I was in what was supposed to be the final year of my undergrad when Covid hit and we went into lockdown. All of a sudden, I was taking three classes instead of five, alone in my apartment for three out of every four weeks, and extending my degree by a year. At first, the whole experience was horrible, as profs struggled to adapt to Zoom with very little notice and huge portions of the curriculum were tossed out. All the workloads were lighter but felt heavier, which meant that I was continually exhausted despite getting about half the content that I was paying for. However, I found the flipped classroom model, in which all independent work is completed before class and the zoom times are just for discussion, worked very well in my English and History classes. I found that we were able to get an experience similar to that in the classroom, but only in the context of 300- and 400-level university courses. I think for lower level university courses and high school, expecting everyone to complete a large amount of work on their own time is unrealistic. However, even after transitioning back to my preferred in-person classes, I found that I wished aspects of virtual learning were incorporated.

For example, the ability to join in a class lecture or discussion via zoom when sick or otherwise unable to attend was incredibly invaluable. Similarly, having recorded lectures to refer back to was so helpful for learning the material. I prefer in-person classes, but I think that the accessibility of information and flexibility in teaching styles present in many of my zoom classes should be the standard in any educational setting. I think that incorporating aspects of students’ lives outside the classroom is also valuable to engage them in materials and get to know them as individuals. If we suddenly transitioned to virtual learning in a school year, I would have no trouble finding appropriate videos on YouTube, facilitating group discussions on Zoom, and coming up with activities that students can do in their own homes. Things as simple as the books, music, artwork, food, and other aspects of a home can be invaluable in fostering critical thinking and empathy amongst students as they learn that their individual models of the world are different from each other. Seeing students in their home environments is a unique opportunity for educators to see how their students live in “their natural environments”.

Some resources to help in situations of virtual learning can span from this list of fun Zoom games to this list of icebreakers, but should also incorporate the opportunities presented by having students in their homes. Do they have pets to interact with? If so, how can they be incorporated into class discussions about body language, consent, differences in life experiences, and responsibility? Can students learn more about diversity and inclusion through cultural items in their homes? This example of multicultural week and this study on inclusive online teaching methods both provide a great place to start for educators considering how to make their practice more inclusive! And if nothing else, train your cat to stare down people in meetings.

Abby and Pixie speak more here