Necessity Is the Mother of Invention: Learning From Teacher and Family Innovations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Moving Beyond "Learning Loss": Drawing Constructive Lessons and Insights From Research During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objectives and Purpose
This paper shares insights that emerged from distance teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than focusing on the dominant, deficit notions of “learning loss” and shortcomings of teachers and students during this time, this paper highlights innovations that sprang from addressing stark challenges.

Perspectives
Ladson-Billings (2021) calls for K-12 education to leverage pandemic disruption for a “hard reset” of practices in order to adopt culturally relevant, equitable and just systems. Ecological perspectives on learning (Bronfenbrenner, 1977), which emphasizes the role and value of the variety of settings in which children learn, and the notion of “funds of knowledge” (Moll & González, 1992) that centers the strengths and assets of families as a basis for developing pedagogy, are foundational to this research.

Methods & Data
Mixed methods data was collected in a large, urban Northern California school district that relied on remote, online instruction for the majority of the 2020-21 school year. Data included interviews, focus groups, and surveys with 31 K-5 teachers from 14 schools across the district who were participating in a pilot program focused on technology enabled learning. It also included interviews with 11 families from 8 of these teachers’ classes. Interview data used for this study was analyzed using Dedoose software both inductively to reveal emergent themes and deductively to identify practices that had been emphasized in the teachers’ professional development experiences.

Results
Data from teachers and families suggests that the transition to distance learning led to the development of new practices. Below we summarize the three main areas of innovation we focus on in this paper.

Teacher collaboration and professional learning. Prior professional development proved to be a critical resource and teachers involved in the pilot drew heavily on learning opportunities they had participated in pre-pandemic related to technology integration and ways to leverage digital tools for student agency and inquiry. Participation in the pilot also prepared teachers to collaborate. Amidst the demands of distance instruction, teachers relied on increased collaboration with colleagues to quickly develop digital materials, approaches for engaging students, and technical skills. For some, new leadership opportunities emerged as they shared their insights with colleagues who had not participated in the pilot.

Stronger school-family partnerships. Teachers and families both reported working in closer partnership with one another than prior to the pandemic. A large proportion of teachers indicated they communicated more closely with families and wanted to continue doing so after returning to distance learning. Families also indicated they understood more about their children’s learning.

Centering student engagement and agency. During distance learning, teachers experienced increased urgency to innovate to engage students, discovering new practices with digital tools that they plan to continue using during in-person instruction. Teachers described how connecting to student interests and cultures, creating opportunities for student agency and choice, and holding space for building community and peer interaction helped engage students.

Scholarly Significance
Our research-practice partnership contributes perspectives of students, teachers, and families from underserved urban communities, focusing on constructive insights that can contribute toward reimagining schooling post-pandemic.

Authors

• Amber Maria Levinson, Stanford University

• Brigid Barron, Stanford University

• Judy Nguyen, Stanford University