My name is Brynn Puppe, I am an intern and Williams College student and for the foreseeable future I will be doing my best to shed light on the new realm of learning that has arrived with the pandemic. In this new blog series, I plan to unpack the difficulties and triumphs of the various forms of learning that have emerged within the pandemic through interviews and conversations with educators, as well as students and parents about their own experiences. In our ever changing existence it is important to acknowledge the shifts that are made at the core of our country- in our schools.
While addressing all of the academic issues that come along with COVID I will also address the inherent shift in every human’s fragile reality that comes with something as tragic and looming as a pandemic. Learning styles and settings are obviously varying from the past, but so is the sense of safety and security that came with a world not experiencing a pandemic. This, like almost every issue in the American school system, is disproportionally affecting students of lower socioeconomic statuses as well as students of color. When addressing the academic issues that come with this pandemic, it would be foolish to deny the role that financial status and race plays in the success of students, especially during these times. This gap exists in every moment for these students and the pandemic only amplifies it. I hope that through these writings we can all obtain a greater understanding not only of schools during a pandemic, but education as a whole.
Thank you for the taking the time to read, and please feel free to leave any comments and questions below!
