Learning Loss and What it Doesn’t Mean
Let's start with a few basic assumptions. Two choices existed during the pandemic for teaching and learning: Bore the kids with the scripted content in unfamiliar learning environments. Take advantage of the unfamiliar learning environments to engage students in ways those students would find meaningful. Only one of those choices was presented as a viable option by the powers that be. What should be obvious to all of us is that as educators we have students in our presence for a limited time and we should take advantage of every minute. Guidelines are of course useful and necessary in helping us do that, while a script to be followed under any circumstances would not be. Scripts don't understand context and used uncritically will create inefficiencies and certainly fail to take advantage of the limited time we have. What about when times aren't normal? What are the consequences of sticking to the script during a pandemic when everything we thought we knew about the script ...