The evolution of edtech and its implementation to continue educational instruction at a high level has been beneficial to our district and its stakeholders.
Now we see how important it will continue to be.
Working with students who have missed a substantial amount of instruction (one or more weeks) is an issue being addressed in schools now.
The pandemic helped create systems to fill instructional gaps with online lessons and students being able to access their assignments day or night.
Now, most are back in the school building full-time. Of course, many districts deal with contact tracing, and students who feel feverish must stay home as a precaution. There is also a myriad of circumstances that cause a student to miss many days of school.
While being back in the building brings a sense of normalcy, there seems to be a lack of preparation in addressing issues that have always been problematic; helping students catch up on instructions after a long absence.
Schools implement the usual strategies, helping students create a plan for catching up and asking their teachers for notes or class/homework they missed.
Some of this work is on the digital platforms (eClass, Google Classroom) districts use. Still, it does not replace teacher instruction, which is a crucial element in comprehending the material.
Education is changing rapidly, and advancements in helping students learn more efficiently are guiding the edtech revolution. Hopefully, these advancements will take some burden off teachers of providing digital instruction for students who’ve missed a significant amount of school.
Just one school counselor’s thoughts.
What are your thoughts about edtech and what it can do for students who miss a considerable amount of school?