THE CONTEXT

On March 11, 2020, everything changed. With the declaration of a global pandemic, people worldwide began to experience profound changes in the way they live, and the profound tragedy unleashed by the spread of COVID-19.

The Global Pandemic

Follow the evolving situation from these official sources:

Government of Canada: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Canada's response

Government of Canada Public Health Services: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

World Health Organization: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic

EXPLORE FURTHER: Find the official government and public health sites for your province or territory and your municipality.


Explore information and features from these reliable news sources:

CBC News: Top Stories

CBC News: Coronavirus Tracker

Tip: Select the Local option on the CBC News website to find information for your specific location.

Globe and Mail: Coronavirus (Free access to coronavirus news stories)

EXPLORE FURTHER: Explore stories from a range of media sources and local media sources. Practice your information literacy skills to assess the reliability of the source!


IMPACT ON EDUCATION

News releases and information from provincial/territorial governments ministries of education:

Selected Articles

4 ways COVID-19 could change how we educate future generations. World Economic Forum, ND.

Social distancing in a classroom? Newsom suggests major changes when schools re-open. By Howard Blume & Sonali Kohli, Los Angeles Times, April 14, 2020

COVID-19 Is Reshaping The K-12 Education Landscape. By Heather Gillin, Texas A&M University College of Education, April 1, 2020

Ontario’s schools could look a lot different when COVID-19 shutdown ends. By Kristin Rushowy, The Toronto Star, April 23, 2020

George Couros: The Innovator's Mindset Video Podcast

5 Hopes for When Schools Reopen (April 2020): There are a lot of things that educators are going to have to think about when they return, and to be honest, a lot of things that are out of their control. But what are the things that we can do and focus on to make school a better place for all learners? In this episode, George Couros discusses 5 things we need to re-emphasize when schools return and why they matter.

Documenting Triage: Detailing the Response of Provinces and Territories to Emergency Remote Teaching (August 2020)

This report from the Canadian eLearning Network examines approaches to remote teaching in the first months of the pandemic.

"As we reflect on the most transformational educational crisis times in our modern history, we are presented with opportunities to take the lessons learned and best practices forward into the September return to school and pivot beyond pockets of innovation."

Impact on Children & Families

Selected Articles

Parenting during COVID-19: A new frontier. By Kassia Johnson, Canadian Paediatric Society, March 27, 2020.

Covid-19: We can ward off some of the negative impacts on children. By Paul Ramchandani, New Scientist, April 8, 2020

COVID-19’s Devastating Impact on Children. Human Rights Watch, April 9, 2020

The Kids Aren’t All Right. By Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, March 24, 2020

Closed Schools Are Creating More Trauma For Students. by Cory Turner. National Public Radio, April 20,2020

How Covid-19 is changing the world’s children. By David Robson, June 3, 2020, BBC Future

Take Action

Share best reliable information with your school community.

Design instruction to help learners deal with misinformation and disinformation.