ABSTRACT
The primary aim of this book is to explore the many facets of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted children, families, and teachers across the world. While a major focus of this book is connected to academic learning, we also delve into the social and emotional impacts that are only now starting to be explored. The educational effects are likely to be numerous and substantial as reports are beginning to suggest that some children may be as far as two to three years behind where they should be. This has largely occurred because the current mode of instruction was not engaging enough as social connection has been compromised. And although online learning served as the best replacement for what occurred in our traditional classrooms, its effectiveness has been mixed at best. Teachers worked tirelessly to build engaging lessons, change teaching practices, care for children, monitor social distancing, learn how to apply new technology tools, and this under-appreciated work has unfortunately led many to leave the profession. The impact on our youth goes beyond the academic losses that may have occurred during the pandemic. Other areas of a child's life such as family, physical health, and mental health are related to the social embeddedness which typically occurs in schools and with extracurricular activities. However, most of these have been limited during the past two years. We explore some of the latest work that has begun to uncover the negative impact of these facets on a child's life. We explore ways that societies and schools can move forward to transition back to "life as normal" while also addressing new issues and needs that have emerged. Although much of what we have uncovered has negative connotations, these experiences have provided many lessons and recommendations which we share throughout this book. Schoolchildren of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact and Opportunities consists of 10 chapters written by educators across the world. We asked these authors to share their experiences from the past few years and to articulate what lessons they learned. We believe that we have a rich collection of chapters which provide an insightful perspective on teaching and learning. Our authors include parents, graduate students, K-12 teachers and principals, and college faculty, all who have tackled the challenges that been thrust upon the education world. We hope that as you read these chapters, you can appreciate the challenges that have impacted children, families, and teachers during the past several years. Our authors have shared personal stories, small research studies, and literature reviews which illustrate the challenges we have had to overcome. Regardless of the struggles, we believe that these have created opportunities for us to learn and act to better the educational opportunities for current and future generations of learners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The primary aim of this book is to explore the many facets of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted children, families, and teachers across the world. While a major focus of this book is connected to academic learning, we also delve into the social and emotional impacts that are only now starting to be explored. The educational effects are likely to be numerous and substantial as reports are beginning to suggest that some children may be as far as two to three years behind where they should be. This has largely occurred because the current mode of instruction was not engaging enough as social connection has been compromised. And although online learning served as the best replacement for what occurred in our traditional classrooms, its effectiveness has been mixed at best. Teachers worked tirelessly to build engaging lessons, change teaching practices, care for children, monitor social distancing, learn how to apply new technology tools, and this under-appreciated work has unfortunately led many to leave the profession. The impact on our youth goes beyond the academic losses that may have occurred during the pandemic. Other areas of a child's life such as family, physical health, and mental health are related to the social embeddedness which typically occurs in schools and with extracurricular activities. However, most of these have been limited during the past two years. We explore some of the latest work that has begun to uncover the negative impact of these facets on a child's life. We explore ways that societies and schools can move forward to transition back to "life as normal" while also addressing new issues and needs that have emerged. Although much of what we have uncovered has negative connotations, these experiences have provided many lessons and recommendations which we share throughout this book. Schoolchildren of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact and Opportunities consists of 10 chapters written by educators across the world. We asked these authors to share their experiences from the past few years and to articulate what lessons they learned. We believe that we have a rich collection of chapters which provide an insightful perspective on teaching and learning. Our authors include parents, graduate students, K-12 teachers and principals, and college faculty, all who have tackled the challenges that been thrust upon the education world. We hope that as you read these chapters, you can appreciate the challenges that have impacted children, families, and teachers during the past several years. Our authors have shared personal stories, small research studies, and literature reviews which illustrate the challenges we have had to overcome. Regardless of the struggles, we believe that these have created opportunities for us to learn and act to better the educational opportunities for current and future generations of learners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)