SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The pandemic has forced Central New York school districts to make a wide variety of changes to their education models.
Some districts are having in-person education five days a week and others are using a hybrid method that has students learning remotely several days a week and in-class the other days.
“I think there’s going to be some learning loss. The longer it goes on the more disengaged students might be,” says Syracuse University School of Education Dean Joanna Masingila.
She says remote teaching and learning is not the most ideal model for education.
“It’s hard for children to be engaged, it’s hard for teachers too, maybe, make sure the students are engaged,” Masingila tells NewsChannel 9.
Of course, she quickly points out that virtual classrooms are a necessity during this pandemic for many districts, and families who choose this model for a variety of reasons including health and safety.
I think the in-person learning is really key because that’s where the teachers are able to interact with the students more easily and really assess what they know and what they don’t know. It’s what parents want if it’s safe, it’s what teachers want and so they’re trying to give that as much as possible but also maintain the safety and health.
Syracuse University School of Education Dean Joanna Masingila
It’s too early she says to say what kind of impact the pandemic era of education will have on students.
“For some children, this might be quite disruptive to their learning. We’re just going to have to see what’s going to be needed in order to help them overcome that,” Masinglia explains to NewsChannel 9.
Her advice to students at SU’s School of Education is to be life long learners to stay up with trends in education and to be ready and flexible for whatever changes come their way.
