Lessons Learned in Special Education From COVID-19

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Listen and learn : Panel

Brooke Allen
Lauren Krempecki
Gabrielle Oates
Eric Tucker
As the pandemic challenged special education services, the Educating All Learners Alliance formed to ensure continuity of these services. Explore nine challenges centered around students who have been historically marginalized by our education system. Hear about the lessons learned and strategies to support equity for all learners.

Audience:	Curriculum/district specialists, Principals/head teachers, Teachers
Skill level:	Beginner
Attendee devices:	Devices useful
Attendee device specification:	Smartphone: Windows, Android, iOS Laptop: Chromebook, Mac, PC Tablet: Android, iOS, Windows
Participant accounts, software and other materials:	https://www.mentimeter.com https://www.educatingalllearners.org https://www.equityatthecore.org
Topic:	Equity & inclusion
Grade level:	PK-12
Subject area:	Special education
ISTE Standards:	For Education Leaders: Empowering Leader Build the confidence and competency of educators to put the ISTE Standards for Students and Educators into practice. Equity and Citizenship Advocate Model digital citizenship by critically evaluating online resources, engaging in civil discourse online and using digital tools to contribute to positive social change.

Proposal summary

Purpose & objective

Covid-19 and the emergency shift to online learning posed a significant challenge for educators, learners, and families. Students with special education needs experienced significant challenges with participating in online instruction and receiving continued services through their IEPs. This panel discussion will explore nine challenges faced by students and families who have been historically marginalized by our education system. Exploring these challenges will give educators insight into some of barriers that exist within the special education community and how the Educating All Learners Alliance (EALA) formed to alleviate these challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Educating All Learners Alliance (EALA) formed with a vision of ensuring equity for all learners. EALA consists of a digital hub for educators to discover content and practical resources with special population students and educators in mind. This online community provides SME vetted resources, case studies that display “bright spots” in the field, webinars, and the latest news pertaining to special educators.

This panel discussion will highlight the resources available to promote equity and inclusion for our most vulnerable learners. This resource sharing community has had over 30k searches since its inception last Spring. Educators from across the United States are able to access educational resources that promote research based practices for special education students.

Educators will leave this panel with an in-depth understanding of the challenges that special education students and educators face, a framework for problem solving within their communities to alleviate these challenges, and a high quality resource hub to access tools and strategies on demand.

Outline

Content:
This panel discussion will address the nine challenges faced by special education students and families during Covid-19 and how the Educating All Learners Alliance provided researched based resources and tools to meet the challenges of special educators across the United States during and after the shift to online learning. We'll then discuss lessons learned and strategies to support equity for all learners.

Student Agency
How can we engage students in an ever-changing world by providing opportunities to grow as lifelong learners, original thinkers, and collaborators on tough challenges?
Social Emotional Learning and Trauma
How can we help our school community integrate social-emotional and trauma-informed approaches to learning?
Family Partnership
How can we strengthen communication and partnerships with families and caregivers?
High Quality Learning
How can we prioritize high-quality learning that closes gaps and empowers students?
Professional Learning
How can we foster supports, capacity, and professional learning for educators?
Family Partnership:
How can we strengthen communication and partnerships with families and caregivers?
Access and Tools
How can we cultivate learning communities that address the needs of all students with the right digital access, tools, measurement, and intervention systems?
Equitable Systems
How can we reopen schools equitably, particularly across school culture, discipline, grading, and attendance?
Safe Structures
How can we build safe, equitable plans, schedules, and routines that are grounded in scientific and public health guidance?
Finance and Governance
How can we ensure that our fiscal planning and board governance prioritize student learning, safety, and development?

Activities: Question and Answer - allow for audience participation by providing and opportunity for specific questions or comments. Audience Polls- allow audience to participate in simple survey questions. Social Media Blasts- encourage audience to tweet or post about key takeaways.

Time:
Content - 1 hour
Activity - 30 minutes

Process: The presenters will engage the audience by allowing them the opportunity to ask questions, utilize an online chatroom, taking online polls related to each topic, and encouraging the use of social media to share key takeaways with non-attendees using a personalized hashtag (ex: #EALAatISTE20)