Annotated bibliography
Amina, O., & James, K. (2021). The Impact of COVID-19 on Education Systems in the Commonwealth. Web.
This reading seeks to identify approaches to facilitate and assist the sustainability of early childhood, primary, and secondary education instruction and learning during the epidemic. Its ultimate objective is to address the numerous challenges to the education system posed by storms, drought, and other natural catastrophes. Preparation for natural disasters is essential to reducing their impact and enhancing the educational system’s abilities to fulfil our physical requirements and the sustainability of our environment. The readiness and resiliency of educational systems are examined in this article. Aspects of how Commonwealth members have permitted and supported the continuation of K-12 education during the pandemic are detailed in the report. Ultimately, the project hopes to recommend how educational institutions better prepare students for various future challenges. The government has also been given the responsibility of prioritizing the health and safety of students and teachers throughout the reopening and advancement of schools. This document also emphasizes the importance of broad-based assistance and partnerships to meet education demand, which may include collaborations with civil society and the private sector, among other things. It was essential for governments to re-establish and adequately fund all services aimed at students from low-income families as soon as schools reopened after the closure (for example, school nutrition programs). Also included in this section is an investigation into the role of teachers and other stakeholders in promoting teaching and learning. Its goal is to understand better how teachers have dealt with the unusual circumstances that have arisen due to the pandemic. Even though several countries have expressed an interest in resuming some form of formal education, the research looks ahead to how this might be accomplished and what types of schools and teachers would be required for a successful return to face-to-face instruction and learning in a classroom setting to take place.
Twining, P., Butler, D., Fisser, P., Leahy, M., Shelton, C., Forget-Dubois, N., & Lacasse, M. (2021). Developing a quality curriculum in a technological era. Educational Technology Research and Development, 69(4), 2285-2308. Web.
This reading presents a sociocultural framework that emphasizes how difficult it can be to achieve alignment between policies and practices at all levels, from the national to the local school to the classroom level. The engagement of stakeholders, the professionalism of teachers, and summative evaluation are investigated as three primary factors that contribute to alignment. Each of these factors has a connection to the problem of trust. This study explores, illustrates, and provides examples of these three challenges. Doing so points to potential solutions to those issues and “tools to think with” that might be used to strengthen future efforts to build curricula.
There is a growing consensus that the educational programs that are now being used in schools do not meet the demands of either people or society. Suppose individuals are going to work toward a goal of individual fulfillment and universal wellbeing. In that case, the curriculum needs to equip young people to exert influence in the world outside of school and to take on the formidable issues that humanity is up against. To put it briefly, the curriculum ought to align with the aim. This indicates that there is a need to modify the primary focus on content that is found in traditional curricula so that they can incorporate knowledge, competencies, and dispositions. That, of course, has repercussions for many other facets of educational provision, as the intricate web of interdependencies and connections makes clear.
Pokhrel, S., & Chhetri, R. (2021). A literature review on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning. Higher Education for the Future, 8(1), 133-141. Web.
This article presents a complete report on the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on online teaching and learning of various papers and suggests a course of action. In the context of developing countries, suited pedagogy and platforms for different class levels of higher secondary, middle, and primary education need to be explored further, according to the findings of a study that examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning all over the world. Although several other studies had already been conducted, the study came to this conclusion.
In many developing nations, the internet bandwidth is very low, and there are fewer connection points. Additionally, data packages are expensive in proportion to the income of the people in these countries, which makes accessibility and affordability inadequate. To make a difference in this circumstance, involvement at the policy level is necessary. One area where the study is needed is effective pedagogy for online teaching and learning, which needs further exploration and investigation. It was discovered that there was a need to develop tools for authentic assessments and timely feedback. This was one of the areas of inquiry. The developer of educational tools could focus on customization as a solution to the problem of making their products affordable and accessible to learners from a wide range of economic backgrounds. This problem has been noted as a difficulty. The action at the policy level is also quite necessary.
Champ, M. (2021). Aria’s parents say she gets more out of one hour a day of learning at home than a week at school. Homeschool Registrations Rising in Australia, Alternative Education Advocates Say Mainstream Schools Need a Shake-up – ABC News. Web.
This publication shows that the number of people enrolled in home education has increased rapidly across Australia, with one state reporting a nearly 50% increase in registrations. Homeschooling is widely considered the quickest growing sector of the education industry, and alternative education advocates argue that this indicates that mainstream education needs to be reformed. Homeschool enrollment statistics for Victoria and New South Wales were only present before the end of last year. Still, data shows that registrations in both states increased by nearly 20% between the end of 2019 and 2020, according to the most recent available data. The number of children being homeschooled in Western Australia has increased by 800 since 2019, while the number of children being homeschooled in Tasmania has increased by 9 per cent. Queensland was the state with the most significant rise in homeschool registrations.
Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) advises parents to conduct “thorough research” before homeschooling their children. The publication demonstrates that alternative education advocates believe the trend indicates that change is required in traditional schools. The shift away from formal schooling has increased the number of students enrolled in alternative schools such as Steiner schools. For instance, Preparatory enrolment at the Tamar Valley Steiner School in northern Tasmania, which educates learners from kindergarten to year 6, reached the highest level.
BBC News. (2022). The Ups and Downs of Teaching during Covid-BBC News [Video]. YouTube. Web.
In this video, primary school teacher Arielle discusses the ups and downs of teaching children during a pandemic, including remote learning and the end of mask mandates. Her assessment of the past two years is that they were “stressful, novel, and unprecedented.” In March, her California high school finally relaxed its mask policy. The Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the education system for much of 2020, and there is no sign of a glimmer of hope for a quick recovery. Nonetheless, despite the difficulties and heartache, several teachers have demonstrated their tenacity, courage, compassion, and sense of humor.
In light of the current situation, education systems worldwide need to make investments in the professional development of teachers, focusing in particular on information and communication technology (ICT) and efficient pedagogy. Another area of focus for research and development is the creation of novel, user-friendly tools that will make online instruction more creative, interactive, and forward-thinking. The educational system would benefit from this and be better prepared to deal with uncertainty in the future.
Torres, E. (2020). Humanitarian organizations issue guidelines on reopening schools amid COVID-19 – ABC News. ABC News. Web.
This image shows a set of guidelines for reopening schools that humanitarian organizations have released in response to COVID-19. They issued guidelines to assist school administrators in striking a balance between educational requirements and public health and safety concerns, among other things. In a joint statement, the organizations acknowledged that there is insufficient evidence to determine whether school closures effectively slow the viral spread. Still, they also stated that “the negative effects of school closures on children’s safety, wellbeing, and learning are well documented,” according to the organizations. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that children worldwide are at “unprecedented risk” due to the ongoing school closures related to COVID-19.
Reopening guidelines included policy reform, safe operation requirements, funding requirements, compensating students for their learning, wellbeing, and protection, and ensuring that the most marginalized groups of students were accommodated. The plan is divided into three phases: “before reopening,” “part of the reopening,” and “with schools reopened.” The first phase is devoted to preparations for reopening. The preparation phase is the first of the three steps. Reopening schools in areas with the least transmission capacity, restricting enrollment to a few days or a specific grade, and establishing explicit protocols for physical distance are just a few of the recommendations made during the “before to reopening” phase of the process. During the “part of reopening” phase, students and staff were instructed to make hand-washing stations, cleaning materials, and hygiene protocols more accessible to those who needed them. The rules for tracking health indicators and emphasizing safety and wellbeing were implemented during the “schools reopened” stage.
K-12 education in Australia
There are ways to help keep early childhood, primary, and secondary education programs running during the outbreak and to change. Recognition and support for students’ social, emotional, and psychological wellbeing were provided. There was also an engagement of corporate stakeholder entities, community groups, and external donors to collaborate and form partnerships to provide equitable access to limited resources. By delivering low-cost and low-tech solutions, communities could harness their resources (Amina & James, 2021).
Stakeholder involvement, teacher professionalism enhancement, and the development of better summative evaluation forms were discussed as three significant hurdles in establishing alignment (Pokhrel & Chhetri, 2021). These challenges should be addressed to ensure that the school system is aligned with its goals and policies. A quality curriculum is defined as one that enables students to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and dispositions to succeed in the digital era as part of an investigation into curriculum development (Twining et al., 2021). Introduced to bridge the gap between debates on the curriculum at the supra- (international) and macro-levels, the Yin-Yang Vision Framework (YVF) emphasizes the importance of purpose while providing a tool for macro and meso (school) thinking.
Consequently, Children require more than simply educational materials to learn at home. Their brains must adjust to the new environment and circumstances. Students who receive remote instruction may be able to develop the episodic memory necessary for distant learning (Champ, 2021). Teachers can assist students in doing this by guiding them through the process of identifying learning supports in the classroom and forming corresponding ones at home. Creating the settings for good learning experiences at home can also be quite beneficial.
The number of people enrolled in home education has increased rapidly across Australia. Alternative education supporters claim that the current trend demonstrates that reform in traditional institutions is necessary (BBC News, 2022). Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) advises parents to conduct “thorough research” before homeschooling their children. There is no hint of optimism for a speedy recovery after the Covid-19 outbreak disrupted education. Although it has been challenging, several teachers have shown their strength, compassion, and sense of humor in the face of adversity (Torres, 2020). For K-12 education to change during the pandemic, there were a set of guidelines for reopening schools released by humanitarian organizations in response to COVID-19.
References
Amina, O., & James, K. (2021). The Impact of COVID-19 on Education Systems in the Commonwealth.
BBC News. (2022). The Ups and Downs of Teaching during Covid-BBC News [Video]. YouTube.
Champ, M. (2021). Aria’s parents say she gets more out of one hour a day of learning at home than a week at school. Homeschool Registrations Rising in Australia, Alternative Education Advocates Say Mainstream Schools Need a Shake-up – ABC News; www.abc.net.au.
Pokhrel, S., & Chhetri, R. (2021). A literature review on impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning. Higher Education for the Future, 8(1), 133-141.
Torres, E. (2020). Humanitarian organizations issue guidelines on reopening schools amid COVID-19 – ABC News. ABC News; abcnews.go.com.
Twining, P., Butler, D., Fisser, P., Leahy, M., Shelton, C., Forget-Dubois, N., & Lacasse, M. (2021). Developing a quality curriculum in a technological era. Educational Technology Research and Development, 69(4), 2285-2308.