The University had originally planned to conduct remote learning for two weeks following spring break, but growing health concerns led to a fully online transition for the Spring 2020 semester. UConn faculty members, some of whom had never administered remote courses before, had to transition their coursework quickly to align with the new remote teaching style. Neag School alumna Karen Skudlarek ’88 (BUS), ’16 MA and her colleagues at CETL have been instrumental in the process.
“I am proposing … that we need to adopt a different approach to school and curriculum during the three or four months this lasts,” says Elena Sada, a doctoral student in curriculum and instruction at the Neag School.
“As parents and other guardians get ready to prepare their teens for college, they should not neglect helping those new college students in terms of their overall well-being. Well-being is influenced by lots of factors, so an important part of supporting your wellness is to create a personal plan of action,” says Sandra Chafouleas a professor of Educational Psychology at the Neag School of Education.
With school closings, parents will have to continue to try to fill the void at home. For some, that seems nearly impossible. We speak with Jennie Weiner, a Somerville parent who recently wrote about these challenges for the New York Times.
“Sport teaches us unity when we see teammates striving together for a common goal. As a global community, our common goal now is to defeat the coronavirus by working together,” says Eli Wolf, an academic technician with the Neag School of Education.
“The move to online instruction brings hope that we can emerge on the other side of the unexpected
with not just good but with better options for enhancing students’ learning,” says Barry Sheckley, a retired faculty member and former department chair. “Online instruction may foster innovations that enhance all students’ post-pandemic achievement.”
“This is essential work for the country: It will help us understand whether technology-driven, evidence-based learning can reduce the harm of this awful pandemic,” says Devin Kearns, associate professor of special education at UConn’s Neag School of Education, and a research scientist for Haskins Labs.
The Neag School’s Educating Bilingual Learners online graduate certificate program offers general education teachers and other school personnel an opportunity to learn how to better support English Learners in their classrooms. The four-class, 12-credit graduate certificate can be earned fully online, making it accessible to educators across the country.
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Jennie Weiner Ph.D., professor of Education Leadership at UConn’s Neag School of Education. Dr. Weiner raised quite a few eyebrows earlier on during this COVID-19 pandemic when she Tweeted about how she had no intention of homeschooling her kids while sheltering-at-home, and was going to allow them to enjoy their video games, eat cookies, and play instead. Her Tweet quickly went viral, and she was invited to write an op-ed piece in the New York Times to discuss her philosophy and motivations behind taking this approach.
“The first class I was teaching in English to American kids I was a bit nervous at times,” Wang said. “Taking this initiative [to talk to people] first, you will actively solve your problem. Second, you will take this challenge as an exercise for you to establish good communication ability and interact with people in the host country.”
