Online Learning: What Does the Future Hold?
“Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela
I am sure that I am not the only one wondering what the future of education will look like moving forward. What role will online learning have in the educational landscape? What options will parents and children have in the future?
Slowly schools are starting to move back to in person learning. Some schools have been closed for in person learning for eleven months. Bloomington Public Schools in Bloomington, MN reopened in January to in person learning for elementary students and already they have had to shut down again for two weeks due to a high incident of COVID outbreaks among transportation personal. I have to question the impact of switching from online to in person back to online learning has on students and families. These constant changes have got to be difficult for everyone, including teachers.
Over the past two weeks I have been interviewing many respected educators and the message I have heard from all of them is the negative impact online learning has had on many children. Students are suffering from chronic mental health issues such as stress, anxiety and depression. Much of this is due to the lack of social interaction with peers especially for teenagers. Dr. Delia McCabe, a researcher in neuroscience and nutrition, mentioned that once a child has a mental health challenge, they will be more susceptible to having mental health challenges in the future.
In an article titled, These 2 Moms Refuse to Settle for Failures of Online Learning, discussed a survey that was sent to the 500 school districts in Pennsylvania. “ The survey created by volunteer parents garnered 1500 responses from families in 54 of the 500 school districts in Pennsylvania stated one of the most troubling findings: 1 in 3 parents say their children’s mental health is worse or significantly worse than a year ago, and nearly 1 in 3 say their children are falling behind or not really learning at all.” Student well being is being negatively impacted not only in the social, emotional realm but also academically according to this survey.
Bloomington Public Schools has opened an additional elementary school, an online only school. Moving forward this will be a permanent option for elementary students. Families will have the option of continuing online learning for their children or going back to in person learning. I spoke to a person in leadership with the K-12 online schools organization in Arizona and she stated that their enrollment has skyrocketed.
One thing I know for sure is that education in the United States needed revamping. The system expects all children to fit into the “historical box” and if they didn’t fit then there was a problem with the child. In my opinion, the problem lies within the system not being able to adapt to the unique needs of each child. We need to do a better job of learning to adapt. As a consultant working with teachers nationally, I noticed a common trend that new teachers, those that had just graduated, were not prepared effectively for meeting the needs of the children entering their classrooms. Our children are our future. They deserve the best education possible.
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“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
― Frederick Douglass
The joy is in the journey!
Blessings and Peace,
Mary
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