Session Information
26 SES 11 A, School Leadership in the New Era of Digital Educational Development: Emerging Perspectives and Challenges
Symposium
Contribution
The global pandemic associated with COVID-19 necessitated a sudden and unprecedented shift from in-person learning environments to online teaching and learning at all levels of education, in countries throughout the world. Public schools in particular, were caught off guard, and educators were faced with hastily assembling a diverse collection of computers and online lessons, many of which were difficult to navigate, or incompatible with the computers they had. The sudden shift to online learning meant that teachers had to acquire or update their skills “on the job” as they were working in these virtual environments. Many students and families, particularly those from low-income and marginalized communities, struggled to access the technology and internet access required to work in their new on-line learning environments. In the years following the onset of the pandemic, much has been learned about how to effectively integrate technology into teaching and learning. Research regarding the availability and use of the technological resources during these years has also highlighted the inequalities that have long existed in schools and society in general. These findings confirm that students, particularly those from low-income and non-English speaking households, had difficulty accessing the technology, navigating instructional programs and obtaining reliable internet connectivity. Now that most schools have resumed face-to-face instruction, educators are reporting a dramatic increase in student discipline problems, including aggressive, anti-social behavior. Many teachers and administrators are leaving the profession, citing these and other problems, such as a lack of support for public education, low pay, and increased concerns about their physical safety and socioemotional well-being. In the years following the onset of COVID, there has been very little exploration of the role of technology with respect to the continuation (or lack thereof) of practices and policies that were found useful during the pandemic. For example, little is known about whether and how technology is still being used to close the learning gaps that persist among different groups of children or to help respond to the growing teacher shortage. Our paper provides preliminary insights into these issues from one of the sites in our study—the state of Texas, in the U.S. The data were collected from personal interviews with 30 teachers and 5 administrators in urban and rural schools districts in the southwest portion of the state. (This is part of an on-going study, and as such, our conference presentation may include data obtained from additional interviews.)
References
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