Ted Talk: COVID Impact

Ted Talk: COVID Impact

Tamara Brannon, Staff Writer

In the Ted Talk, “What COVID- 19 reveals about US schools- and 4 ways to rethink education” by Nora Flanagan, she talks about how Covid-19 has impacted the schools. She starts talking about how many students and teachers felt when they found out that they would have to start learning from home having to say goodbye for several months, instead of being in a class room face to face, interacting and learning. Trying to find out what kids need, and what it means as to discuss, frame, and fund schools. The four main ideas she focuses on are ” Engage parents, demand equity, support the whole student and rethink assessment.” Reflecting on “Engaging the Parents”,  we isolate parents but the influential  forces rarely intersect in a kids life.  Parents now may be sharing an area with their child for the online classes, have to be the tutor, while seeing the work put into school. Watching their kids learn time management and balance, which we can learn from. Second, we should fight for the demand of equity, we need equal tech infrastructure for all. We can refuse the isolation for resources and get rid of rating systems which punish kids. Third, we need to support whole student. We need social workers and counselors as we make the students feel safe as they return back to school with their trauma. We need smaller class sizes and more elective classes for the students. We should change school systems to better fit the students and the teachers. Also, setting clear expectations for student’s suggests that we also can set expectations for the school districts and cities. Nothing is impossible, what seems impossible is always possible.