Trust and Whalen (2020) explored
educators’ experiences during the COVID-19 outbreak. The authors surveyed K-12
educators between April 4 and May 10, 2020. A total of 325 K-12 educators
completed the survey and 260 reported teaching in public schools, 46 teaching
in independent/private schools, and 19 teaching in charter schools. Data analysis
involved descriptive statistics for the quantitative survey items and a
thematic analysis of one open-ended question. Participants expressed facing
different challenges during the shift to emergency remote teaching. According to the survey results, 61%
(n=198) of the participants reported feeling overwhelmed with all the online
learning resources and tools available. Participants also reported the
following challenges: Lack of quality Internet access for students (n=173, 53%);
Lack of knowledge about online/remote teaching strategies (n=168, 52%); and
Prioritization of personal needs such as elder care, parents, and homeschooling
(n=162, 50%). Given these challenges, participants reported engaging in
different learning experiences to prepare for remote teaching. When asked about preparation for
teaching in a remote environment, participants shared how they were unprepared
to use online technology or remote teaching strategies. To prepare for the shift, participants
reported that they asked colleagues for help, ideas, and resources (n=222,
68%); conducted internet searches (n=206, 68%); read comments by other
educators on social media posts (n=177, 54%); reviewed resources provided by
their district (n=167, 51%); reviewed resources provided by outside
organizations, such as PBS, ISTE, KQED, and Common Sense Media (n=146, 45%),
and attended virtual webinars (n=127, 39%). Challenges led to new experiences for most participants. Camacho (2020) reflected on challenges with remote
teaching as possibilities for new experiences. Remote teaching provided an
opportunity for synchronous learning and asynchronous activities. Meaningful
active learning happened through preparation and planning as the normal
face-to-face environment transformed into teaching with digital resources. In
the case of Camacho’s
university, educators used the Google G Suite for Education. In summary, the COVID-19 pandemic
changed teaching and learning at many educational institutions. Although the shift
from face-to-face (in-person) instruction to remote teaching presented a multitude
of challenges, educators engaged in different learning experiences to support
their move to remote teaching. In
the next few articles, you will hear first-person stories from educators on
teaching during the coronavirus pandemic. If you would like to share your
story, please provide your contact information using the COVID-19 Stories
Interest Form. References Camacho,
A. C. (2020). Remote teaching in times of the COVID-19 pandemic: new
experiences and challenges. Online Brazilian Journal of Nursing, 19(4),
1–4. doi:10.17665/1676-4285.2020xxxx Trust,
T., & Whalen, J. (2020). Should Teachers be Trained in Emergency Remote
Teaching? Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Technology
& Teacher Education, 28(2), 189–199. Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2021, January 31). Challenges with remote teaching during
the pandemic [Blog post]. Retrieved
from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/ Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
The COVID-19 crisis changed the
destination and direction of teaching and learning across the world. In March
2020, education as we knew it changed as teachers, instructors, and faculty
members learned how to teach online in a hurry. There was a pedagogical shift
from face-to-face instruction to remote learning. Whether educators wanted to
or not, they embraced the digital academic experience. This blog article discusses challenges with
remote teaching during the pandemic.
Sunday, January 31, 2021
Challenges with Remote Teaching During the Pandemic
