To AMI...or Not

Since COVID hit, education has taken advantage of online platforms to continue the education of today's youth.  Or not.

Having now taught part of three years using this format, I can attest, due to my own very active research, that students do not gain from Alternate Methods of Learning...or AMI, as we refer to it here in Arkansas.

Hindsight, as we know, is 20-20 or is much closer to the truth, and had we all this to do over, I, for one, would vote again all things AMI.  Absolutely.

Why?

1. Students are not conditioned nor capable of learning in this format, and the research from these past three years will prove it...or had already proved it, and we, in times of desperation, chose to ignore it.
2. Parents are not in the business of education.  They climbed on board and, right along with educators, made the best of what was just a no-good situation.
3. Our initial motto was "Grace over Grades," and too many took advantage of that grace.  These students' knowledge base will forever be damaged and, unfortunately, so will their work ethics.

Active Research

1. Assignments could be nothing new.  This year alone we have now taken seven days.  
2. During AMI days 3-4, more than 60 of my students did not even attempt to complete any of their AMI work on the days assigned.
3. Some do not have Internet access.  Some have slow Internet access (to this I can attest!).  More, though, just will not do the work.  Work that contained no new information.
4. Educators did not get in this business/career/calling/passion to teach like this.  I know I did not.

Other Research

1. Granted, I have not conducted much research, but from the first article I opened, this author made these two claims:  1) "Stress impairs learning."  2) "The brain is a social brain."
2. Living in a pandemic is stressful.  Very.
3. Brains are social and need to be social and need to be in social settings with trained persons who encourage that social well-being.

Outcomes

1. We will never go back to normal.  Not for a while yet.  Those norms will have to be taught again.
2. Too many good teachers will retire.  Too many more will keep on keeping on, feeling like failures as they cannot help but remember the "good ol' days."
3. Too many low expectations have become ingrained; not sure that I want to even visualize what that means for the future.
4. Yet...I love this word...dispite all the above, I have witnessed young leaders rise and young minds strive to be more.  My hope lies in them.

Tell me:  what have your experiences taught you?