Tech-Enabled Learning & Navigating a Pandemic

In this episode of Future of School: The Podcast, you’ll hear about the power of education associations and stakeholders working together and gain a new perspective on the benefits of technology-enabled teaching and learning. 

 

The episode begins with “Amy’s Thoughts,” presented by host Amy Valentine (0:37). She discusses the benefits of tech-enabled learning by presenting stories of two students―Elizabeth and Jemar―whose successes were shaped by blended and online learning options. 

The Integration of Technology in Remote Learning

Next is the featured interview (2:40) with Dan Domenech, Executive Director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association. AASA is the premier association for school system leaders and serves as the national voice for public education and district leadership on Capitol Hill. Dan and Amy discuss the steps districts have taken to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the journey from a starting point of “wishful thinking” all the way to meaningful action. Dan shares what schools are doing to deliver effective hybrid learning, how the role of the teacher has changed from “sage on the sage” to “director of learning,” how personalized learning is improving outcomes for students, and more.

Following the interview, this episode’s Research Insight demonstrates how most teachers felt that meaningful technology integration left them prepared to succeed in their instruction during the remote learning period caused by COVID-19 (19:13). Then, Kylie Gardner, a college senior and former FoS Student Scholarship winner, shares the ways in which online learning gave her better access to high-quality schooling. As a former elite cyclist, she was able to access instruction online at a time when she was unable to attend a brick-and-mortar school.

The Role of the Instructor with Online Learning

The episode concludes with the “5-in-5” interview with Theresa Bruce (21:50), a rapid-fire session in which Theresa gives a teacher’s perspective on some of today’s most important topics. Theresa is a social studies teacher at a KIPP charter school campus in Baltimore, Maryland. In this conversation, she discusses how many people misunderstand the critical role of the teacher in online instruction, shares one strategy―the feedback loop―that she believes every teacher should use, and gives her vision for the future of school. 

Learn more about Future of School and its mission to mobilize change in American K-12 education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that ensures all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning takes place at www.futureof.school. Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school and follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555 to keep up-to-date on exciting initiatives and opportunities. 

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