A Protest Against Distance Learning

April 9, 2020 //

Parents, educators, and community activists in San Francisco formed an organization to protest the inequities in over reliance on distance learning. They call themselves StrikeReadySF. This is their manifesto.

distancelearning

Categories Accountability, Education Reform, Online Education, Resistance, San Francisco

29 Comments Post your own or leave a trackback: Trackback URL

FLERP! says:

April 9, 2020 at 9:11 am

Meanwhile, we now have 16 million new unemployment claims in the last three weeks due to lockdowns.

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- dianeravitch says:
  
  April 9, 2020 at 9:35 am
  
  And that number does not include the undocumented workers who were employed by restaurants, hotels, etc
  
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  - FLERP! says:
    
    April 9, 2020 at 9:43 am
    
    It is an unfathomable disaster unfolding. And after only three weeks. And this is global. Billions worldwide will be pushed into poverty or deeper into poverty. The unfortunate fact is we cannot lockdown indefinitely. I don’t want to quote Trump but there is indeed a point where the “cure is worse than the disease.” I sense outrage growing among working people that is not captured in the NYTimes or Washington Post. Growing like a virus, you could say. I think a lot of people are going to start rebelling soon.
- dienne77 says:
  
  April 9, 2020 at 9:55 am
  
  I share your concerns, FLERP! Meanwhile, most of the country has been locked down for two weeks to a month and yet the “curve” is not “flattening”. What if we crash the economy and still fail to save lives?
  
  One thing that we need as much as we need testing for infectiousness is testing for the antibodies. People who are immune at least should be able to get rolling again.
  
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  - FLERP! says:
    
    April 9, 2020 at 10:14 am
    
    I think the curve to watch is new hospitalizations. Those numbers definitely have flattened in NYC and NY state, and are on the verge of being (if not already) outstripped by discharges. That is really encouraging and suggests we’re close to peak in deaths. Deaths are a lagging indicator, so it makes sense they haven’t started declining yet. Total “cases” identified seems to depend on too many variables to be a reliable benchmark to watch.
    
    It also seems to me that the nightmarish model projections of hospitalization rates — including those that incorporated the assumptions of lockdowns through at least May — have proved hugely overstated. Make of that what you will.
    
    We need serological testing, absolutely. We need to get back to work.
  - dienne77 says:
    
    April 9, 2020 at 10:28 am
    
    I admit I had not thought about the new hospitalization rate – you’re right, that’s probably the best metric. Glad to hear it’s flattening in New York. I’ll have to see what I can find out about Illinois.
  - Richard Holsworth says:
    
    April 9, 2020 at 6:33 pm
    
    President Donald Trump is preparing to announce a second coronavirus task force focused solely on reopening the economy, multiple sources told CNN.
SomeDAM Poet says:

April 9, 2020 at 9:39 am

Distance Learning

We’re learning at a distance
That Emperor has no clothes
We’re learning at a distance
That Zoom is full of holes
We’re learning at a distance
That many lack the access
We’re learning at a distance
That “teaching is like faxes”
We’re learning at a distance
That worksheets rule the roost
We’re learning at a distance
That techies need a boost
We’re learning at a distance
That distance learning sucks
We’re learning at a distance
It generates the buck$

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- ciedie aech says:
  
  April 9, 2020 at 12:23 pm
  
  oh, that last line: making some people so shockingly rich
  
  Reply
  - Carrie Ann Naumoff says:
    
    April 30, 2020 at 10:48 am
    
    Yup. That last line! Where can I find the info. on the corporations behind the online learning curriculum?
  - dianeravitch says:
    
    April 30, 2020 at 1:00 pm
    
    Go to the website of the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy.
retired teacher says:

April 9, 2020 at 10:01 am

Silicon Valley would like to make this pandemic a Katrina moment for tech companies. Teachers should stand up for what they know is better for students. Parents must take a stand as well. In addition to being boring and woefully inadequate, there are many questions about privacy and the long term impact on the health including eyes, developing brains and mental health that need to be addressed. Tech companies seek to make profit. They do not have the best interests of young people as a priority. There is a growing body of research that shows technology is no replacement for human interaction in learning. Cyber charter schools get the worst results. Parents and teachers should resist cyber expansion with good reason.

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joe prichard says:

April 9, 2020 at 10:17 am

In the front page article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch about millions of parents becoming substitute teachers overnight last month, it featured the language immersion charter school, pupil teacher ratio 11-1. Executive director Meghan Hill says you want your school to become an anchor in the community…and it’s hard to do that when everybody’s spread out. They have (K-8th)250 studying spanish, 150 Chinese, and 100. Very few parents speak more than English. One fourth grader bragged about telling his brother jokes in French, and parents did not know what was going on.So…..sort this out for me, please–seems like some sort of point is being made. Not necessarily a valid one.

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- joe prichard says:
  
  April 10, 2020 at 10:01 am
  
  From what I know of the pd….the main point was that millions of parents became substitute teachers overnight……does not take much to be a teacher. Secondary point….this is a good charter school…..the language requirement is rigorous enough to guarantee choice students.
  
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Laura H. Chapman says:

April 9, 2020 at 10:46 am

Every teacher and parent should understand that data about students’ use of technology, whether that use is at school or home, is the new “gold.” It is also subject to theft.

Providers of software hope that no one reads the “Terms of Service, and “Privacy Policies” or the contracts that districts may have with providers of tech.

Be aware of the market for data about students. That includes not only commercial companies hoping to push sales but also perverts ready to meet up with students whose information and images are posted on line.

ZOOM, for example, has been hacked in spite of claims that it has upgraded security. https://cbs6albany.com/news/coronavirus/zoom-bombing-teachers-online-class-hacked-zoom-increases-security-measures

Every teacher should read and take steps to limit their enthusiasms for software that has no authorized use by school officials. They should also ask to see the district contracts with tech venders.

Make noise to stop the easy accepatance of online INSTRUCTION as inevitable. Do not refer to “online learning” when there is nothing happening except the delivery of instruction.

See also this just published guidance. Children’s Data Privacy During COVID-19 Closures: 10 Questions to Ask, Dated April 9, 2020. http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=1748247&f=3100&s=3172&m=154704&t=683ff6e55fceb8d669aa5ea6b8253ac84d14528c98c4873195440427f0ff88d5

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- SomeDAM Poet says:
  
  April 9, 2020 at 11:21 am
  
  Zoom was obviously very poorly designed (if at all), so it undoubtedly has lots of yet to be uncovered security holes.
  
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  - SomeDAM Poet says:
    
    April 9, 2020 at 11:26 am
    
    Most people think of hackers as people who break into computer systems.
    
    But hacker also has another meaning: a “hack”, or someone who produces something without thinking.
    
    Zoom was produced by the latter.
  - SomeDAM Poet says:
    
    April 9, 2020 at 11:31 am
    
    It’s kind of ironic
    
    Zoom is hackers vs hackers.
    
    And the hackers are winning.
Richard Holsworth says:

April 9, 2020 at 4:10 pm

“I sense outrage growing among working people” ? The outrage is the growing call to return to work in the “damn the torpedoes” meme from the oligarchs. Outrage: “My mom said the guy at the plant said they had to work to feed America. But my mom was sick,” said one of Ms. Grant’s sons, Willie Martin, 34, a teacher in South Carolina. He said he watched on his phone as his mother took her last breath.

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- retired teacher says:
  
  April 9, 2020 at 7:37 pm
  
  This is a tragic disregard for the lives of working people. Some employers are like #45. They believe people can only be valued in terms of what they can do for the economy. This view was on display in a statement from Dan Patrick of Texas. His callous comment was that the elderly should go out and sacrifice their lives for the economy.
  
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- FLERP! says:
  
  April 10, 2020 at 7:39 am
  
  Yes, there is growing outrage among working people. They are losing their livelihood, have nearly no savings, expect to soon lose their homes, cannot get through unemployment call lines, and don’t expect unemployment benefits to cover the gap. They are desperate, and when they live in areas where coronavirus hospitalizations are very low (ie outside the NYC metropolitan region or one of of the other hard-hit urban areas), they are really pissed off. When you see governors moving to open restrictions, it will be in large part because of that outrage.
  
  Reply
LeftCoastTeacher says:

April 9, 2020 at 11:35 pm

Great to see people uniting against reckless use of so-called personalized instruction (which really means computer algorithm-led, impersonal instruction). Online learning even without the algorithm trash is of such poor quality and is so inequitable that, presented as an alternative instead of a supplement to a classroom community, it is an act of social injustice. It is harmful to students, especially the most vulnerable. It is of such low quality, I usually don’t use turn to the web even as a supplement. It is of such low quality, I would love to discuss more accurately descriptive alternatives to the phrase ‘online learning’. How about e-busyworking? Distant edu-counterfeiting? Kinda sorta learning? Online edu-crumbs? It’s hard to come with them and keep them clean, if you know what I mean.

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- dianeravitch says:
  
  April 10, 2020 at 1:06 am
  
  LCT,
  
  The new term is Emergency Remote Learning.
  
  Reply
  - Bob Shepherd says:
    
    April 10, 2020 at 12:16 pm
    
    ERL needs some EMTs. LOL.
    
    Just what education needed, more acronyms!
    
    STDs: Standardized Testing Delusion Syndrome
    
    PUSTULE: “Philanthropic” Underwriting of Standardized Testing, Undermining Learning Everywhere
    
    BROAD: Billionaire Reformy Oligarch Advancing Deform
    
    COLEMAN: Cynical Opportunist Leveraging Measurement and Assessment Nonsense
    
    MAGA: Moscow’s Asset Governing America
  - Bob Shepherd says:
    
    April 10, 2020 at 12:18 pm
    
    Oops:
    
    COLEMAN: Cynical Opportunist Leveraging Execrable Measurement and Assessment Nonsense
  - LeftCoastTeacher says:
    
    April 10, 2020 at 12:43 pm
    
    Well, at least the word ‘emergency’ makes it sound temporary.
  - dianeravitch says:
    
    April 10, 2020 at 1:09 pm
    
    That’s the point.
RageAgainstIgnorance says:

April 11, 2020 at 8:50 am

The ed-tech software geniuses have absolutely no idea what they’re up against. Teachers have had no trouble with cooperative students with supportive/encouraging parents. The fundamental flaw in DL lies in the unwritten requisites of self-discipline, self-motivation, and prior knowldege.

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Randell Schmidt says:

April 17, 2020 at 11:55 am

Dear Diane, As a retired high school librarian I wanted to share my thoughts about how teachers can provide some meaningful and more personalized opportunities for high school students to engage in guided research during these times of inadequate distance learning. Here are my ideas for high school teachers of all disciplines.

Are you ready to try something new with your students in this time of distance learning? How about an assignment with extended value long after the Covid-19 pandemic ends? Allow me to offer some thoughts on the feasibility of guiding your students in a research project in the coming weeks and months.

As the weeks of home confinement and remote teaching and learning continue, I’m reminded of a recent letter I received from a former high school student who is now at Stanford Law School:
```
“In college and now in law school, understanding how to research has made me a more critical thinker, helping me to frame challenging questions and build thoughtful answers.  In my career in academia, prior to law school, these analytical tools have enabled me to write and communicate more persuasively and to make better decisions that are grounded in evidence-based reasoning.  Ultimately, experience with research fosters a willingness to interrogate sources and seek truth.  At a time when misinformation is rampant, these practices are more important than ever.” 
```
Teaching students how to engage in the research process is something I have done for a quarter century. As a recently retired high school librarian, I have been the lead author of three books on teaching the research process by guiding students in their work in both humanities and sciences. Here is how it can be accomplished online, with frequent and patient communication between you and your students. Below you will find key terms in quotations which Dr. Carol Kuhlthau of Rutgers University developed over 30 years of scholarship of her model of the information search process.

The first step “to initiate” a meaningful research project with your students is to introduce the concept of a” guided research project” in which the primary goal is two-fold: to answer the student’s research question and to enable the student to acquire a lifelong skill of how to do responsible, scholarly research by following a simple and straightforward process. Emphasize that this is not mainly about the content of their project but about learning the essential steps of a scholarly research process. This is an “introduction” phase in which students begin to think about a topic by talking with you, with their parents, friends, and themselves about topics of interest. It’s fine to investigate online for ideas, but the choice of topic must come from the students and may even be an outlying idea. Students will “feel uncertain” at first as they begin to search for relevant information.

When students have selected a possible topic they can explain how they arrived at their choice. The “selection” of topic will generally be broader and “less focused” at this point. Be patient and encourage your students to think about a question to search in their information hunt. At this point, students should display some” optimism” but may still have “vague thoughts” and ideas about how to proceed. Here, the teacher or librarian can give a list of possible places to look for “relevant information.” Possible locations that can be accessed online or in the student’s home include PBS programs, podcasts, newspaper and magazine articles, interviews with others, interrogation of three-dimensional objects such as photographs, paintings, textiles, and other works of art. A lesson in notetaking is appropriate at this stage of the process.

“Exploration” of possible sources is the most confusing and labor intensive phase in which your students must begin looking at materials to be handled, read, examined, listened to, and pondered. Often,” students feel frustrated” and will need guidance through their unformed and “vague thoughts as they seek relevant information.” Teachers and librarians can be most helpful here with one-on-one communication with each student. Students should be instructed in how to evaluate an information source for authenticity and reliability.

When ready to “formulate” a coherent path forward students are frequently joyous and excited because they’ve digested sufficient information and exhibit some clarity in their search while continuing to look for additional relevant information. Their thoughts are now more “focused” and their” interest is building.” During this stage of the process serious notetaking should be required. A research question should now be articulated.

During the next phase of “collection” the student becomes” more invested” in the project and will” display a sense of direction and confidence.” Most students now manifest increased interest while they switch from seeking relevant information to seeking “more pertinent information” that will help to answer their research question.

At this stage of collection students should be instructed in the technique of interrogating a source. Here is an example of the types of questions students may use interrogating a scientific study that Dan O’Connor of Rutgers taught me to ask:

What is the question, controversy, or problem driving the study?
Who or what group was being studied? Describe these people as much as possible, including their location, characteristics, and conditions.
How was the study executed? (What method was used, what kind of study, was done?).
What questions were addressed or asked in the study to generate data?
What was found in the study? What were the results of the study?

Each information source, whether in the humanities or sciences can be interrogated. Teachers can post some interrogation questions and students can create their own.

At this “presentation stage” students are prepared to “package” their topic, research question, and answers from pertinent information sources into a publicly shared document which has been agreed upon by the teacher and student. This presentation format could be a traditional research paper, video, performance, or three-dimensional piece. Interest in the subject will have increased as the student “documents” in presentation format.

Finally, “assessment” should come with both a “sense of accomplishment,” sometimes a little disappointment and perhaps surprisingly along with expressed exhaustion, an “increased self-awareness,” the realization that “I can do this!”

Kuhlthau’s information search process and the resulting student research will produce memories and lifelong skills which last well beyond this present time.

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