Education in a Pandemic

Students and teachers around the world are adapting to virtual instruction in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CSU system has announced classes at its 23 campuses will remain mostly virtual this fall. The Los Angeles Unified School District is still working on its plans.

Some teachers and their students have adapted well to the use of technology, but others have felt the strain, particularly students who cannot participate due to circumstances beyond their control. Some teachers are finding unique ways to keep students engaged – such as one music teacher who used TikTok.

Many questions loom about special education students in particular, and the challenges of giving them what they need. CSUN Associate Professor Vanessa Goodwin is a special education teacher and program specialist. She is Co-Director of the Special Education Literacy Clinic in the Teaching, Learning, and Counseling Consortium. Goodwin said she is learning a lot through this pandemic, particularly about the ramifications for special needs students at all levels.

For starters, student mentors had a hard time adjusting to virtual learning themselves. For many, the pandemic’s virtual school preparation came during spring break, and Goodwin said student mentors and teachers were left to find the ways to connect with their students at home.

Goodwin said there really was not a mechanism for keeping special education students from regressing during a crisis like this.

But Goodwin said some of the current technology was already in use, and luckily for them, students and teachers were already familiar with it. This technology has given them tools to succeed, and no matter what the fall brings, the summer will provide even more time to prepare.

Phyllis Gudoski has taught at both the university and the K-12 levels. She is currently a lecturer in the Special Education Department at CSUN.  She said educators have concerns about students moving to virtual classes, but there is also concern for instructors. Many educators at the K-12 level have never taught online classes before, and Gudoski said there has been a learning curve for both teachers and students.

Not all students have access to reliable computers, and beyond that, getting internet access can also be an issue. Gudoski said the LAUSD has helped students get access to chromebooks, but that may not be enough. And for students with special needs, it’s even tougher. 

California State University-San Bernardino student Jazmin Leanos-Rodriguez said the transition to virtual learning has been extremely challenging for her. She had developed methods for success at school, after struggling academically, by using study groups and study halls, and taking advantage of professors’ office hours and accessibility after class. But now she said she feels her success diminishing, and she’s discouraged. Leanos-Rodriguez said her home life makes it difficult to study, and she said she is considering taking the next semester off, because she doesn’t feel she’s able to absorb the material she’s learning virtually.

Leanos-Rodriguez said the stress of school and the uncertainty of the times have affected her mental health, and she feels genuinely alone since the shutdown. Seeking help virtually doesn’t work for her. She said the frustration causes her to cry sometimes.

Experts agree social distancing and virtual learning can affect many students in many different ways. Gudoski said social and emotional issues play a huge part in educating a well-rounded child or adult. Social skills are what helps people get jobs, and many social skills are learned in the playground and in the classroom.

Perhaps the biggest questions students, teachers, and the community have are: will they ever return to ‘normal’? And, how long will this go on?

Gudoski said this may be the new normal for a while, and students and faculty should be prepared for that. She said until there is a vaccine, which experts admit could take more than a year, schools and campuses will not be able to guarantee the safety of students or teachers.

Producers: Cindy Rodriguez and Brittany Smith

Reporters: Alex Guerrero, Cindy Rodriguez and Brittany Smith