Prior to the pandemic, I would dream of my ideal K-12 education environment: a mix of on-campus and distance learning, all married together by deep integration of technology. Imagine... students getting adequate sleep, being able to work in an environment that's comfortable for them, providing them with opportunities to let their creativity shine beyond the classroom. This is hardly new in the post-secondary world, but it's hardly ever spoken of for primary and secondary education. While it might be a wonderful opportunity for students, one glaring and ongoing problem remains for many students across the nation: access.
As a Title I district, many of our students face great economic challenges, which often affects their ability to access a computer and/or internet access. Being a technology teacher with an entirely computer-based class, there are certain things I need to remain mindful of. For instance, I cannot assign homework because it would be extremely unreasonable and unfair to expect every student to have the same kind of access to technology. I also cannot expect all students to be proficient with devices they may have limited or no exposure to. Now, during this pandemic, the technology gap seems wider than ever.
Since March, I've faced difficulty with maintaining (or even establishing) contact with many of my students. For those I am able to communicate with, the weekly updates and open lines of communication offer a sense of normalcy amid seemingly ongoing chaos. For those that I can't reach, however, fill me with a sense of worry. I worry about whether they're safe, whether their family is able to eat, whether the pandemic has affected their financial situation...
It goes without saying that our district has done everything they can to try and meet the needs of our most vulnerable students (food giveaways and tech donations, just to name a few), but I'm left wondering what will change to better serve our community. Local resources are limited and were already strained long before COVID-19, but the road ahead looks even more challenging for those without.
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