How we reimagine assessment when sick and dying dogs, sleepless nights, and cleaning up dog fur are as much a factor as whether or not a student did the reading or writing may be the most pressing question we face as educators.
We have not coded for the human in education, and so, unless we know how to seek it out past digital platforms, algorithms, and surveillance tools, the human is largely left out of online learning.
There’s no built-in function in any technology which can produce community. Nor can building community be done from the front of the room; it is not an exercise or a manoeuvre.
There are myriad ways that teaching online can preserve the most cherished or favorite parts of classroom pedagogy. What is required is thinking past the screen, past the platform, and beyond the distance that separates teachers and students.
In the interests of supporting faculty, teaching staff, and students at every level, Jesse and I will be offering weekly open office hours. We welcome anyone to attend and to bring their questions and challenges to the table.
To succeed as schools pivot to online, students will need to be resourceful, and they may need to demand fairer treatment than they have ever demanded previously.