Teaching in the Time of Coronavirus and Beyond

The coronavirus pandemic forced everyone to deal with a significant health and safety issue. Schools, as places where diseases can quickly spread, had to close and transition to distance learning online. Beyond the immediate health and safety concern, though, this pandemic also gives us an impromptu dry run of what a fully online education ecosystem would be like.

Distance learning in response to the coronavirus shows us what’s possible for the future of education in a world where we can already get just about everything delivered and streamed right into our homes. Will educators be proactive and embrace this new reality? Can we become beacons of worker unity and solidarity in an increasingly isolated world as we continue to achieve excellent learning outcomes for our students? These are important questions to consider and address in the coming months and years.

To be clear, we would be right to assert that there’s no substitute for in-person learning in a traditional school setting. However, news reports that often depict schools as dens of disease, drugs, violence, and even death, might lead more and more parents to make the trade-off to online education.

In light of this reality, education leaders at the federal, state, and local levels should consider these three basic policy proposals for the future implementation of a fully or partially online education system:

1. Keep teacher:student ratios comparable to current traditional school levels

All teachers are responsible for teaching their students according to each student’s individual needs and learning style. This takes significant time and effort, regardless of whether the teaching is conducted online or in a traditional setting. Therefore, online teachers should have about the same number of students as a traditional classroom teacher.

2. No reduction in teacher compensation

Online teachers are constantly planning lessons, differentiating instruction, and assessing each student's academic progress, just like a traditional classroom teacher. They must also be in continual contact with individual students and their parents for remediation or enrichment. Online teachers are doing the same job as traditional teachers, so they should obviously receive the same pay and benefits.

3. Continue addressing education inequities

A fully or partially online model would amplify some of the inequities that many students already face in a traditional school setting. As always, we must continue advocating for all our students, so they can receive the high quality education they deserve, regardless of their background. One way to do this would be to provide electronic devices, Internet access, and free or reduced meals for students in need who are learning from home.

The trend towards more online teaching and learning will likely continue, even beyond the coronavirus pandemic. As time goes on, parents may become less willing to expose their children to an environment they increasingly identify with bullying, substance abuse, virus outbreaks, and mass shootings. In response, educators should welcome the future and focus on continuing to be the key to student success, whether we practice our profession in person or online.

My Star Wars Superlatives

Right now, in this very galaxy....

The nine episode Star Wars saga is finally over, so this would be a good time for me to compile my list of Star Wars Superlatives. The categories and selections are all completely subjective, and in no particular order of importance. This is just my excuse to go over the entire film series and pick out a way in which each film stands out. So, here they are: My Star Wars Superlatives....

BEST SToRY

Episode IV - A New Hope
The one that started it all, a long time ago (almost 43 years ago as of this writing), gets the nod for Best Story. And why not? When Episode IV - A New Hope, came out, it was just Star Wars. That's it. There were no Episodes. No trilogies, prequels or sequels. Just one movie. And if this had been the only movie of the series ever made, it's easy to see that it doesn't really need anything else to make it a good film that tells a complete story. It has all the elements of the classic hero's journey, and it follows a dramatic arc to a T. It's all there. Every Star Wars after that adds to the mythology, but the first one can stand alone. And that's why, A New Hope wins Best Story.


MoST visually BEAuTiFuL

Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
The Last Jedi has gotten a lot of flack from many Star Wars fans for the way it seems to upend some of the Star Wars lore, as well as present long-established characters in new, unconventional ways: Luke as a grumpy old quitter; Leia as a death-defying Force master (this was a genuine facepalm moment for me when I saw it in the theater, and it still makes me shake my head whenever I see it); the powerful Snoke quickly dispatched by Kylo Ren. Those are just some of the more glaring examples. Other elements are more superficial and seem almost petty on the filmmaker's part, such as when Kylo Ren destroys his helmet. On the other hand, some interesting choices are more fundamental in nature and actually point the Star Wars story in compelling directions, like when the kid at the end uses the Force on the broom, or how Kylo Ren and Rey employ a form of Force telepathy to communicate with each other. However, putting aside all the controversial plot decisions, the way The Last Jedi stands out to me is the way it looks. In a film series loaded with all kinds of stunning visuals, The Last Jedi is a truly impressive spectacle, from Holdo's kamikaze maneuver to the fight scene in Snoke's chamber to the casino on Canto Bight. And all that makes The Last Jedi the Most Visually Beautiful Star Wars film. 

BEST oPENiNG SCENE

Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Pretty much every Star Wars movie jumps right into the action as soon as the opening crawl fades into the darkness of space. But Revenge of the Sith takes it to a whole new level, as we get thrown right into the middle of a harrowing space battle while Anakin and Obi-Wan attempt a daring rescue. Everything about this opening scene is excellent. From the way it drops you straight into all the chaos, to the accompanying musical score, I still get goosebumps when I watch it. The opening scene in Revenge of the Sith puts you on the edge of your seat right from the start better than all the other Star Wars movies, and that makes it the Best Opening Scene.


DARKEST Movie

Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
The last entry in the Star Wars saga is easily the darkest of them all. By "darkest" I'm not referring to the story or anything having to do with the Sith. In fact, this film could have been much darker story-wise if only Chewbacca had actually died and C3PO had stayed with his memory fried. The Star Wars saga is tinged with tragedy throughout, with important and beloved characters dying in almost every movie, so that would not have been out of the ordinary for the series. But the darkness I am referring to is literally an absence of lighting. I went to see this movie in the theater in 3D, and I found it difficult at times to make out the details. I attributed this to the 3D format, or possibly a defect with the theater projector. But it was just as bad when I saw the 2D version at home on Blu-ray. It's just a very shadowy movie. There's no doubt that the scenes on Exegol call for a certain degree of gloom, but filmmakers can convey a dingy atmosphere in a film without actually making it hard to see what the hell is going on. There were news reports of production problems surrounding this film. So, did the filmmaker simply run out of time and cover up a lack of detail with just... a lack of light? Whatever the case may be, The Rise of Skywalker, doing its best John Cena ("You can't see me") impersonation, gets dubbed the Darkest Movie in the series.


BEST ENDiNG

Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (original theatrical release)
I don't know if, by the time Return of the Jedi came out, George Lucas had already envisioned the nine episode arc. Regardless, Return of the Jedi was the last Star Wars movie for many years afterwards. So, that would make having a satisfying ending very important. And the ending was indeed enjoyable. Return of the Jedi was the first Star Wars film I saw in the theater (I was too young when both A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back came out). The original theatrical release features a fun, festive, lighthearted closing scene that depicts the Rebel heroes on the moon of Endor after defeating the Empire, celebrating with the Ewoks, who were instrumental to their final victory. They all dance and sing together to a happy Ewok party song. When Lucas later released the Special Editions, he completely changed the closing scene to show celebrations all over the galaxy, with a different, less quirky, musical score playing underneath. I get it. It's called Star Wars, not Ewok Wars. But I definitely miss the jovial forest revelry when watching the later versions of this film. And that's why I give the Best Ending award to the original theatrical release of Return of the Jedi.


BEST LiGHTSABER BATTLE

Yoda vs. Count Dooku
Episode II - Attack of the Clones
When Attack of the Clones came out, we had seen four Star Wars movies over the previous 25 years, including a number of great lightsaber battles: Obi-Wan vs. Darth Vader in A New Hope, where Vader kills Obi-Wan; Luke vs. Vader in The Empire Strikes Back, where Vader cuts off Luke's hand and reveals his true identity; Luke vs. Vader II in Return of the Jedi, where Vader turns on the Emperor and saves his son; Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan vs. Darth Maul, where we see Darth Maul use his imposing double-sided lightsaber. In all that time, we never saw Yoda wield a lightsaber. In fact, we had only seen Yoda as a short, old, frail-looking creature with big eyes and long pointy ears. Sure, he was a Jedi Master and very powerful with the Force. But Yoda seemed feeble, getting around slowly with the aid of a small walking stick. And then came Attack of the Clones, specifically his lightsaber battle against Count Dooku. I still remember the audience reaction in the theater when Yoda sprang up from the ground and became some sort of Force acrobat! While brief, especially compared to the epic, and ultimately far more consequential, confrontation between Anakin and Obi-Wan later in Episode III, the "wow" factor alone of seeing Yoda move like we had never seen him move before makes Yoda vs. Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones the Best Lightsaber Battle.


CooLEST uSE oF THE FoRCE

Kylo Ren stopping the blaster beam in midair
Episode VII - The Force Awakens
By the time the sequel trilogy launched with The Force Awakens, we had witnessed a wide variety of manifestations of the Force: Obi-Wan manipulating weak-minded Stormtroopers ("These aren't the droids you're looking for."); Darth Vader choking an Imperial military officer from a distance ("I find your lack of faith disturbing."); Yoda lifting Luke's X-wing starfighter out of the swamp ("Do. Or do not. There is no try."); even Palpatine shooting lightning from his fingertips ("Unlimited Power!"). But when I saw Kylo Ren stop a blaster beam in midair, I immediately thought that was the Coolest Use of the Force I had ever seen!


MoST AWESoME vEHiCLE

At-At
Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
You might say that right alongside the stories of battles between good and evil, the Star Wars movies also showcase a wide array of awesome vehicles. Whoever thought that getting around could be so cool in a galaxy far, far away? Right from the opening scene of A New Hope, we see the ominous and overwhelming sight of a huge Star Destroyer chasing after Princess Leia's ship. And any discussion of Star Wars vehicles of course has to include the most famous one of them all, the Millennium Falcon. But nothing is quite as amazing as what we see in the Battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. What's more astonishing than dinosaurs? And what's cooler than robots? Well... how about giant robot dinosaurs! That's basically the best way to describe the At-At, and that's what makes it the Most Awesome Vehicle in the Star Wars saga!


GoNE Too SooN

(Tie) Qui-Gon Jinn & Darth Maul
Episode I - The Phantom Menace
As the prequel trilogy was released, we obviously knew that the events in those movies take place before the events in the original trilogy. So, any characters we see in the prequel trilogy that also appear in the original trilogy are characters that we know will survive the events of the prequel trilogy. Anakin, Obi-Wan, R2D2, C3PO, Palpatine, Yoda, etc. Those are locks for the entirety of the prequel trilogy. But two of the best characters in the prequel trilogy are killed off in the very first movie. The untimely death of both characters leaves us to wonder just how much better the other two films in the prequel trilogy might have been had they survived. Alas, it was not to be! Of course, I'm talking about Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul, two characters in the Star Wars saga that were most definitely Gone Too Soon.


BEST ovERALL

Episode IV - A New Hope
And so, after evaluating all nine films in the Star Wars saga, I am left with choosing the best overall, and how could I choose any other than the original? Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope introduces us to an exciting new galaxy of interesting characters that are otherworldly, but at the same time incredibly accessible. The plot takes us through a journey of adventure and self-discovery, heroic sacrifice and personal triumph. The special effects, costumes, and set design create a world that we obviously would want to revisit again and again. From the opening scene, with the Star Destroyer taking over the entire screen, to the introduction of probably the most iconic weapon ever created in all of fiction, and with both reluctant and eager heroes, to those who sacrifice themselves for the greater good, and an all-encompassing energy that can be harnessed by those who wield it for good as well as those who use it for selfish purposes to gain more power, Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope, the one from which the ever-expanding Star Wars universe began, is the Best Overall.