In an interview for Teacher Magazine, education expert, Deborah Price, discusses practical ways early years educators can provide inclusive learning opportunities for children under eight during the pandemic. Acknowledging that children are always learning, Price suggests taking advantage of the household items and the students’ natural settings in lessons to connect school to life. Price also notes the importance of connecting with peers for even very young children, and provides suggestions for assessment.

The author points to the “grammar” of schooling – the rules by which schools operate that is taken for granted as just the way schools are. He says the grammar of schooling has persisted despite the vast changes in the world outside schools, and that even now, when students cannot attend physical school, the “mental image of school still rules our thinking.”

Education policy and research experts at the Centre for Global Development report on how there’s no one size fits all approach for opening schools around the world. They caution that the models being implemented by European countries, such as Denmark, are not transferable to developing countries.

Education expert, Yong Zhao, discusses how online education is not a replacement for face-to-face learning and points to how this is an opportunity to reimagine schooling. Zhao encourages that education systems rethink curriculum and high stakes examinations, while creating space for global and digital competencies.

People for Education is monitoring the differences across the country in educational policy and approaches to distance learning during the pandemic. In this regularly updated “COVID tracker”, we will highlight the successes, challenges and evolution of each region’s response.

While this time of crisis demands an immediate response, educators and policymakers point out that we should also take this disruption as an opportunity to rethink the model of schooling that will best serve all students in the future. From this experience we can learn how to make education relevant, flexible, competency-driven, equitable, and integrated with other social supports such as food and health services.

Experts argue that while schools are closed and even once they are back in session children need the opportunity to engage in creative play. Students and parents are living with a great deal of stress, and play can be a part of the cure for children stuck at home. Evidence shows that play is vital for the development of physical and mental health as well as cognitive and creative capacity.

Universities across Canada have taken a range of approaches towards grading in the wake of school disruptions, including many moving to a pass/fail system. Article notes Ontario secondary schools may also benefit from adopting this approach rather than putting pressure on teachers and students to determine alphanumeric grades. He argues that using a simple pass/fail grading scheme may have benefits.

Many school districts are instinctively reaching to online learning while schools are closed, but this article encourages educators to consider what type of distance learning is the best for their students. Different types of learning can take place online, from small to large groups, and from direct instruction to inquiry-based learning. Educators should consider their students’ learning needs when setting up their class’ online learning experience.