Continuity Plans in Education

Being a part of education during the shut down of Covid-19 taught us so many things. Crisis schooling is a real thing and we have to be prepared to teach regardless of whether the students are able to come to school or not. According to Doersch and Jackson (2020), "whether it's a pandemic, a fire, inclement weather, or some other unforeseen circumstance, learning must continue". I believe that our experiences during Covid-19 taught us that it is possible for the learning to be able to continue. 

In light of experiences from Covid-19, it is important for school systems to have a continuity plan in place to do their best to keep education from being interrupted in the event of a school closure. There are several factors that play a large part in making a continuity plan work smoothly. Making sure that there is a plan in place, teacher training, and effective communication. 

Making a plan

For planning purposes, districts must do a needs assessment and decide exactly how to meet the needs of the students in a time of crisis. A needs assessment will help when making a plan (SETDA Coalition for ELearning, 2025). When looking at the rubric, I feel like our district has always done a good job of each of the core elements, but especially the goals section which would be a part of making a plan. Our district does a great job of choosing goals that align with our district's mission and core values. Our superintendent is extremely thoughtful and always takes a very systematic approach with input from everyone necessary. "No organization should enter the distance education marketplace without a clearly thought-out plan that has gained the consensus approval of all key parts (Simonson & Zvacek, 2024). 

Teacher Training

Teachers must also be trained to prepare their instruction to respond to times of crisis; whether that be using learning management systems or using a flipped style classroom. "The more time spent preparing teachers for proper instruction during these new conditions, the greater the gains will be in student's outcomes and learning" (Doersch & Jackson, 2020). In our district, teachers have been trained and are urged to use Google Classroom. This makes it much easier in times when students are at home and need to keep up with what is going on in the classroom and what work needs to be done while they are out. When looking at the rubric, this helps meet the need for a seamless transition in instructional delivery method.

Communication

Another important factor in continuity plans is communication. Communication is key when students are not at school to know exactly what they need to be doing to continue their education. "Critical to any rollout is clear communication to all stakeholders including administrators, teacher, parents, students, funders, and community leaders" (Doersch & Jackson, 2020). Using Google education has helped create a smooth way in our district for school employees to communicate with each other and for teachers to communicate with students. In our district, we also have an email sign up system called Listsrv that provide parents a way to receive important information on a regular day as well as in a time of crisis. 

 

Citations

Doersch, D. & Jackson, F. (2020, May 13). Learning continuity guidebook: Start with your visions and goals. Classlink. https://www.classlink.com/blog/learning-continuity-guidebook-part1

SETDA Coalition for ELearning. (2025). Elearning coalition resources. State Educational Technology Directors Association. https://www.setda.org/main-coalitions/elearning

Simonson, M., & Zvacek, S. (2024). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (8th ed.). Charolette, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.

Inside The Flipped Classroom

What is The Flipped Classroom Model?

The flipped classroom model can be extremely beneficial when used in the classroom and used well. This model involves flipping the traditional classroom model where the teacher is delivering information that is necessary for students to know and having students access lecture videos, study resources, or any other materials that would help them learn the lesson content outside of the class. This allows class time to be used for class discussions, collaborative activities, and hands-on engagement using the content that they learned about outside of class. The teacher can then spend time facilitating activities, creating opportunities for enriched learning, and developing more rigorous activities and discussions rather than spending time lecture during class (Saira et. al, 2021). I love the image below; it explains how students learn new skills at home so that they can participate in more complex thinking at school. They can move beyond the surface layer of content and learn to apply the content in more rigorous ways with their teachers there to guide them as a facilitator. 

Simonson and Zvacek (2024) discuss how the flipped classroom usually involves recorded lectures. That does not always have to be the case. I believe that outside of the classroom, there just needs to be some type of interaction with the material that needs to be learned. This could be reading from a textbook, watching an informational video, reading related articles, researching a topic, etc. This allows students to gain an understanding of the material or concepts that are needed to participate in discussions or activities that take place in the classroom or even during synchronous video conferences if it is a distance education class. Students retain their learning much better when they are interacting with materials themselves and discovering information rather than listening to information being delivered during a lecture. 

How does this model enhance student learning?

In the traditional classroom where students are listening to a teacher lecture or tell them all of the information they need to know, students quickly become disengaged. They have a hard time just listening and trying to absorb all of the information. Research has shown that when students engage with the material that they are learning, they are more likely to retain it. Reading about, listening to, or researching the material that they need to know at home and then coming to class or joining classmates virtually to discuss, debate, or collaborate using the learning material is much more engaging for students and enhances student learning (Agyeman & Aphane, 2024). The flipped classroom helps to create a participatory type feel to class rather than a sit and listen style classroom from the past; participation creates engagement and engagement enhances student learning. 

Simonson and Zvacek (2024) consider the flipped classroom style a best practice for distance education classrooms. This styler works well for distance education classes because students have to use their own time for so much of the class it saves instructors from having to use their time online together to teach the material and frees up time for the instructor and students to use the material for interactions that enhance student learning. 

Citations

Agyeman, N. Y., & Aphane, V. (2024). Implementing flipped classroom to enhance student engagement: An action research. E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, 1860–1878. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451119

Saira, Ajmal, F., & Hafeez, M. (2021). Critical review on flipped classroom model versus traditional lecture method. International Journal of Education and Practice, 9(1), 128–140. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.61.2021.91.128.140

Simonson, M., & Zvacek, S. (2024). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (8th ed.). Charolette, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.

My Experience with Distance Education

Positive Distance Education Experience

While taking classes at The University of Montevallo, I have had positive experiences in all of my distance education classes. Each of my professors have worked to make collaboration a part of the class through the majority of our assignments. Everything from commenting on blog posts or discussion boards to collaborating on a presentation as a group. It has never mattered whether the class was synchronous or asynchronous, I feel as though I have had the opportunity to get to know my professors and collaborate with my classmates. Simonson and Zvacek (2024) mentioned how research shows that, "student to student and student to content have been reported to be the most important categories of interaction with student to instructor interaction of less impact, but still important" (p. 77). 

I also feel like most of my classes have included people from various places who may not have been able to be a part of the class if it were an in person class. I enjoy hearing different perspectives on educational topics from those who may not live and work in the same area as I do. According to Sirotova and Pies (2023), one of the advantages of distance education is the diversity of the members of the class as well as the diversity of classes that are available for students to take. If it were not for the collaborative environments that my professors at UM have created, I wouldn't have the chance to hear about and learn from the perspectives of my peers who live and work in different environments from my own. 

 Distance Education Experience With Growth Potential

When I was working on my masters in 2010, I attended The University of West Alabama through their distance education program. All of my classes were asynchronous; I never laid eyes on any of my professors or my fellow classmates. I loved being able to complete my course work from my own home and work on my assignments in my own time while making sure that deadlines were met. I did, however, miss discussions with my classmates and impromptu learning that took place in the classroom environment. Sirotova and Pies (2023) mention that asynchronous distance education classes can leave students feeling lonely because of the lack of socialization involved. 

I believe that synchronous style classes would be a great way for UWA's distance education program to grow. Synchronous classes involve meeting virtually as well as assigning online assignments where students can work at that own pace while completing the assignments by the due date. Meeting virtually involves both whole group meetings with an instructor and meeting in small groups with classmates. Simonson and Zvacek (2024) discuss that when asked about distance education, students shared that they prefer in person classes because they like to be in the learning environment with their teacher and classmates but research also shows that students want to be allowed to learn via distance education. Synchronous classes offer the best of both worlds; students are able to participate virtually in the learning environment both with their teacher and with their classmates but from the comfort of wherever they would like to be during class time. 

Citations

Simonson, M., & Zvacek, S. (2024). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (8th ed.). Charolette, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.

Sirotova, M., & Pies, L. (2023). Positives and negatives of distance education from the perspective of teachers with practical experience. Przeglad Badan Edukacyjnych, 1(41), 121-138.