video. This was, in my opinion, a very inventive and effective way for students to learn about other cultures, as they got to hear about these cultures firsthand from children their own age. The project also leveraged modern technology to connect students to other children across the world. Through cultural exchanges such as the “mystery class” project, students in the United States can learn about the lives of their peers around the globe. Now, there are even organizations dedicated to providing such experiences such as Global Nomads Group! Teachers in all subject areas and at all grade levels can incorporate global experiences into their classrooms using this resource, or similar ones. The more we can build cultural understanding and appreciation in our students, the more prepared they will be to take on the world after graduation.
In summary, our world is becoming increasingly connected due to advances in technology - particularly in the realms of communication and transportation. With the advent of the internet and global transport, many people have developed personal and professional relationships with individuals across the globe. As educators, we must prepare our students to successfully navigate an international society by exposing them to the perspectives of others across the world. By working with teachers and professionals in other nations, we can set up meaningful conversations between our learners and their peers abroad. Our goal should be to increase students’ understanding of people of as many cultures and nations as possible, so that they will be successful in navigating our modern, interconnected world.
Social and Emotional Learning, or SEL, has become a hot topic in education in recent years. According to CASEL, an organization promoting social and emotional education in schools, SEL is defined as “the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions” (CASEL). The skills students learn through SEL will not only help them in school, but also can contribute to their success in building relationships and developing a future career. It is a crucial job of teachers to instill strong social and emotional skills in their students, along with academic content.
Why is SEL so important for students? The reasons are many. Looking at the definition of social emotional learning from CASEL, there are many domains that are covered under the SEL umbrella. Each skill covered in SEL is a competency that will benefit students in school and beyond. The heart of social emotional learning is developing emotional and relational competencies. One component of SEL, “managing emotions,” is a skill that students need to develop to maintain strong relationships and persevere through difficulties. Students who know how to manage their emotions can respond appropriately to challenging situations, which may come up in the classroom or at home. Showing empathy for others is another aspect of SEL that helps students form relationships. As students build their ability to empathize with others, they will have a better understanding of how their actions impact their peers. In situations where students have to work together, it is crucial that they are aware of others’ emotions. A lack of empathy in group-work situations can lead to conflict and division among group members. SEL also includes the ability to set and achieve goals, both individually and in a collaborative setting. If students learn to set achievable goals, they can build intrinsic motivation to work toward completing their goals, which can build their stamina in the classroom and beyond. Finally, social and emotional learning focuses on students making “responsible and caring decisions.” Throughout every student’s life, they will be faced with numerous decision-making opportunities. Having a framework for decision-making will help students make choices that benefit themselves and others.
We as educators can embed SEL into our curriculum regardless of the subject we teach. So many components of social emotional learning can be woven into content-based lessons, and others can be introduced through classroom procedures. Many of the components of SEL, such as building relationships, making decisions, and developing empathy, can be built into group and partner activities in the classroom. For example, goal-setting and decision-making are crucial elements of any group project. To help students build these competencies, educators should make them integral parts of a partner or group assignment. At the start of a project, students can be given a goal-setting and planning worksheet that they must complete together as a group. As they work together on setting goals for their project, the students will have to use social and emotional skills such as problem-solving, empathy, and cooperation to ensure that their group is successful. Another time when teachers can incorporate SEL into their classroom, regardless of content area, is when developing or revising class expectations. In many modern classrooms, teachers and students work together to create class norms. As the class works together to develop expectations, teachers can build social and emotional skill-building into the process. Students can role-play how the norms they develop will play out in the classroom, which can bolster their empathy and problem-solving ability. Teachers can hold conversations with their class about what happens when norms are broken, which again can help students build empathy and understand how their actions affect others. There are so many ways in which educators of all types can build SEL into their curriculum - it just takes a little creativity!
It is crucial for students to learn social and emotional skills throughout their schooling. These competencies can help students build strong relationships, develop healthy emotional responses, and overcome challenges both in and out of school. Teachers of all grade-levels and subjects can incorporate social and emotional learning into their classrooms in a variety of ways. From co-creating class norms to explicit instruction around topics such as goal-setting and teamwork, educators should creatively weave SEL into their curriculum. In doing so, they can ensure that their students will not only be successful academic learners, but also emotionally and socially mature human beings.
CASEL. (2022). The CASEL Guide to Schoolwide Social and Emotional Learning. https://schoolguide.casel.org/.