Ukiah Unified School Desk: Growth through adversity – The Ukiah Daily Journal

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In November 2017, I wrote: “The winners of the 21st century economy also need to be able to adapt, anticipate people’s needs and think in innovative ways. The school will best serve students by cultivating their ability to respond to changes in a positive way. Prepare for the challenges of the 21st century. Students need to understand how to actively look forward to how to use innovation to their advantage, instead of waiting for innovation to make previously cherished skills obsolete and respond. Parsons School of Design Innovation and Design Professor Dr. Bruce Nussbaum wrote: “This is not just thinking, but also involves learning and learning how to do new things in an uncertain, ambiguous, and complicated space in our lives. Nowadays. "

At the time, I couldn't imagine that as we respond to the impact of the global pandemic, the degree of change in educators, students and families will be forced to respond-it is definitely an uncertain, ambiguous and complicated space. In just a few months, the COVID pandemic has forced schools across the country to switch from traditional classroom-based teaching to specialized distance learning. In a short period of time, students and teachers have learned to use a variety of technical tools and techniques to continue to obtain and provide education at home. The transition to distance learning is not without challenges. Parents, students, and educators are all trying to solve various unique problems caused by distance learning, from the rise of depression and anxiety to the loss of student learning. Some people estimate that the cumulative learning loss can be large, especially in mathematics.

However, the larger scope includes more than just a narrow progress focus on academic progress. We must increase opportunities to accelerate student learning, but we must also recognize how much students and educators have learned outside of basic academic courses.

Many families are reading books with their children, playing board games together, learning to cook or bake at home, and children and their parents are communicating more than ever. Many students have already used this opportunity to get a part-time job and learn valuable work skills. Technology has been used in ways that may forever change the way we interact, from online virtual counselors to personalized schools, catering services, and social gatherings through video conferences.

Like children who grew up in the Great Depression and World Wars, today’s children have seen with their own eyes how people cooperate and care for each other in crises. Children are learning valuable life lessons, such as adapting to change, when everyone needs space and when they need the real needs of the community. Try our best to avoid it. The truth is that adversity plays an important role in the growth of our children. Overcoming adversity can build confidence, use our strengths, and encourage us to connect with others to build support networks. The challenges brought about by this epidemic can be used as opportunities for life and learning, and can actually enhance our children's adaptability.

Mental health educator Donna Volpitta wrote: “Today, resilience has a broader meaning. For researchers and professionals working with children, it’s not just a “rebound”. It’s about "Rebound." Resilience doesn't just mean returning to normal after encountering difficulties. It means learning from the process to become stronger and stronger to better meet the next challenge."

When we begin to prepare for face-to-face learning that is about to return to campus, the school will need to do everything possible to resolve the loss of academic learning caused by the pandemic. However, we also need to recognize and take advantage of the positive learning opportunities that this epidemic brings. In the past year, this pandemic has plagued educators, students, and families in an unprecedented way, but it has also allowed us to flourish in adversity. We need to guide students through the process of learning from these current challenges. We need to unite as never before and focus our energy on a stronger and better "rebound" than ever before.

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