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.
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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.
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Mallory, I agree with your stance on the importance of planning ahead rather than waiting for the next crisis to hit. In my own blog, I talked about how Simonson and Zvacek (2024) emphasize the value of reflecting on what worked and what did not work with distance education programs so that improvements can be made to provide more successful experiences in the future. I also agree that teacher training is important when you are taking part in any form of distance learning experience. Capperucci et al. (2022), found that teachers who received specific training in assessment methods were better able to support student learning in remote settings. Professional learning is important for teaching in any environment.
ReplyDelete-Tanishia Smith
References
Capperucci, D., Scierri, I. D. M., Salvadori, I., Batini, F., Toti, G., Barbisoni, G., & Pera, E. (2022). Remote teaching during covid-19 emergency: Teaching and assessment strategies and the role of previous training. Education Sciences, 12(10), 646–N.PAG. https://doi-org.ezproxy.montevallo.edu/10.3390/educsci12100646
Simonson, M., & Zvacek, S. (2024). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (8th ed.). Information Age Publishing.