WHEN THE SCHOOLS CLOSED: Reflections on E-Learning During COVID-19 — by Christina Kuszewski Rouches Are you there? Really? Are you? Can we take a deep breath and step back to rethink what we are all doing? In moments of panic, why did we all revert to the same tired industrial model of learning? This is without precedent. How might we rethink this? How might we do this better? How could we make this more authentic? How might we preserve our own well-being and that of our families, while also contributing to the social emotional health of our students and their families? Take a step back. Breathe… Rethink this educational model that seems so familiar to those of us who were raised during the Cold War. Competition. Productivity. Efficiency. Outcomes. We were cogs in a factory model of education that offered very little interpersonal connection and authentic learning. Education was reduced to test scores and grades; learning was a lucky byproduct for those who were privileged enough to be able to question authority. Despite educators’ best efforts during this unprecedented crisis, the model that is being embraced once again is one that lacks meaningful connection. We simply cannot replace the beauty and magic of the classroom. Let’s stop trying. Let’s imagine something new. Something extraordinary. Something transformative.
Think deeply about what is happening here. How might we rethink this entire thing? How might we reimagine the essence of what we are doing? Why is there so much pressure to adhere to a system of learning that has been imposed upon us? How might we use this time to repair fractured relationships? How might we use this time to tap into something unique and creative in our children? How might we use this time to fill in gaps in our own knowledge of family history, struggles, triumphs? How might we use this time to document our own understanding of what is happening in this world? How might we better understand our responsibilities to one another? Spring 2021 The Journal of the Progressive Education Network PEN 9
