The Changing View of Education

The The Changing Changing View View of of Education Education

When our country, and much of the world, went on lockdown to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, businesses and institutions everywhere had to rethink how to operate. Holy Family was no exception. How would we navigate this strange new world? What would we discover? And how would this experience shape the future?

By Barbara Link

Professor Maria Agnew ’90, PhD, had been closely following the news about the novel coronavirus. It was weeks before the United States would issue a stay-at-home order, but Agnew sensed what was coming. She began to prepare her materials, and her students in the School of Education, for the remainder of spring se- mester.

“I wanted to have those conversations with my students while we were still face-to-face,” said Agnew. “I told them while the future ap- pears uncertain, we will work this out. We will get you through this semester, and we will all be okay.”

The change to life as we knew it felt sudden and dramatic. On Friday, March 13, Holy Fam- ily shuttered its campus. By Wednesday, March 18, we had fully transitioned to a virtual learn- ing environment. Kevin Zook, PhD, Dean and

Professor in the School of Education, said the

University was well-equipped for the enor- mous shift that needed to occur.

“We’ve been moving in the direction of online education for the last several years,” explained

Zook. “In 2016, we began offering graduate

programs in blended and online formats, and several faculty members and students were already accustomed to this modality. When the decision to cease in-person classes was announced, it wasn’t as difficult as it could have been, had we not previously laid the groundwork.”

The University was already utilizing Canvas, an online learning management system where faculty posted syllabi and course materials, such as videos and PowerPoint presentations. The platform also offers several advanced features, including a mechanism to take attendance, and to meet in real-time as one would via WebEx and Zoom. While Canvas provided the necessary infrastructure, there were still numerous obstacles to overcome. Many faculty members and students did not have experience with online learning, and some were contending with additional concerns.

Our Top Priority

“ W e put our heads together and made serving our students the number one priority, as always,” said Zook. “Their semesters, and their lives, had been upended. Beyond the obvious challenges, we knew we had students whose home environments may not be conducive to learning, or who may not have the necessary equipment and technology. Some live with family members at extreme risk for contracting COVID-19. Some are in less than desirable situations to participate in a video class. We had to be acutely aware that each individual has a different set of circumstances, and ensure we remained patient and flexible.”

To better understand the challenges our students were struggling with, Agnew looked to her daughter, Holly Agnew ’21, now a rising senior in Holy Family’s School of Education.

“When you’re asking as a mom, you’ll get a more honest answer than if you’re asking as a professor,” said Agnew. “It wasn’t just about how we can teach, but how our students are learning. Not every student was ready for three Zoom classes for six courses a week. Holly shared with me her concerns and those of her peers. They were all feeling a great deal of pressure.”

Agnew communicated those insights to her colleagues across the University, sparking a collaborative approach to prevent students from feeling overwhelmed.

“There was a learning curve in terms of timing,” said Agnew. “We quickly realized we didn’t all need to be online teaching three realtime classes a week. Together, we came up with a universal design, incorporating other methods of teaching virtually that students could partake in on their own time.”

Faculty members combined various modalities to meet student needs, from recorded lectures, to one-on-one check-ins, to holding class online just once a week. As everyone adjusted, each School addressed its own unique set of challenges.

“By way of example,” said Zook, “in the Schools of Education and Nursing, our students have to be out in the field gaining practical experience. We worked closely with various governing bodies, such as the Pennsylvania Department of Education, to ensure the necessary accommodations were made and every student had what was needed to progress in their learning.”

The Student Perspective

For Jessica Baranoski ’21, COVID-19 forced an abrupt end to her practicum at Bensalem High School and quashed the opportunity to present her symposium project for the Holy Family Honors Program in person. She relied on her organizational skills and strong relationships with professors to make the transition successfully, balancing her coursework—four classes plus her practicum—while increasing the hours she worked at Acme from 20 to 35 a week.

“I made a planner with all of my deadlines and completed assignments in advance,” said Baranoski. “Communicating with my professors was easy. I would email them questions about homework or anything else, and they would get back to me within hours. The worst part for me was not being able to spend time on campus with my classmates, or say goodbye to my students at Bensalem.”

One of Baranoski’s classes was already online, so she was able to adapt easily to virtual learning in her other classes. Her professors used a combination of independent projects, group work, homework, and online tests. She admits that coming home to do homework after a long shift at Acme was not always easy, especially given the tension in the air as customers adjusted to new restrictions.

“I know this entire experience has 100% better prepared me for my career,” said the Secondary Education Biology major. “As a teacher, you need to adapt to your classroom, all of the different personalities, the changing curriculum, and new technology. In the future, if a student can’t be in the classroom because of a medical issue or otherwise, or even because of a snow day, we now know we can com

Professor Maria Agnew ’90 (pictured top right and on the opposite page) utilized Zoom to meet with students and faculty alike, complemented by instructional videos, discussion boards, PowerPoint slides with voice-overs, and numerous other tools to make online learning successful.

municate with them via Zoom or another platform. All that we’ve learned, including our ability to use technology effectively, will be a huge advantage moving forward.”

Christian Locante ’21, a Biology major at Holy Family, also grappled with the impact the pandemic would have on his spring semester. He would miss fulfilling his responsibilities as a Student Ambassador, and taking field trips with his peers from the Albertans Science Club. He was grateful to have just completed the Habitat for Humanity Alternative Spring Break trip to Alabama before the stayat-home order was announced.

“It was a weird transition,” said Locante of making the shift to a virtual environment. “So much was different, but my mentality and the way I applied myself stayed the same. Some weeks I was confident with the material; other weeks I reached out for additional help. The professors helped all of us make the best out of the remaining months of the semester.”

Locante’s new learning environment would include a combination of online classes, discussion boards, pre-recorded lectures, and office hours with his professors. He filled his spare time by learning yoga, and volunteering at the nonprofit organization where his mother works, putting together food bags for the homeless.

“Most of all, I missed the social interaction with my friends on campus,” said Locante. “I think the majority of students would agree that part was harder than adjusting to the academic changes. The quality of our education at Holy Family was upheld. It was a joint effort between the students and faculty, and together, we made it work.”

Equipping Our Team

While several Holy Family faculty members were already teaching online courses, many had only taught in a classroom. Those with experience quickly stepped up to assist their colleagues in making a smooth transition.

Leading the way was Roseanna J. Wright, PhD, a Professor in the School of Education, and Chair of the Committee for the Oversight of Blended and Online Leaning (COBOL). Established in 2014, COBOL comprises representatives from each area of the University, and is charged with implementing and upholding the international gold standards for online education. Committee members are also tasked with serving as blended and online course mentors for their peers.

When the pandemic hit, COBOL sprang into action. The group surveyed the entire faculty to identify exactly what they needed, and immediately built a repository on the Canvas platform for exemplars, how-to guides, frequently asked questions, and discussion boards. From ensuring courses were accessible to those with disabilities, to instructions on how to create a voice-over for PowerPoint, every possible resource was available in one place. Wright would monitor a newly established COBOL email address, triaging requests for assistance among the committee.

COBOL member Lisa Ratmansky, Executive Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, had already been working on professional development opportunities in this arena. She began hosting multiple group discussions with faculty members to share experiences, manage challenges, and ignite creative approaches to teaching online. An even more robust professional development series was introduced in the summer, and plans for ongoing development opportunities abound.

“Our faculty deserves tremendous credit,” said Zook. “They knew what needed to be done and they were well-positioned to do it. They are the heroes in all of this.”

Alumni Rising to the Challenge

In universities and grade schools across the US, instructors new and seasoned were embracing unfamiliar ways of working with students.

Holy Family alumna Meghan Rakus ’19, a first-year teacher at St. Mary Interparochial School in Society Hill, said there was little time to prepare, and not a thought in her mind that schools would ulti

mately close for the remainder of the academic year. The fifth and “Seventh grade is a fundamental year,” he explained. “And math sixth grade math, science, and social studies teacher was most conis hard to do online. I didn’t want my students to have to wait for an cerned about her students’ emotional well-being. answer. Teachers are always going to do whatever it takes to help

“There is no book on how to help children process a pandemic,” students learn.” she said. “They were asked not to see their friends, not to go outside He credits his education at Holy Family, and his principal, Genand play basketball, not to learn in a classroom. Our school principal, evieve Endy-O’Kane ’85, for his readiness to meet the challenges Jayda Pugliese ’09, M’14, knew our students needed consistency. brought on by the pandemic. They needed school now more than ever to provide routine and “As teachers, we’ve learned to be over-prepared and ready to manstructure in their day. We collaborated as a faculty and reflected inage any unexpected situation,” said McAllister. “Genevieve has built dividually to determine how this would work as a school, as a class, a strong culture of family at Decatur. We rely very much on the core and for each individual student.” values we lived during our time at Holy Family, and that we still live

Students were invited to pick up Chromebook computers, already today. In my classroom, we are a family. I worried as much about loaded with Zoom, along with other essential materials. Unlike the whether my students had a safe place to live or food to eat as I did public school system, private schools were required to offer online about academics.” classes immediately upon the shutdown. Rakus and her colleagues In May 2020, McAllister returned to Holy Family to earn his Masrelied on technology and each other to weather the storm. Any teachter’s in Education and his Principal Certification. The two-year proer will tell you that teaching virtually requires more work than degram is completely online. livering lessons in the classroom. “I hope to have an impact on a larger scale—to make a difference

Rakus began the day with homeroom at 8:00 am, followed by in the lives of thousands of students, their families, and faculty memZoom classes for fifth and sixth grade math. Next came science and bers,” he said. “Dr. Zook told me when I graduated that he expected I social studies check-ins, then closing period with her homeroom. On would come back. He was right.” Thursdays, she added Reading Olympics for fourth, fifth, and sixth grade. Between and after classes, she was busy creating content, posting videos, planning games, finding new ways to assess her stuForever Family dents’ knowledge, and reaching out individually to students she was particularly concerned about. She would end each day over a bowl of W hen the pandemic struck, many Holy Family alumni who are now teachers reached out to their former professors seeking ice cream with her mother. guidance. For each request she received, Agnew put together a cus

“Some people think teachers were off during that time,” said tomized resource packet. As the emails and calls continued, she realRakus. “We weren’t. We had to be even more creative to keep our stuized the need for a common resource. dents engaged, and more aware of their emotions. We were heartbroWith an assist from the Alumni Office, Agnew followed an inken to not be in the classroom with our students. It’s what we love.” structional video she found on YouTube to build a private Facebook

Dominic McAllister ’17 echoed Rakus’ sentiments. A seventh grade math teacher at Stephen Decatur Elementary School in Northeast Philadelphia, McAllister said he missed the classroom every single day.

“Working from our living or dining rooms is not what we had in mind when we dreamed of becoming teachers,” he said. “In addition to the academic challenges with virtual learning, there is the personal aspect. The relationships built— student to teacher and student to student—are a critical part of development.”

He shared that his students had already been through a lot during the academic year, losing three of their five teachers— one moved to another school district, one suffered a stroke, and the third’s spouse passed away. McAllister dedicated himself to being accessible any time his students needed him. After a full day of teaching online, holding office hours, lesson planning, and providing feedback, he was often awake until 1:00 am responding Teachers at Alpha House created activity packets at the start of the stay-at-home order for pick-up by students’ to emails from students. families, many of whom decorated their cars and displayed colorful signs to express their appreciation.

page rich with information, and accessible to alumni and current School of Education students. It includes individual content units on science, language arts, math, and social studies, as well as behavior management practices, evidence-based online learning practices, tips for applying technology, and a discussion board to talk through strategies and compare notes.

“We want our alumni to know we’re always here for them,” said Agnew. “This is the place I remember as a Holy Family student, the place we keep in contact with even after we leave.”

Impacting Students at Every Age

Regardless of age, not one student was spared from the impact of COVID-19. At Alpha House—the nursery, pre-K, and kindergarten operated by Holy Family—even the smallest of students, their families, and teachers, had to contend with the challenges of a virtual classroom.

“So much of what we do here is hands-on learning and interactive play,” said Alpha House Director Mary Becker M’10. “Our teachers had to figure out how we would reach the children, and how to do so without overwhelming their parents, who were trying to manage significant stresses of their own.”

The Alpha House staff compiled packets filled with materials including books, crayons, and a list of suggested activities to support at-home learning. Chromebooks were made available to anyone in need. Teachers recorded videos of themselves reading aloud that parents could share with their children at any given time. And optional Zoom gatherings featured lessons, show and tell, and circle time. The staff kept in close contact with parents, reminding them they were always available to help in any way. Becker says the experience was eye-opening.

“We’ve realized technology can be a great partner in teaching and learning for younger children,” she said. “I don’t think we’ll ever go back to teaching as it was before. I expect we’ll see more interactive

Dominic McAllister ’17 relied on Google Meet to lead four math classes daily for his 123 seventh grade students, including 32 special education students with Individual Education Programs.

technology in our classrooms. We now have a much bigger toolbox to draw from as we discern how each individual student learns best. The world has changed, and so have we.”

The Future of Education

Rakus agrees. “None of us will go back to teaching like this never happened,” she shared. “We’ve been exposed to so many different resources and technologies. I know I’ll be incorporating video lessons and other methodologies when we’re back in the classroom. But we’ve also seen how important it is for students to interact every day with their peers. And for teachers to be there face-to-face with them, where we can clearly read the emotions in their speech and facial expressions. This experience has proven that the physical classroom is an essential part of childhood.”

“We’ve also realized the importance of access to technology outside of the classroom,” added McAllister. “A lot of students don’t have access to computers or internet at home. We have to change this as a city, as a nation. I think we may also see smaller class sizes, now that everyone recognizes the importance of interacting with students on an individual level. Perhaps teachers are finally receiving the respect and recognition they deserve.”

For Agnew, her greatest discovery was the importance of combining both synchronous and asynchronous teaching methods for the many online and blended courses and degrees offered at Holy Family.

“Just as there are many different was to teach in the classroom, there are many different ways to teach online,” she said. “If we were to just stand up and lecture in the classroom every day, we wouldn’t be fully engaging every student. Likewise, there are numerous tools to make online learning more successful—videos, small and large work groups, discussions, and independent assignments. I kept thinking, if we do this in the classroom, why wouldn’t we do it online?”

“I don’t think we’ll ever go back to where we were or what we were doing before the pandemic,” stated Wright. “There’s a reason why our University was prepared. We could see that online learning was becoming an increasingly popular option, particularly for graduate students. The world was already heading there. This experience just pushed us closer.”

At the undergraduate level, Zook believes Holy Family is and will remain very much a brick and mortar institution. But the lessons learned will be applied to everything we do moving forward.

“Ten years from now, 20 years from now, we’ll all look back on this moment as a time of substantial growth,” said Zook. “It’s not going to define who we are or who we will become, but it will most certainly have a fundamental impact. I’m enormously proud of how our students and our faculty have adapted and shown such grace through so much uncertainty. We demonstrated that it can be done. Still, there is no substitute for human interaction. I’m eager for the time when we can all be back together again on campus.”