It’s a dizzying array of decisions schools will have to continue evaluating as the world faces the complex challenges of defeating COVID-19.
All kinds of technologies have helped save K-12 education from completely collapsing during the pandemic. Videoconferencing tools empowered educators to deliver live instruction and talk with students face to face virtually, many teachers who previously saw no need to use their learning management systems became regular users of them, and digital devices were distributed in record numbers to students all over the country.
Hybrid learning—a mix of in-person and remote instruction—also evolved quickly, with districts putting in place a variety of models. Some teachers, for instance, delivered so-called concurrent instruction, teaching students who were in classrooms and others who were at home, simultaneously.
There is still a lot of uncertainty about what teaching and learning will look like during the 2021-22 school year, driven largely by the COVID-19 Delta variant and large percentages of the U.S. population who remain unvaccinated.
But the commitment to getting kids back in school buildings remains strong and that means schools will have to be creative about how they integrate technology into teaching and learning. They will have to determine how and if they will provide options for students to learn part time or full time at home, what digital tools and teaching approaches they will use to accelerate learning in ways that help kids catch up on academic content they fell behind in during the past year and a half, and what strategies they will use to blend the use of digital tools into regular classroom instruction now that schools are flush with new technologies and the skills to use them.
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Agenda
Evaluating Hybrid Learning Options: Models to Consider
Blending Technology Into In-Person Instruction
Accelerating Learning: How to Make It Happen
How to Make Tech Decisions in a Volatile and Complex World
Technology to Ensure Learning Continuity: Reimaging Remote Instruction
Hear from Class’ Director of Community and Advocacy, Dr. Kim Oppelt and Jason Bedford, VP of K-12 and former teacher, about how to reimagine a more equitable and resilient K–12 education system to withstand future disruption and improve flexibility for all learners and teachers. They will also discuss how virtual classrooms can be both rigorous and engaging if supported by the right technology, people, and processes.