The COVID-19 outbreak has caused significant disruption to all levels of education throughout the globe. Most learning institutions rapidly responded by closing the physical locations of classrooms and moving educational activities online. While the speed at which this transition occurred is laudible, it has potentially left behind a contingent of students which, arguably, were already at risk of being marginalized by our education systems and society. This session will present a case of a rural school district in Washington state in which many students did not have computers or internet access and the ways teachers and administrators were able to ensure an inclusive learning experience for such students. The session will also present other best practices discovered on ways to ensure equity and inclusion in education moving forward in the current, and possible future, pandemics.
The COVID-19 outbreak has caused significant disruption to all levels of education throughout the globe. Most learning institutions rapidly responded by closing the physical locations of classrooms and moving educational activities online. While the speed at which this transition occurred is laudible, it has potentially left behind a contingent of students which, arguably, were already at risk of being marginalized by our education systems and society. Because not all students have computers or internet access, such students could potentially be unable to participate in coursework of which is likely to manifest long-lasting, negative consequences such as affecting grades, progression, retention, and graduation. Also, even if such students were given computers, they and their families may lack the technical skills to set up and operate them. Moreover, they still may not have access to, or ability to pay for, internet access. This session will present a case of a rural school district in Washington state in which many students did not have computers or internet access and the ways teachers and administrators were able to ensure an inclusive learning experience for such students. The session will also present other best practices discovered on ways to ensure equity and inclusion in education moving forward in the current, and possible future, pandemics.