Future of Learning: What will schooling be like post-pandemic?

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By Javeria Salman

Most parents and educators are desperate to understand what learning will look like as school begins in the middle of a pandemic that has disrupted every aspect of the U.S. public education system. But already, some educators and advocates are asking: What will the ‘future of learning’ look like post-coronavirus, and how might the upheaval caused by the pandemic change our schools permanently?
As I continue this newsletter, I’ll expand on the ideas that my colleague Tara has so effectively covered over the past few years. While we may not have a lot of answers yet about what the future post-coronavirus looks like, I hope to provide some insight by highlighting solutions and innovations district leaders, teachers and parents are coming up with as they navigate learning during this crisis. Equity is at the center of all of Hechinger’s coverage, so I’ll be asking how schools can provide remote instruction that boosts learning and academic growth for all students; how districts are bridging the digital divide to make sure vulnerable students especially have access to broadband internet and devices; and whether there are schools and educators around the country that are successfully implementing remote or hybrid learning.

Are teachers and schools finding new ways to engage with and provide support to students and parents remotely? Are schools meeting the needs of students with learning differences, students in special education and English learners? And perhaps most importantly, how will solutions we’re trying now carry over and shape how education is delivered and schools are designed in the future?
As Tara mentioned in her last newsletter, I will continue to tell these stories from the perspective of those at the very heart of classrooms: the students and teachers. And specifically, I’ll be tracking how school districts are trying to better serve rural students, Black, Latino and Indigenous students and immigrants, at a moment when educators are also grappling with a racial reckoning prompted by months of mass protests over police brutality and racial injustice.
As we begin a new chapter of this newsletter, I’d love to hear from you. What would you like to see covered going into the fall semester? What are you seeing in your schools and communities? Email me at salman@hechingerreport.org with your questions or ideas about what should be reported here. I look forward to continuing our journey exploring the future of learning.

Send story ideas and news tips to salman@hechingerreport.org. Tweet at @JaveriaSal. Read high-quality news about innovation and inequality in education at The Hechinger Report. And, here’s a list of the latest news and trends in the future of learning.

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The Shortlist

1. Staggering inequalities in access to internet. As districts, schools and teachers prepare for a fall semester that will remain remote in many places, large numbers of students still lack access to the internet, according to a new analysis of American Community Survey data from the New American Economy (NAE), a bipartisan immigration research and advocacy organization. Students from low-income households, Black and Latino households, and immigrant households are disproportionately impacted. More than one in five low-income households lacked internet access in 2018. More than 5.2 million immigrant households didn’t have personal broadband internet access at home, as did nearly 40 percent of Black households and Latino households. Read the report here.

2. Personalized learning in a remote environment. Pre-coronavirus, a rural, central California school district serving students from predominately low-socioeconomic and Hispanic/Latinx communities adopted a personalized learning Performance Based System model to encourage self-directed learning among its students. Researchers Beth Holland, Beth Rabbitt, and Ling Zhang, of The Learning Accelerator, surveyed 144 Lindsay Unified School District teachers to see how the model worked in a remote environment. Elementary teachers reported daily contact with all of their students, while teachers of older learners reported the least amount of daily contact. Read the full report here.

3. Gen Z students still need training for emerging tech. Although Gen Z kids are digital natives, and most are considered tech-savvy, new findings reveal that high school students feel they lack training to use emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and cybersecurity despite knowing that it will have a big impact on their futures. Released today by IBM and Morning Consult, the study was conducted earlier this year by asking a sample of 300 students between the ages of 14 and 18 in the U.S. to rank their understanding of and willingness to learn more about emerging technologies, as well as their interest in technology careers. More than half said they were interested in emerging technology, and 42 percent said they are interested in pursuing a career in technology. However, many students reported they have not received much or any training in these technologies and that they feel ill-equipped to enter the workforce. Read the full report.

4. Creating equitable remote learning options. With most school districts planning for remote learning to start the school year, school administrators will be looking for resources to help them prepare. In a new report, the Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL) at Columbia University is offering guidance for creating “high-quality, equitable instruction in a remote learning setting” to school officials, in collaboration with Connecticut school support groups. The report, “Actualizing Connecticut Classrooms for Continuous Learning: Guidance and Tools for High-Quality, Equitable Distance Learning,” is being made available via Google documents, along with supplemental resources to allow administrators to tailor it to their school needs.

Future of Learning: What will schooling be like post-pandemic?

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