Education
“COVID-19 Response” by CSUF Photos is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Why we selected this topic
We chose the topic of education because we can all greatly relate to it. Since we are all students, we have a unique perspective on how education is being conducted today. We all grew up performing face to face learning methods within a classroom, but we are all forced to switch to different learning methods in college right now. We know firsthand how difficult it is to adjust to hybrid and online learning methods, so we can feel sympathy for younger students who have not had the resources and experience needed to perform well in the classroom during this time. The consequences of COVID-19 on the educational field are very apparent to us and we know that everyone involved has been affected. This experience has changed our lives, so we want to spread awareness about the difficulties of learning remotely and also share the ways our education system has been resilient during this time. Recognizing and discussing the learning technology that has aided us to be able to learn remotely today, is also very important to recognize since it has helped our society a great deal, and has helped students like us be able to continue learning.
Why this topic is significant
We feel like this topic is very important because education is the basis of our society. Without an educated generation, the whole country, and maybe even the world will reap major consequences in the form of less technology, innovation, socialization, money, and much more. Education is also an identity, so when students are forced to learn in other methods this can greatly discourage them. This topic is not only significant for students but also for everyone else because all of society will be harmed by a less educated generation.
All education is important, but younger children in K-12 grades will be most affected by the pandemic. Older students, such as us, already have a fundamental education where we know enough to aid in our success as higher education students. However, if these younger students do not obtain the same level of fundamental education it will be detrimental. This not only applies in their own lives as struggles to understand topics or obtain a higher level education but also in society as a whole because we will be depriving a generation of basic social and educational aspects needed for their survival as adults.
How our chapters relate to this larger topic
All of our chapters are inter-related but go deeper into certain areas of education. The first chapter discusses COVID-19’s impact on not only the quality of students’ education, but the impact it’s had on their lives. It explores how COVID-19 is affecting students’ lives and their well-being. It examines how younger students are extremely affected by the pandemic and how their learning loss will be felt throughout their lives. To continue, the next chapter of the book discusses the impact COVID-19 has on K-12 students. This chapter examines how virtual learning can create a delay in their learning, delaying students’ path to higher education. It also takes a look on how these changes in our country’s education system are taking a toll on each individual student. The next segment of our part examines COVID-19’s effect on higher levels of education. We first start with a chapter that discusses how it has affected high schools across the country. The chapter discusses new learning technology being used in high schools, how high schools have formed their systems to the new norms of our society, and the new ways of learning high schools have implemented. Then, the last two chapters in our section discuss COVID-19’s effect on higher education/upper-level students. Not only is the way college students learn being altered, as it is at all levels of education, but opportunities for transition to the real world after graduation are also being impacted. Internships, placements, and other job opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students are being put on hold or removed entirely due to COVID-19. While this is already the case, steps are being proposed and put in place to give these students the opportunities they deserve.
