My First Panel Discussion!

I am at the tail end of a masters degree program and part of my Capstone Experience is to make a unique contribution to my field. I was unsure on the best way to approach this and started getting nervous. So, when I got an email from one of our curriculum publishers with an invitation to participate in a panel discussion, I was thrilled! This experience would be a great original contribution!

The event took place on Thursday evening from the comfort of my bedroom! As I clicked the link to join, I suddenly felt so nervous. The topic was "managing the digital transition" and our school hasn't experienced this pandemic in the same way that others have. As a school with less than 60 students, we have not been held to the same rules as others. We have been in-person since we started our school year in August. My worries were put at ease when one of the moderators pointed out that the pandemic started in my first year. I would have something to contribute!

I'll let you watch the discussion and come to your own conclusions. Unfortunately, it's only eight minutes of the hour-long discussion. I trust it will be updated as soon as possible! Being my own worst critic, I'm disappointed that I forgot to answer one of the questions. I had been focusing on the points I wanted to expand on from other panelists that I didn't give my prediction of how education will look in the future as a result of covid. Let me take a moment and do just that.

For me, in short, I don't know. I certainly didn't see this pandemic coming and the shift to online happened so fast. I think, as educators, we've been wanting to change the process of schooling for so long. I think we wanted an opportunity to change it in a more intentional and purposeful way, not because we've had to in response to a pandemic. There's been nothing intentional about this transition to virtual learning. The shock, depression, and every other emotion that has come with this pandemic continue to shape our experiences.

What this pandemic has shown us is that there is a much larger number of jobs that can be done virtually than we, perhaps, had originally thought. This pandemic has certainly proven that online/virtual learning can stand on its own as a valid structure for schooling. What I hope will happen is that, once this pandemic is nothing but a memory, that we, as educators, will take the time to reflect, remember any teaching gifts that came from it, and use them to transform education. I'm excited to see what will come!