Some teachers, braced for a difficult year, were given additional space and time to experiment with remote learning options. Some students found they enjoyed the flexibility and independence of online learning.
As more schools return to full-time, in-person instruction, what solutions were created during the pandemic that can change education for good? What can Alabama schools learn from seeing what worked elsewhere across the country?
“A lot of education is hyperlocal, and a lot of journalism is hyperlocal,” said Ruth Serven Smith, editor of The Alabama Education Lab at AL.com, in a conversation with the Solutions Journalism Network. “We forget to look for solutions elsewhere.”
The Ed Lab, in partnership with newsrooms across the country, explored what initiatives may outlast the pandemic and offer chances for lasting success to parents, teachers and students. The collaboration was funded in part by Solutions Journalism.
Schools wanting to improve teacher morale could take note of how two districts in Alabama helped stressed educators and increased effectiveness by allowing them to focus on remote or in-person learning -- not both, Trisha Powell Crain reported for the Ed Lab.
The Christian Science Monitor delved into how some students are finding that the independence and flexibility of remote learning works better for them.
The Seattle Times focused on a collaboration between a Native tribe and school district to give students a warm and welcoming place to turn during the pandemic.
The Fresno Bee explored how a community organization helped teach parents how to use the digital tools schools were sending home with students.
The Dallas Morning News looked at what lessons districts could learn from iUniversity Prep, a virtual academy in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD that has been thriving where other online schools have failed.
Join us for a conversation about these lessons learned, hosted by The News and education journalist Eva-Marie Ayala, on Wednesday, March 31, at noon. Sign up to attend the virtual discussion here.
Panelists will include:
- Ian Kirk, a high school senior at iUniversity Prep in Texas
- Suzanne Lacey, an Alabama superintendent who tried to ease teachers’ workload
- Robin Lake, the director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education
- Nkomo Morris, a New York City learning specialist and guidance counselor
- Titilayo Tinubu Ali, the senior director of research and policy at the Southern Education Foundation
Submit questions in advance to edlab@dallasnews.com.
To learn more about The Alabama Education Lab and to get alerts about future work and events, sign up for its forthcoming newsletter, Ed Chat. See recent stories here.
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