Learning from Lockdown: Solutions to distance-learning challenges | Fresno Bee Ed Lab
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Good afternoon, education readers!
Let’s talk about solutions journalism.
The short version: The Solutions Journalism Network is an organization founded on the principle that journalism should go beyond detailing social problems by focusing on possible responses to those problems.
That philosophy has become a guiding principle for The Fresno Bee’s Education Lab. In the year since the Ed Lab was established, our three reporters — Ashleigh Panoo, Monica Velez and Isabel Sophia Dieppa— have published numerous stories examining systemic challenges in education in the central San Joaquin Valley that ask: Who’s trying to fix these problems?
Last week, Ashleigh published a story that showed more than half of Fresno’s community college students say they can’t go to school full time because of the high cost of textbooks. She found educators at Reedley Community College have spearheaded local efforts to connect students and instructors with free “digital textbooks.”
She found research that said, in addition to saving money (Reedley Community College estimates students saved more than $2 million over the last four years), students earned better grades when they didn’t have to pay for course materials like costly textbooks.
You can check out Ashleigh’s full story here.
That work is just one example of the growing influence of the Solutions Journalism Network. The SJN philosophy has inspired education journalists across the country — from the Seattle Times and Dallas Morning News to the Christian Science Monitor and The Hechinger Report, among others.
In recent months, the Solutions Journalism Network brought together education reporters around the nation for a joint project — “Learning from Lockdown” — exploring how parents, students, and teachers worked to overcome the challenges of learning from home during the coronavirus pandemic.
Learning from Lockdown: A Solutions Journalism project
The closing of schools across the U.S. has been a disaster for most students, families, and teachers. But in some places, educators are making things work, and even finding ideas that could outlast the pandemic and transform American schooling for the better.
In this reporting collaborative, the Education Labs at AL.com, the Dallas Morning News, Fresno Bee and Seattle Times partnered with the Christian Science Monitor, Hechinger Report and Solutions Journalism Network to produce this series of solutions-oriented stories.
For a full breakdown of the project -and to learn more about the Solutions Journalism Network - read this column from SJN’s Linda Shaw. Click here for the full story.
All this great work will culminate with an online discussion March 31 examining the creative approaches educators, parents and students have taken to overcome many of the challenges of remote learning.
Find out more about the “Learning from Lockdown” discussion here.
Below are some of the solutions journalism stories produced by education journalists across the county in connection with the Learning from Lockdown project.
Lessons Texas schools can learn from a virtual school exemplar
The Dallas Morning News
When campuses suddenly began shutting down last March, school administrators scrambled to figure out how they could educate Texas’ 5.4 million students without seeing them in person. There weren’t many examples of high performing virtual campuses to look to for inspiration or best practices. Texas’ other virtual campuses have struggled to perform well on the state’s A-F accountability system.
Segmenting remote and in-person teaching duties emerges as successful model in Alabama
AL.com
It’s no secret that many families have struggled to manage the additional supervision, internet access and electronic devices needed to effectively learn at home. Teachers – many of whom had little experience teaching remotely – have struggled, too.
Schooling has changed forever. Here’s what will stay when things go back to normal
The Hechinger Report
At the outset of the pandemic, schools nationwide had to make swift and drastic changes in public education to keep students learning. And while teachers, principals, district leaders and parents forced to shift to virtual learning are eager for an end to the emergency measures, many are already looking ahead and considering which education solutions have worked well, and what parts of public schooling should be permanently altered.
Some students are finding that learning remotely has upsides. What’s leading them to succeed?
The Christian Science Monitor
Resilience is more necessary than usual as districts in cities from Los Angeles to Detroit face decisions about whether to reopen or continue teaching remotely due to the pandemic. For months, distance learning has tested the mettle of families and school staff alike.
How a diverse school district is using a strategy usually reserved for ‘gifted’ students to boost all students
The Seattle Times
COVID-19-related “learning loss” is a new phenomenon, but helping students make up lost ground after a disruption in their lives is not. There’s plenty of research about what happens when education is derailed by natural disasters, like Hurricane Katrina, or planned breaks in learning, like summer.
District diagnostic tests show the strategy is working, even at a time when most kids in this diverse school district are learning remotely.
Sifting out solutions from the struggle may help solve chronic problems of quality and equity
The Christian Science Monitor
Hints of a remote learning legacy are emerging. The digital pivot made some districts solve preexisting tech gaps. Educators explored new social-emotional supports with heightened attention to mental health. And parents have transformed into stronger collaborators in their children’s learning.
JOIN THE ED LAB’S NEW FACEBOOK GROUP
We are excited to unveil the Ed Lab Newsroom Facebook group. This group is a virtual lab where reporters meet and interact with members of the Fresno-area community. Join our group!
Have any good news, grants, competitions or call-outs? Let us know! We would love to highlight your work and exciting projects. You can submit projects, educational contests or resources at edlab@fresnobee.com.
This story was originally published March 22, 2021 at 1:11 PM.