Title: Incorporation of video in public education during the COVID pandemic
Author Name: Christopher Moore
1. Introduction
The coronavirus pandemic, commonly known as COVID-19, was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Due to its contagious nature, it spread quickly through the world, eventually arriving in the United States of America. “On January 19, 2020, a 35-year-old man presented to an urgent care clinic in Snohomish County, Washington, with a 4-day history of cough and subjective fever. He disclosed that he had returned to Washington State on January 15 after traveling to visit family in Wuhan, China.” Since this first case, more than 78 million cases have been diagnosed and 900 thousand deaths have occurred. The coronavirus pandemic led to overcrowded hospitals and affected practically every aspect of the society. Public school education was significantly affected. On March 26, 2020, Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order 03.26.20.02 closing public elementary and secondary schools for in-person instruction through April 24, 2020. https://gov.georgia.gov/executive-action/executive-orders/2020-executive-orders
“I am deeply grateful to State School Superintendent Richard Woods, the Georgia Department of Education, superintendents, and parents for keeping us informed and helping us make the right decision for our students,” said Governor Kemp. “Throughout this process, we will continue to seek the advice of public health officials, school leaders, and families to ensure the health and safety of the educational community. As we approach April 24, 2020, we ask for continued patience and flexibility since circumstances may change, but we encourage families to stay strong and follow the guidance of federal, state, and local leaders in the weeks ahead.”
During the coronavirus pandemic and in the spring of 2020, more than 70 percent of public schools reported moving classes to some form of online distance-learning. Eighty-three percent of public-school teachers reported that all or some of their classes normally taught in person were moved to online distance-learning formats during the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 (table A-3). Public school teachers in cities and suburbs (86 and 87 percent) reported such shifts at higher rates than those in towns and rural areas (75 and 77 percent).
Social media and other internet-based tools became an important component to keep the students, parents and school connected. It allowed its users to build a strong connection, communicate, and share information. About half of public-school principals in city and suburban schools reported that their school worked with internet providers to help students access the Internet at home. This was higher than public school principals in town and rural schools public school principals in city and suburban schools (75 and 69 percent, respectively) also reported that their school sent home hotspots or other internet devices at higher rates than those in town and rural schools (both 49 percent). Public school principals in town and rural schools reported offering spaces where students could access free Wi-Fi at higher rates than those in city and suburban schools
2. Overview of the Case
Midtown High School, formerly Henry Grady, is an Atlanta Public High school located in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia. Valerie K. Williams is one of the visual art teachers for the 9th-12th grade. The art class is entitled Fundamental of Fashion Design. Ms. Williams teaches six classes. The class is offered three periods Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and three times Tuesday and Thursday. Each class session 90 minutes. There are between 20-25 students in each class. The students are taught the fundamentals of sewing and fashion design, said Ms. Williams. “The goal of the design program is to build practical skills that can be used in different areas.” The class instruction must meet the Georgia Department of Education Standards for visual arts. https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Curriculum-and-Instruction/Pages/Fine-Arts.aspx The best designs are chosen to participate in the end of year of senior fashion show. http://unebellerevolution.weebly.com
Due to the Coronavirus’ high rate of transmission, the teachers and students were, originally, required to remain at home on March 26, 2020 through April 24, 2020.
3. Solutions Implemented
How did you adjust to teaching students virtually?
Valerie K. Williams: It was truly an adjustment to teaching virtually. There was no real learning or instructional support system to handling the specific needs of the classes and students. Midtown High School used Google Classroom to stream classes to the students. I met with the students at the same times as out in person class schedules. I was able to interact directly with the students. I, also, used an overhead camera technology to show closeup of my hands and the stitching techniques. In addition to the scheduled class times, I remained online to answer any questions or address unique concerns. I also used Schoology. https://www.schoology.com/k-12 Schoology offers learning management, assessment, and professional development. “Schoology is an online learning, classroom management, and social networking platform that improves learning through better communication, collaboration, and increased access to curriculum and supplemental content. I was able use the social media tool, YouTube, provide supporting media.” Two of the videos included: Hand Sewing Tutorial (RIGHT HANDED): Backstitching https://youtu.be/EZngDWBk0xEand Fashion Design 101 / the basics of sewing https://youtu.be/04SaJwy4k-A . According to the National Center for Education Statistics, before pandemic in the 2019 school year, public school principals reported that the schools assigned a computer or digital device that each student could take home.
What other Social Media and Internet-based tools did you use and how did it go?
Valerie K. Williams: “I used my computer to stream through Google Classroom at the assigned times. The school has a dedicated page for the students to access their courses which included written directions and virtual tutorials. https://sites.google.com/apsk12.org/grady-high-digital-learning/home The classroom lectures were live and video based. On the days I came into the building, I was able to use the lightboard. Highschool students don’t always share things they are experiencing. This is even more difficult to maintain our class standards and engagement through technology. I was fortunate to be able to use all of the technology the school provided but there is so much that we could have used if we were aware.”
In K-12 education, the common standards for learners are important in order to delineate a baseline by which to assess student progress toward meeting development goals. Students, parents, instructors, and learners can access a huge amount of supporting learning resources. Social media tools can enhance the learning.
What were some of concerns or challenges?
Valerie K. Williams: “Although art is often created individually, it is rarely created in isolation. The students were deprived of the socialization that occurs in the classroom. The students receive encouragement from their peers. Teenagers, in particular, need it. They collaborate with one another. There is an exchange in ideas. Their self-confidence and understand is affected. When the students were sent home, there was a concern that the students would not have the same structure and discipline that they would receive coming to the school. Logging into the class become an element of grading. I wanted to keep the students engaged and present.”
Valerie K. Williams: “Our administrators reported an increase in depression and a feeling of isolation of the students. Whenever I would host the class, I would remain online to give them an opportunity to discuss anything they are concerned about whether personal and class related. I would ask the students how they were doing to assess how they were doing on the projects and emotionally. The students didn’t receive the complete educational experience.”
The CDC study showed that female adolescents ages 12 through 17 visited hospital emergency department for suicide attempts between February and March of 2021 at a nearly 51 percent higher rate compared to the same time frame in 2019 before COVID-19 . During a period between March and April of 2020, visited hospital emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts among people ages 12 through 25 declined but then began to rise again during the summer of 2020. The increased depression rates had a direct relationship to the failure rates of the students.
4. Outcomes
Valerie K. Williams: “The students had a 75 percent pass rate. The other 25 percent of the students seemed to struggle throughout the school year. This is a lower percentage than before the pandemic. I decided to grade on merit. I allowed the students to turn in assignments until the last day of the semester. It became clear that there is a significant difference in adult and child learning. Social media can be distracting. During our class time, I could not always ensure the students were paying attention or engaged. I also have to find ways to get the information to students who didn’t have Wi-Fi or internet access. Most of the students have phones but not reliable high speed connections.”
According to a Household Pulse Survey, lower-income households were less likely to report computer and internet availability for educational purposes when compared with higher-income households. In addition to the disparities in access, low-income households may have lower levels of internet and computer proficiency, competing priorities and/or (in ordinary times) children attend schools that are not well equipped to provide online instruction. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/demo/hhp/hhp5.html The COVID-19 pandemic forced households and school districts to be flexible as they adapted to a change in the delivery of education.
Different social and economic communities in faced unique challenges for families who depend on their children’s school attendance to meet their employment responsibilities. Even with social media and online teaching, students still needed somewhere to go and required supervision. Some families allowed them to work from home and assist their children with their remote learning school tasks. Other families had to adjust their work schedule or quit working while their children were at home because of the pandemic. Teachers had to deal with the return to the school and had the challenges of the extra workload of adopting new safety measures, adapting lessons and coping with the digital environment, while contending with the increased anxiety they themselves experienced. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/0013189X211004138 The teachers and parents also had to adjust during the pandemic.
5. Implications
What are some of the implications you observed?
Valerie K. Williams: “Technology fatigue is real. Social media is a wonderful tool, but it should not be the primary tool for K-12 instruction. There is a huge difference between adult and children learning. The pandemic revealed that in-person public school education provides more than just education. Teachers can use their mobile devices to their students. Atlanta Public Schools has been incorporating more technology into the curriculum but it’s a slow transition. In many ways, it is still taught in the same ways it has been for decades. The students are savvier and use many more apps and programs. The material from the school is not created for these.”
In the article, “The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Educational Communities: Evidence of Early Childhood Education Students”, Martin-Sanchez, Munoz, and Rodriguez stated, “The health crisis resulting from the spread of COVID-19 transformed numerous social and individual spheres and is forcing institutions and citizens to adapt to a new reality. Many of these changes have offered an opportunity to introduce new dynamics and overcome old contradictions.” https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/8/4707/htm The public-school institution is very fragile and can significantly affect the quality and quantity of the learners by changes. The coronavirus pandemic exposed this fragility. The pandemic exposed the many inequities that already existed in the educational public-school landscape. The teacher and students were able to use social media and technology to aid in education while at home but it did not provide the equivalent level of learning. The crisis forced the entire educational field to rethink teaching and education. Many educational experts concluded that public schools would need time to operate normally and return back to it pre COVID conditions.
In a report from the American Psychological Association, it stated, “This crisis provides an opportunity for educators, communities, states, school districts, and the federal government to reexamine how students are educated and address all dynamics of learning by integrating academic achievement with social and emotional learning; trauma-informed practices; and principles of motivation and engagement. Isolation, disrupted routines, and ongoing uncertainty are highlighting the importance of emotional management, relationship building, and problem-solving. These critical skills can help students learn and cope with stress, instability, and trauma—both while distance learning and in a school setting.”