Abstract
The impact on elementary education, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, has far reaching effects and can only be ameliorated by educators following best practices in distance learning. The purpose of this chapter is to bring to teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, students, and parents innovative, effective ways to bring quality lessons at appropriate developmental levels to all students regardless of cultural backgrounds (i.e., second language learners, students qualified for special education, or those pupils hampered by trauma, homelessness, and/or mental health issues). This chapter will further describe through illustrations and step-by-step guides creating meaningful, interactive, and purposeful lessons to meet student needs based on assessment.
TopStatement Of The Problem
As alluded to in the opening paragraph, the eruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, with its inception in Wuhan, China, led to school district administrators and state governors all across America, scratching and shaking their heads as to how to meet statewide curriculum standards while simultaneously keeping students safe from the pandemic.
For example, on November 9, 2020, The San Diego Union Tribune announced, “San Diego Unified is looking to partner with UC San Diego to provide COVID-19 testing for all students and staff on all school campuses every 14 days.” (retrieved 11/11/20 from https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2020-11-09/san-diego-unified-school-board-to-consider-uc-san-diego-covid-19-testing-reopening-plan-on-tuesday)
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across America affecting 30 million public school students, were closed in March 2020 to minimize the spread of the virus (Alvarez, 2020). This resulted in new challenges for all school districts in our nation. A major challenge included school districts’ need to ensure all students had devices and internet access. Not all schools within districts had on-line learning systems which contributed to a delay in the rate of learning. After March 2020, districts created distance learning plans.
In New York City’s public school system, the plan to deal with COVID-19 was to lend computers to students without one at home and help students without internet access get online (Shapiro, 2020).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Lexile Level: A particular performance level related to vocabulary of a language. Often a term applied to a student’s reading level.
CAL TPA: California Teacher Performance Assessment governed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and ultimately represents a teacher candidate’s proficiency in conducting a complete teaching cycle: Plan, Teach, and Assess, Reflect, Apply.
Curriculum: A course of study in a school.
Teaching Cycle: As recommended by the Commission on Teacher credentialing, good teaching is cyclical beginning with Plan, then Teach and Assess, followed by Reflect and Apply. The cycle continues from lesson to lesson for optimal student learning.
Pandemic: An epidemic over a large region.
Special Education: Governed originally by PL 94-142, the All Children’s Handicapped Education Act and re-authorized to Individual with Disabilities Education Act (1990) and subsequently in 1997 and again in 2004, it provides for an Individual Education Plan for students qualifying under 13 separate categories of a disabling condition which impedes a major life function.
Social Emotional Learning: Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development.
Distance Learning: Distance learning is the acronym used by school districts and school sites to denote web-based, i.e., computerized instruction in the schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Professional Development: Required by many school districts for teachers to attend to gain proficiency in a particular subject matter to enhance student learning.
Common Core State Standards (CCSS): CCSS identify key knowledge and skills students must attain and teachers must instruct in the classroom.