For Our Students: Thinking Through the Transition to Digital Learning

For teachers and school administrators, the following is a guest post from BGL’s Andrew Bixler.

If we agree that the goal of digital learning is the same as the goal of traditional classroom learning, then we must restructure the systems we use to provide a high quality education given the realities of the quarantine and school closures. 

One teacher transitioning from the classroom to the living room presents an overwhelming number of obstacles. For leaders and administrators, those obstacles multiply as they attempt to provide solutions and manage staff expectations. There is an endless list of digital resources that provide solutions that schools are facing, and as a consequence there are many choices to be made. In other words, digital solutions can unfortunately also be obstacles, and it’s surprising how easy it is to get stuck in the mire. Leader or teacher, the amount of questions that pop into your brain, onto your phone, and outloud over virtual meetings, can leave you feeling off-balanced, flustered, and frustrated.