2021 Symposium for Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Amy Orville and Paige Bucha were selected to be on a virtual educational panel and presented at the Eastern Educational Research Conference in Orlando, Florida. The educational panel discussed their distance learning experience during the COVID-19 outbreak. Panelists included participants from the United States and Turkey in which they described the similarities and differences of their educational roles and work within varying ages in the classroom. Presenters included perspectives from elementary, middle school, high school, and college educators as well as college student perspective within two different countries and three states. The discussion was based around dynamic questions which discussed the opinions of students and parents adjusting to online learning and if this platform of learning has been beneficial or detrimental to overall academic achievement. Panel Topics for Discussion included: What are some of the experiences of teachers at various grade levels and countries teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic? How has the rapid changes in the profession affected teachers emotionally and professionally as the 2020-2021 school year has progressed? What disparities and challenges have educators observed for themselves, students, and families transitioning from brick-and-mortar schools to online and hybrid educational models? What challenges and limitations has distance learning created in providing an equitable education between students? With diverse populations of students facing unique challenges such as disabilities, access to the internet, and social-economic disparities, how are teachers overcoming these challenges? What support can leadership provide to educators as they attempt to adjust their teaching practices? How can they help teachers with designing/delivering lessons, supporting students, and student engagement?