Shift happens: How we’re pivoting to off-campus learning
“Traditionally, life has been divided into two main parts: a period of learning followed by a period of working. Very soon, this traditional model will become utterly obsolete, and the only way for humans to stay in the game will be to keep learning throughout their lives and to reinvent themselves repeatedly.” - Yuval Noah Harari
Reinvention has become a constant in all of our lives and with it has come a requirement to adapt rapidly to new learning and lessons being placed before us on an almost daily basis.
If there is one standout lesson among many learned during the COVID-19 impact on our school it is this: our community - parents, students, teachers and administrative staff - has responded with remarkable initiative, determination and resilience. It is a reality that will leave a lasting impression on Walden International School and one for which I will have unceasing gratitude.
Our collective ability to pivot from the intimacy of face-to-face learning to teaching from afar is testament to the underpinnings of education at our school. In our endeavours to make good people we rely on everyone to approach new and challenging circumstances with good will, patience and a determination to move forward with commitment. From the practical and tactical measures - home deliveries by teachers, FB group for posting extension activities, setting up 1/1 zoom sessions for additional and remedial support, presenting online assemblies, and maintaining community through the making of a #alltogether video - to the constantly evolving synchronous and asynchronous teaching platforms, our team has displayed unrelenting commitment to continuing a robust, off-campus learning programme.
Since the emergency closures were first announced we’ve been inundated with a maelstrom of new terminology related to education - Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT), remote learning, online learning, distance learning, distributed learning, blended learning, mobile learning.
While I admit that our school initially embarked on what researchers have called "Emergency Remote Teaching", our offering has evolved into a quality online learning programme, a thoughtful and emerging balance of synchronous and asynchronous learning activities intended to inspire inquiry and conversation.
Another lesson that stands out is understanding the reality that how we educate students will continue to evolve and methodologies introduced under stress will be incorporated into the new normal when our campus reopens.
In a recent article on the site er.educause.edu I read:
“Hopefully the COVID-19 threat will soon be a memory. When it is, we should not simply return to our teaching and learning practices prior to the virus, forgetting about ERT. There likely will be future public health and safety concerns, and in recent years, campuses have been closed due to natural disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, and the polar vortex. Thus, the possible need for ERT must become part of a faculty member's skill set, as well as professional development programming for any personnel involved….”
As I celebrate our progress as a community, I know that what we are currently experiencing is only the beginning of ongoing evolution. Nevertheless, as many of our parents have written, our efforts are a robust first iteration with tremendous potential to become an invaluable addition to our teachers’, parents’ and students’ toolkits.