Remote Learning in First Grade: Technology-Mediated Learning in Turkey and the United States in a Pandemic

• In Event: Technology, Robotics, and Computational Thinking for Learning

Abstract

The current Covid-19 pandemic has forced teachers to quickly adjust their teaching for digital spaces. This may be especially challenging for primary teachers, whose students need high quality, differentiated instruction (Walpole & McKenna, 2017). Therefore, this study explored the experiences of teachers, parents, and young children in response to remote learning practices in the spring of 2020. Two researchers observed the remote learning experiences of first grade children in each of their families, one in Turkey and one in the Greater Boston area. Findings revealed about what the two different online education practices mean for teachers, families and students. The results of the study have important implications for teachers, and teacher educators.

Authors

• Şule Yılmaz Özden, Sakarya University

• Valerie Harlow Shinas, Lesley University

• Chu N. Ly, Framingham State University