Avoid Being too Busy for Change
In prior posts, I’ve discussed the need to use the pandemic as a catalyst for change. It’s easy to get sucked into all the issues of the day, but how can we use this as a means to look for innovative solutions to existing problems. One such area is the technology gap. Many districts scrambled to provide a device to all students for remote learning and quickly realized the internet limitations of many families. What makes this especially concerning is that the families struggling to find an internet connection, were the same ones who couldn’t access homework assignments before the pandemic.
The primary barriers for families are cost and accessibility based on where they live. Many parents have creatively found ways to gain access, but it just isn’t realistic for everyone. Could you imagine working from your parked car for hours so that your child could work through their school day?
How do we address this gap? Well, many have said that resuming full in-person learning will do the trick. This of course solves it short-term, but what about the long term? This is especially tricky as schools and districts continue to see decreased budgets and having to do more with less. In this case, the gap continues to widen. This is the time to be bold and create change that will benefit all our students.
Let’s imagine how different the experience for our students would have been last March if schools would have already had a robust remote learning plan in place that accounted for a device, internet, and trained staff. Believe it or not, some schools were able to make this transition a reality as they had planned well before the pandemic began.
Some countries and communities have prioritized the need for equitable services. This may include providing MiFi hotspots through the community or even on buses. There is always the question about cost but wouldn’t the long-term outcomes of greater student success outways the initial cost upfront? If we reimagine the idea that a device is an essential resource for learning then it will be considered a vital part of their learning process. Removing barriers for our students will continue to better our everyday lives and our children’s future.
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