Syeita Rhey-Fisher: On Equity, Teaching & Technology
Syeita Rhey-Fisher is a 4th Grade Teacher at Achievement First in Hartford.
I’ve always been that teacher with the deep-rooted belief that technology integration in the classroom is the way to ensuring our students are prepared to become competitive and global citizens. So, I have always tried to lead my teaching towards a more hybrid model. Once we stepped headfirst into a pandemic crisis and was involuntarily thrust into the world of remote teaching as sort of a new norm, I became conflicted. Several questions occupied my mind, which included, but were not limited to:
How do we maintain a balance of social-emotional learning w/ academics on virtual platforms?
How do we solve access to tech resources for our vulnerable population of students?
How do we ensure we honor our legal responsibilities in the service of our English language learners and students who receive special education services online?
How do we continue without sacrificing quality education?
And on and on. It has been quite the feat trying to address all of these issues from within and beyond the classroom. But if we are going to teach with racial equity in mind, we need to reflect on how to improve our craft on these virtual platforms. Our black and brown families have been disproportionately affected by multiple pandemics, COVID 19, and systemic racism. So we must get this right and not further exacerbate the achievement gap due to a lack of services, technology, and quality instruction. Equity in education is what our kids deserve regardless of the delivery method. While I’m not even close to having all the answers, having taught remotely for the past 9 weeks has helped me gain confidence in the notion that students can receive a quality online education.
After using technology as my driving instructional method, I realize that I wasn’t using the integration as intended when teaching from a brick-and-mortar classroom. Before, it was only a supplementary resource to participate in district-paid programs or material used to capture notes as a piece of paper would be used. Now we have a chance to make virtual education purposeful as a means to inspire critical thinking, creativity, and innovativeness. My students have begun to master the functions and interactive features of various programs. I am inspired by the work they’ve produced due to being given visual supports, the ability to share ideas privately or whole group, work independently in break out rooms, create with engaging video/animation tools, and voice opinions concerning lesson decisions through live polls.
This pandemic has allowed us as a nation to reimagine teaching with a whole new focus on accessing learning in a fun and engaging way. It is a way to forge ahead and create a new norm for delivering a high-quality, college-ready, and globally competitive learner.
Online students can incorporate pictures from the web, drawing, and text features to construct an answer to a question. Even if a student is below in writing, we can gauge their understanding and comprehension through their visuals.
Teachers and students: If you’re interested in contributing a piece about your teaching and learning experiences in the classroom, please contact jason.j.lee@yale.edu