Author: wa-case

The U.S. Government Accountability Office recently published a 31-page report describing the challenges to English language learners and students with disabilities in distance learning environments required by the COVID-19 pandemic.

OSPI is welcoming feedback from stakeholders on the Specific Learning Disabilities: Recommendations for a Model of Evaluation draft. This input process is open through Wednesday, December 7, 2020, at 6:00 PM. Please submit your comments on the PDF or as detailed notes (referencing page numbers, if possible) utilizing the button below. The document will be finalized by December 11, 2020.

It’s harder to read a class when students are learning at home, so teachers need to explicitly ask for feedback.

When COVID-19 hit, many teachers knew that millions of their students wouldn’t have the home environment needed to transition successfully to remote learning. Videos of educators going to all manner of lengths to deliver food and learning supplies to students have tugged at our heartstrings.

Learning is poised for big change–two major catalysts are calling into question the value of going “back to normal”

I’ve seen a lot of metaphors for what pandemic teaching is like. Some say teaching in 2020 is like building a plane while you’re flying it. Others compare it to working on a Rubik cube: just when you thought everything would click into place, the whole thing falls apart.

Teaching young students to tune in to facial expressions—even when partially obscured by a mask—can support the development of emotional literacy skills.

Educator morale is dropping. School districts are reporting fewer job applicants. Student mask requirements are expanding. And there is a big range in the amount of live instruction schools offer daily.

Both Biden and his pick for vice president, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-CA, have criticized the Trump administration’s handling of school reopenings following coronavirus-related building closures in spring.

With a little creativity, those who support students with disabilities can help ensure they gain work experience, even while learning remotely.