Strategies for remote teaching

How did we come to this impasse?

In the middle of March 2021, the education world changed in the blink of an eye. One day, schools ran normally, as they had for many years with millions of adults and young people gathering in school buildings and classrooms, working toward the goals of teaching and learning. The next day, with the coronavirus spreading, thousands of schools closed across the country. Teachers and students stayed at home. School districts scrambled to provide students with laptops and ensure internet access. Teachers scrambled to transfer their lessons and assignments to an online environment. Parents scrambled to offer their children support to process the abrupt change. And young people scrambled to make sense of it all.

Amid all of this change, many of us have learned new terms — like remote learning, distance learning, online learning, virtual learning, blended learning, hybrid learning, and home-schooling. Though many people use these terms interchangeably, there are important differences to consider, especially as communities debate on what’s best for their children and school management attempt to draft education plans for continuous learning.