Adaptable Learning
Have you ever observed trees flex and sway in a strong wind? Or have you paused to count the growth rings in the trunks of trees which have been cut down? Trees need wind sway to activate their natural adaptive process which, in turn, strengthens their trunks and roots. The effect of wind can even be visible in their growth rings, the size of their leaves, or in the structure of the wood itself! Like trees adapting to wind, human minds adapt when stretched to their capacity. When we let go of what cannot be, we make space for new energy and new desires, adapting by bringing our understanding of past situations into the new. This is the process we are currently experiencing in our education system with a chilly COVID-19 wind blowing hard… how will we adapt?
Letting go of traditional school
Search the internet or social media and it is easy to find complaints about education these days. The sudden and drastic switch to distance learning has left many parents and teachers frustrated and overwhelmed. Families are attempting to juggle working from home, along with organizing childcare and schoolwork supervision for older children. Since schools have laid off educational assistants, tutoring falls to parents or siblings. Older students are expected to work independently. If the number of devices or the Internet bandwidth is not available to accommodate so many users at home, problems multiply. Online learning has greater disadvantages for those students who already have many other learning challenges.
As this new distance learning is quite different from the traditional school model, likewise, it also varies from a traditional homeschool situation. When homeschooling, parents plan curriculum and arrange learning activities within the cadence of their family life. They are responsible for the learning, but also have authority to adapt assignments and workload as necessary. The current distance learning has handed parents responsibility for learning without authority to adapt it to their unique context.
Fostering Resilience
The initial escalation and emergency are over. While governments seek to re-open, and we are eager for that, we are also anxious about a subsequent wave of new cases. It will now require careful planning to balance safety and freedom in the educational setting. While school leaders must protect students and staff, they must also work to prevent the severe burnout and mental health issues that are possible due to measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
Staff and students need the psychological safety of structure and routines and honest communication in response to their questions. Our sense of wellbeing is affected by our emotions. Once emotions are evoked, they need to find expression in healthy ways. People often have delayed responses to crises. Without a safe space to process, emotions can come out as undesirable behaviors and consequences. Opportunities to process emotions pave the way for adaptation, and successful adaptation results in resilience!
Making space for new innovations
Just like a tree can sprout again and grow new branches when it is cut down, so innovation can sprout from the traditional.
- Distance learning or hybrid models must provide opportunities for in-person learning. This can occur in smaller groups and can accommodate online options, either synchronously or asynchronously. Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario leads the way with their Hy-Flex system which incorporates all of these instruction modes. In a recent interview, higher ed futurist Ken Steele discussed this with Dr Jenni Hayman, Chair of Teaching & Learning at Cambrian. Dr. Hayman explained how well in-person, synchronous and asynchronous students can interact with instructors and each other. She also highlighted the importance of the ability of individual instructors to leverage the technology. This demands more of the teachers to plan course delivery and to master the technology.
- Daily schedules should be flexible or shortened to allow children to come to school in smaller groups. This could minimize the requirement for social distancing over lunch and recess.
- Organize activities around small groups in order to increase a sense of belonging instead of isolation.
- As schools step into providing online learning, they must think about managing the user experience. For example, some learner management systems provide for separate web pages for each teacher or each course. It then becomes important that students have a consistent and predictable experience across all teacher or course pages.
- A greater emphasis on tutoring and one-on-one instruction is crucial. By providing students a way to post questions privately, online instruction may be a positive change for those not confident enough to ask questions in the classroom setting. However, lengthy response times will undermine the students’ confidence, both in the system and in their learning. Educational Assistants can provide valuable support to teachers by ensuring students’ questions receive rapid responses.
- To address inequalities, bursaries or financial aid programs should address technology gaps by providing tablets, notebook computers or age appropriate learning devices. Our local public school division has extended free Wi-Fi coverage to their parking lots for students who lack Internet connection at home.
- Emphasize fundamentals in early and middle years. Reading, writing and mathematics are the foundations of learning. Students will be better prepared to catch up in following years if their basic skills remain strong.
- Distance learning should provide weekly assignments and due dates rather than daily deadlines to allow families flexibility to adapt their work/schoolwork schedules.
- Recognize that many important learning opportunities have been discovered in the kitchen, in the garage, and in ordinary family life experiences during this pandemic. Find ways to leverage that new knowledge.
- Invest more in school counsellors, and welcome open discussion about mental health and healthy methods of coping with anxiety.
- Welcome spiritual perspectives of faith versus fear.
Our children’s growth is like that of a tree. Each year there is growth that will be visible in a ring of the trunk. Some years of ideal conditions, the ring will be relatively large. In other years of high winds, the ring may be narrow or oddly shaped. But the challenges of the season will develop a strong root system which, in turn, will make it more adaptable for the future. COVID-19 will impact immediate learning. However, successful adaptation and the resulting resilience will have a positive impact on future learning and other difficulties our children will face in life.
For Further Reading
Bee Sweet Nature Company: “Wind Action on Trees”
Evidence of Frustration
Manitoba needs to fix ‘disorganized mess’ that is pandemic education plan, says mom and teacher
Parenting in a pandemic: Manitobans share struggle of working and teaching from home
How ‘regular school’ parents can homeschool their kids
Staying Sane with School at Home
How to Homeschool During the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak
How could Manitoba schools reopen? Denmark may have ideas
Local tutor offers homeschooling tips for parents
Adaptation
Eduvation Blog: HyFlex Learning
Coronavirus: There is an urgent need to reopen schools – this is how to make it happen
Why reopening schools will be harder than shutting them down
Our current approach to COVID-19 won’t work as well for a second wave. We must prepare now
Neufeld, Gordon. Parenting in Stressful Times – Part I: How to be Your Child’s “Best Bet”
Neufeld, Gordon. Parenting in Stressful Times – Part II: Holding On During the Rebound
Home-Based Work and Learning
With our regular routines and a world turned upside down by the Covid-19 virus, coping can be challenging these days. The good news is that while our circumstances may be changing, our basic human nature and needs have not. In today’s world we still need to meet physical needs; shelter, connection with others, novelty and the need to be intentional about our thinking. In fact, when these needs are met, human nature is very resilient! For adults working from home or students adapting to learning from home, we can boost resilience and efficiency by getting back to the basics.
Physical Needs
People need to have adequate food, water and sleep in order to maintain a healthy body. However, did you know that lack of hydration can contribute to a lack of focus? Taking care of your basic needs will increase your productivity. Other suggestions for a healthy body and mind include keeping your morning routine, taking time each day for sunshine, fresh air and physical activity. In fact, this would be an ideal time to start up an exercise program. Just a little “food for thought”!
Shelter
There are a number of positives to working and studying at home, such as not needing to commute, flexibility to accommodate childcare and the opportunity to work during the time of day in which one’s productivity is at its highest. However, the line between work and home is a fine line. Missing that line can lead to feeling unproductive or like one can never get away from work. Creating a schedule for the workday is very important. In doing so, include some margin for tasks that may take longer than expected and include time for unexpected family needs.
Work out rules of engagement with your workplace. For example: which technology will you use for meetings (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, etc.)? What is the best time of day to reach you (are you working earlier or later to accommodate children’s schoolwork or naps)? Will there be a weekly or daily check in with management?
Designate some sort of “office” space even if it is just as simple as a dedicated desk, so you have a physical space you can concentrate in. That way you can retreat to the other spaces of your home to relax. Also, when a child or spouse sees you in your office space, they are aware that you are at work and, unless absolutely necessary, should not be bothered.
Connection
Human nature is wired to need connection with others. The isolation of working from home can have a negative impact on motivation. Therefore, be intentional with your social interactions. Missing your running partner? Use a Strava account to connect with other runners. Missing the social environment of the office? One should use the first five minutes of a meeting to catch up on non-work news. Talking about your weekend helps build community in the virtual workplace. Using video whenever possible for meetings allows you to read others non-verbal cues. Offer emotional support as coworkers deal with stress, followed by affirmation and confidence in their ability to adapt. Find creative ways to create belonging, like a virtual pizza party or party care packages which could be sent in advance and then opened simultaneously on a video call.
Novelty
Another basic human need is for novelty in our lives. We crave the opportunities to learn and to grow, even with risk of failure! Since our work environment has been disrupted, take this opportunity to explore new ways of maintaining productivity. Be willing to try new ways of doing things. If you have not done so in the past, boost your motivation by making lists with clear priorities. Communicate if you need accommodations in your day. Be creative with the inevitable interruptions. Ernest Hemmingway, an American writer, said he liked to end his day in mid- paragraph so he knew where to pick up his writing the next day! If it works for Ernest Hemmingway, you may find that it also works for you in the area of productivity!
A critical part of an efficient workday is time you spend NOT working. Breaks are essential in preventing fatigue and maintaining your focus. While there are many ways to schedule breaks, the 20-20-20 rule is for when you spend hours in front of your laptop. Try to look away from your screen every 20 minutes, focusing instead on something approximately 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
Another way to structure breaks into your day is to use the Pomodoro Technique which follows a pattern: choose a task, engage in a 25-minute work sprint, followed by a 3-minute break. After 4 such sprints, take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. Repeat throughout your workday.
Careful Thinking
The human brain has great reasoning capacity, so think about how you think! It is good to be informed; however watching too many news clips can create anxiety. Remember to be kind to yourself and others. Perfection is not realistic for anyone, especially when navigating new territory. Do not focus too much on what you cannot do or control, but rather on what you can do. Take time to be grateful for all the positive things in your life! If you are feeling overwhelmed, focus on taking care of your mental health and reach out for help.
Certainly these are challenging times. However, taking care of basic needs unlocks your amazing potential to adapt and allows for novel ways to succeed. Go for it!
Resources
Physical Needs
Forbes: Six Fundamental Human Needs We Need to Meet to Live Our Best Lives
Furthermore: Concentration Hack: Hydration
Business News Daily: Working From Home Increases Productivity
Shelter
X.AI Blog: Working From Home Without Childcare: We Can Do It!
Rules of Engagement
Harvard Business Review: A Guide to Managing Your (Newly) Remote Workers
Connection
New York Times: Social Interaction Is Critical for Mental and Physical Health
X.AI Blog: Working Remotely: 5 Lessons We Learned When We Made the Switch
Novelty
Harvard Business Review: 5 Ways to Work from Home More Effectively
Trello: The Pomodoro Technique for Better Productivity
Intentional Thinking
Psychology Today: 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude
Focus on the Family: How to Care For Your Mental Health During Coronavirus