In this unprecedented time of COVID-19, I have had to change my regular work routines and processes and work from home, finding other ways of interacting with colleagues and finding other ways to support learners. I have had to transform the ways I work and learn. Never before have I seen so much innovation, so much actual learning and sharing. Never have I seen this scope and extent of learning and innovation occurring, with so many people coming together and sharing ideas, asking questions and solving problems. Never before have I seen so many educators come together and work towards a common goal. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a disruptive, stressful shift in the capacity of society to adapt and innovate to engage in transformative learning.
So many of us have gone through so much learning in novel ways because of self-distancing practices. For some, we have had to make use of a blend of tools we have not had experience using before, and techniques we have not encountered before. For others, they are actively leading others, sharing their knowledge, and encouraging and supporting others to engage in building networks and sharing information like never before.
Yet this amazing, engaged, intensive learning is highly emotionally charged learning. We are not turning to writing essays, taking tests, sitting for exams, or sitting and taking notes during lectures – instead, we have regularly scheduled meet-ups using video-conferencing, we are engaging in multiple, alternate ways to communicate and share our learning, ask questions, and help each other. This kind of connected learning has begun to be extended to the ways we now work with students.
