在大流行期间努力实现数字公平

一个颠倒的世界

只要打开电视就行了, 读报纸, or flip the switch on their computer to learn about the tragedies worldwide that countless have encountered during this latest pandemic. 看来这个群体可能会继续受苦， 不管有没有疫苗, may be thousands of children forced to acquire their education on devices that were previously used for entertainment and games when unsuspecting teachers turned their backs. Children who would conventionally focus on critical skills such as phonics, 写作, 或者是数数的基础知识, are now thrown into an arena where prerequisite knowledge of how to click, 复制粘贴, 或者保存文档以避免丢失有价值的信息, 对一些人来说，这些基本技能都黯然失色.

当学校在大流行开始时关闭, many teachers found themselves ill-equipped to provide distance learning, as many grappled with the mandate to switch to a digital teaching platform. 作为老师和数学系主任, I knew first-hand the daunting task of incorporating digital lessons into my class and coaching teachers to do the same. My goal was to ensure students were career and college ready and able to compete in a global society that was becoming more digitized and certain to exclude untrained individuals.

缩小数字平等差距

在过去的六个月里, numerous schools have proposed to correct their digital inequities by ensuring students have devices to complete online assignments and maintain communication with their teachers. 然而, some have found that having a device proves inadequate if students are unable to access the Internet. Teachers at my campus echo this problem as they continually report student absences. To prevent students from traveling to local restaurants to overcome connectivity issues, 我们学校, 还有无数其他的人, have distributed an equal number of hotspots and Chromebooks. 然而, issuing Chromebooks and hotspots to students who lack proper training must not be considered a quick fix for long-term digital inequities that have existed for years.

甚至在大流行之前, the digital inequity gap was noticeable within the Los Angeles Unified School District, 这取决于学校的位置. 我在我的论文题目中提出了这个问题， The Influence of Teacher's Technology Attitude and Aptitude on Students' Performance on Computerized Assessments. 在我的研究过程中, 即使是现在, some teachers think distance learning is disseminating information to students. The truth is many are left isolated with their blinking computer screens rather than participating in an engaging dialogue with their teacher or other students.

With the fall semester's fate seemingly suspended in the balance, the district appropriated a proactive approach to provide professional development to support teachers. They initiated a distance learning program entitled "Future Ready." I participated in this program and realized it was a practical approach to acclimate teachers with resources designed to address the digital inequities and prepare them to provide a quality education for students, 无论是在课堂上还是在网上. 在14,000 teachers participated with expectations of sharpening their tools and alleviating frustrations like those felt on that fateful day of March 13th when they were thrust into what some called "数字遗忘."

远程学习的数字资源

在未来准备计划期间, teachers were introduced to numerous digital resources designed for any curriculum. 老师们没有被期望去拥抱每一种资源, 但毫无疑问，每个老师都有自己的资源. 现在我们已经进入了秋季学期, many educators are reporting that they are more comfortable with the idea of remote learning. 然而, some still prefer a brick and mortar setting as they desire a physical connection with students. Teachers must provide opportunities for engagement despite the distance between themselves and their students. 另外, students should be provided with multiple modalities to enhance their learning style, 无论是视觉, 听觉, 或动觉.

The following are digital resources shared during the Future Ready program that invite students to connect, 合作, 并参与他们的课程:

• Flipgrid.com – Flipgrid is a platform where students can create short videos in a presentation style method. Students can comment on and critique the work of other students.
• 打开.com – Teachers can assign videos that align with lessons which allow visual learners to rewatch for clarity. Teachers can differentiate a task for each student and set assessments to gauge student retention.
• Quizizz.com – Quizizz is a digital platform that provides thousands of quizzes on relevant topics such as core subjects or issues that deal with mindfulness, 恢复性司法, 或者欺负. 学生可以和他们的同龄人竞争, 即使是在遥远的地方, and teachers can modify quizzes or create an original assessment based on class lessons.

这个列表并不详尽, and teachers who participated in the Future Ready program were encouraged to discover a resource that would benefit their teaching and philosophy style.

在加入LAUSD之前， Dr. 夏洛特阿什福德 was a long-term substitute for a private Christian school. Her tenure at LAUSD has included teaching middle and high school Algebra 1, Geometry, and Robotics. Dr. Ashford is a member of the Instructional Leadership Corps (ILC) and the Council of Black Administrators (COBA). 她完成了 在尔湾康考迪亚大学攻读博士学位 and obtained an administrative credential at Cal State Dominguez. 她喜欢电影，她最喜欢的电影是《正规博彩网站排名亚洲体育博彩平台》.