Last week, Governor Abbott ordered all Texas schools to close through April 3 to limit the spread of coronavirus and its disease COVID-19. The decision has caused a litany of problems, chief among them being how to effectively implement remote teaching and learning amid the public health crisis.
In accordance with social distancing practices, educators now have to adapt curriculum and lesson plans to provide adequate instruction for their students from afar.
A stark digital divide compounds the problem for San Antonio instructors, who must take into consideration the many students in households without access to the Internet or enabled devices.
How does remote learning work and what resources are necessary to make it work? What do we know about the efficacy of and best practices for online learning?
How long are schools prepared to continue remote instruction? What will happen in regards to state testing? What kind of support are teachers receiving from schools, districts and the state?
How is the digital divide being considered when crafting lesson plans for remote learning? What's being done to meet the needs of special education students amid the public health crisis?
What techniques can parents implement while their child is learning from home? What resources are available to support parents and teachers throughout the process?
Guests:
- Susan Reeves, digital age learning consultant for ESC Region 20
- Monty Exter, senior lobbyist for the Association of Texas Professional Educators
- Dr. Donna Roybal, M.D., child and adolescent psychiatrist at UT Health San Antonio
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet @TPRSource.
*This interview was recorded on Tuesday, March 24.
