Adapting Schools in a Pandemic :

Supporting Teachers and Students

Key Speakers

Overview

March marked the beginning of a deadly pandemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and torn the fabric of our society apart. 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone but educators have had to adapt to a substantial degree. 277,285 cases have been reported in children since the CDC started keeping recording data on the virus. While school aged children may not be as vulnerable as their elders they can still experience severe symptoms like anyone else and are very capable of spreading the virus. Schools shutdown nationwide to curb the spread but students can only go so long without receiving an education. 

As schools have resumed education most schools have begun using online instruction as a way to meet educational needs. While e-learning does provide the safest option for students and school workers, it has presented challenges that have become increasingly apparent as the months drag on. Teachers and students are experiencing what many have described as “Zoom Fatigue” and most people miss the social support of school they were accustomed to in a time fraught with added anxiety and trauma from the pandemic. Without the physical element of classrooms it can also be difficult to screen students for mental health issues or offer communal support. Learning from home has also made establishing a work-life balance complicated when it feels like the classroom is always there and people are locked down with their families. Online learning is the safest option for student learning but it also presents accessibility issues. Students with auditory or visual impairments may have a harder time participating in class and it isn’t guaranteed that all content is digitally adapted. Being differently abled isn’t the only barrier, having access to a reliable computer and internet connection is an economic privilege that not every student has. 

This timely symposium provides an invaluable moment for educators, school administrators and other key stakeholders to discuss how to adapt to this crisis and identify opportunities to strengthen our educational system.It will allow delegates to consider how to overcome barriers students, educators and families face to getting everything they require. Participants will be able to transfer key learnings and best practices to their own communities whether at the local, state or national level.

Delegates Will

• Overcome Barriers - Discuss means to make online learning more accessible to the differently abled

• Stay Sane - Learn to cope with the added stressors of the pandemic and stay trauma informed

• Debate how to make classes more engaging despite online distractions

• Discuss how to respond to changing state guidance and protocol 

• Consider ways to help lower-income families and make digital education work for everyone

• Address “Zoom Fatigue” and how to adapt social emotional learning in a digital classroom

• Deliberate how school and community-based mental health providers can reach students at home

Program

Who Should Attend?