Rodriguez 1

Gabriela M. Rodriguez
ENC1102-0W96
12 October 2020

Research Dossier: K-12 remote learning and Covid-19

Introduction to Research Dossier

In my research paper I would like to focus on how Covid-19 has affected remote learning for K-
12 students and highlight the different challenges suburban, urban and rural areas have
encounter. The reason why I chose this topic was to give the audience an overview about the
different challenges and commodities areas exhibit when talking about remote learning in times
of Covid-19. Even though my future job ties with the medial field, I felt the need to talk about
this vivid issue, which seems to be affecting students learning, because they lack internet or a
laptop/iPad. This is recursive situation, where the future professionals of this generation which
are the K-12 students, are in danger of not being able to take fully advantage of education.

Is not a lie that teachers, students, and parents have struggled to adapt and understand the system
of remote learning. During such hard times, thousands of families have opted for remote learning
for safety, but has it helped or even improved students learning? Using the sources of Herold
(2020) which contains demographics, will help me explain better the differences and show the
struggles students are having. Is also important to point out that many parents or legal guardians
have been obligated to leave their work and help their children and become a successful key in
their children’s learning.

With this research I would also like to mention the different the atmospheric challenges that
students and teachers had to put up with, which affects remote learning. The article of Acevedo
(2020) explains how hurricane Maria which caused massive energy damage and now
earthquakes has become an impediment when trying to search for signal or have power access.
Another example I would like to incorporate, are the difficulties students in California are going
through, where recent news mentioned how two minors were sitting outside a drive-thru trying to
get some Wi-Fi to go to class and finish assignments. Are our children really supposed to
struggle in such advance era? Is there so much social class division economically speaking? That
is where more information of disparities between rich and poor comes into play.

To have a bit of every source possible, I plan to interview three families which represent urban,
suburban, and rural areas. By doing so not only will I see the similarities, but how do they
encounter remote learning challenges. Within that, also try to create a graph showing if the
students from those areas are improving, and in fact learning or just struggling to keep up.
Having a solid base of education before entering college is so important because it prepares
students and builds confidence. Since I had mentioned the issues students encounter, there is no
lie that remote learning has caused stress, depression and even anxiety. How are students coping,
are they able to receive therapy?

Lastly, to expand a bit more into my research I would like to add two more things. The first one,
compare what method will benefit more students going to school, or just sticking with online
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classes. I mention this because some sources talk about some counties around the states had open
their schools. The second one, and I think a really important point that should be mention is how
are students with special needs reacting under so restrictive conditions. What techniques or plan
has the school establish to fit student’s needs? For future planning, keep looing for possible
solutions on weather is better for students to go to school or take online classes.

Research Proposal

Subject: Consequences of Covid-19 in education in different locations such as urban, suburban,

and rural areas.
Topic description: In my research I aim to talk about the consequences of Covid-19 that has
cause such impact in families, especially children regarding their education focusing on the
differences between rural, suburban, and urban areas. One concept that will help me open a space
for discourse will be Sponsorship and the Rise in Literacy Standard from Deborah Brandt
“Sponsors of Literacy”. This concept will open a discourse on how even though there are so
many technological advances in education, when it comes to sectional areas there is a lot of
inequality towards the distribution of the powerful tool, hence, education. In many countries like
the U.S. and in Puerto Rico the issues are the government, and distribution of goods.
Surprisingly, money is not the problem, based on the news where each governor where approved
a certain amount of money to distribute to schools, for students to have that commodity and first-
class education. It is important to highlight that this pandemic has introduced a lot of schools that
were not working with computers as their main tool and change their learning tactics to remote
instruction. As a following consequence, legal guardians of many children have been obligated
to quit their jobs, to assist their kids on how to work with this new learning system. Sadly, this
has not been the same story for all kids. Many families do not have the tools like Wi-Fi or
enough laptops for each of their kids. Based on the news children have been seen sitting outside
a fast food to get Wi-Fi, just because they do not have it. Actions like this put children’s life in
danger. Surprisingly, one would imagine that changing the education system from face-to-face to
remote instruction should be easy, but it has opened a lot of rhetoric problems. How can schools
organize their educative curriculum in such hard times this?
Create a research territory Education system
Identify a niche Children
Occupy the niche Impact in families in times of Covid-19
Documentation Style: Based on my major which biology, I am supposed to use CSE format, but
it is commonly used for scientific journals, because of that I am going to use MLA format. The
format chosen is the one primarily used for literacy research.

Purpose: My major is in Biology, where I see myself as a future dentist, but I feel the need to
talk about recurrent problems that had emerged ever since Covid-19 hit. What I mean by this the
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impact families have had specially children to the pandemic regarding the system of education.
Where it seems unreal, but there are many families that do not have Wi-Fi in their house, enough
computers, or cellphones. So, the question here is, how are children going to learn without
having the necessary tools, given the fact that we live in a very advance technological era. The
system of education needs to provide sources and methods to teach legal guardians on how to
help children. Why is the system of education always viewed last when giving funds? And if that
is not an issue, then what is the government doing with all the money? Is it education supposed
to be the key for success?
Intended audience: ENC1102 students are my intended audience. Some key concepts that will
help guide the audience in understanding my research are education, sponsors, secondary
discourse, and literacy. The goal here is to view and understand how remote instruction given to
be the only option due to a pandemic has affected and even endangered families. This is a topic
where we all have experienced and have different opinions and possible solutions. The benefit of
this research is viewing different circumstances and response families all over the states have
encounter.

Research Question / Preliminary Thesis / Argument: “Covid-19 has impacted K-12 education
all over the states, where students have found remote instruction to be an obstacle that has
affected their access to education, primarily based on the differences in rural, suburban and urban
areas.”
Types of research areas: My focus area of research is the internet. Because Covid-19 has been
a sudden theme and based on the curriculum that I want to research, most of the reliable
information, credible cases are found on the internet. If I were to talk about the dentistry field,
then I would have chosen scholarly texts, research paper or even scientific journals. This is due
to give authors credit for their experiments and extensive research.
Keywords: Education, remote learning, covid-19, socio-economic class, pandemic, K-12

Annotated Bibliography
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1.Aguilar, John. “Will COVID-19 Make Rural Colorado's Four-Day School Week an Urban
Thing, Too?” The Denver Post, The Denver Post, 7 Sept. 2020,
www.denverpost.com/2020/09/07/coronavirus-colorado-schools-four-day-week/.

Content: Colorado is taking baby steps in order to ease the struggles many of students and
teachers face while using remote instruction. For many counties this is still under consideration,
but based on the results obtained everyone from teachers, students and parents were very
pleased. The idea behind this is to adapt to the new normal, with precautions and trying to go
back to normal.

Authors: The author is John Aguilar who resides in Boston and obtain his masters from the
University of Colorado. He works for the Denver Post, where he covers issues like oil, gas,
transportation, and major issues happening in Denver suburbs.

BEAM: This article serves as a major key to the topic of possible solutions. With this I mean
that if their plan and safety protocol become effective, then other schools could apply this
method and re-open their doors. During hard times like Covid-19 teacher and school staff are
doing their very best to normalize remote learning. It has showed that for some students face-to-
face education is more effective.

2. Bauza, Nydia. “Maestra Asiste a Sus Estudiantes Desde Su Carro En Aguadilla.” Primera
Hora, 28 Sept. 2020, www.primerahora.com/noticias/puerto-rico/notas/maestra-asiste-a-sus-
estudiantes-desde-su-carro-en-aguadilla/.

Content: The pandemic hit a toll in March, but since then everything has gone downhill. In
Aguadilla, a teacher has been visiting students that either have a computer provided by the
department of education but do not have Wi-Fi, or vice versa. She is proof that for a teacher that
is 100% committed to her students will do anything for them to learn and not let anything be an
obstacle.

Authors: Nydia Bauza is a columnist from Puerto Rico who graduated from the University of
Puerto Rico with a master’s in journalism. For many years has worked with the newspaper called
“Primera Hora” where she also arguments about politics, government, and law.

BEAM: This article can be used as a recent example of the struggles student and teacher have
every day. If students are unable to connect and assist to class then, they are not learning nor able
to complete assigned homework. Teacher under such frustration and impotence go out of their
way to assist students in such hard times like the pandemic of Covid-19.

3. Gaffney, Amy Moore. “Transitioning Back to School During COVID: Using Visuals and
Other Evidence-Based Strategies for Children with Autism.” Indiana Resource Center for
Autism, 29 July 2020, www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/resources/articles/transitioning-back-to-school-
during-covid.html.
Content: This source gives an inside look at basically all the steps and decisions schools have to
make in order to accommodate autistic students, so that way they will feel comfortable. If
practice with caution, then this could become the blueprint of a possible solution, where students
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could be able to enjoy school, learn and live a normal life. Everything under the CDC and
following the PPE.

Authors: The author is Amy Moore Gaffney; she is an educational consultant for the Indiana
Resource Center for Autism. Her work consists in providing more insight from the Autism
spectrum perspective.

BEAM: This article provides guidelines that should be followed prior to students going to
school. The importance is for staff members as well as family to be patient towards the new
norm and protocols. This would be used as an example of measures that schools should follow to
maybe improve safety. Also, other resources connect with this one to expand a bit further this
topic.

4. Hagen, Annabella. “Coping with Losses Due to COVID-19.” World of Psychology, 29 Mar.
2020, psychcentral.com/blog/coping-with-losses-due-to-covid-19/.

Content: Students not only miss going to school face-to-face, they also miss family reunions,
sports, graduations, etc. Basically, everything they look forward to experience and close their
chapter as high school students. This is hard because, students are already stressed with what is
going on, they are not motivated to do anything. This source gives tips and possible solutions to
help students on how to cope on hard times like this.

Authors: The author is Annabelle Hagen; she is the owner and director at Mindset Family
Therapy. Hagen specializes in treating children, adolescents, and adults with coping and anxiety
issues.

BEAM: This article not only serves as background information, but as a serious of steps schools
should practice when opening doors. Not only is it important to check students academic
progress but also their emotional state, without being invasive. Along with other examples, this
will help to show the big impact Covid-19 has had in students.

5. Hollan, Michael. “Girls Seen Using Taco Bell Wi-Fi for Schoolwork Receive over $115K in
Donations.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 1 Sept. 2020, www.foxnews.com/food-drink/girls-
using-taco-bell-school-work-wifi-donations.

Content: The girls who were already struggling with financial problems because of their
parent’s income and social class inequality, after being evicted used Taco-bell for Wi-Fi. They
had laptops provided by the county, but did not have internet, so to not get behind they sat on the
drive thru of Taco-bell to get their assignments done, this is dangerous.

Authors: Michael Hollan is a journalist at fox news. He has done many articles with the purpose
to spark some consciousness in society about impacting news like the one he posted about.

BEAM: This is going to be one my main examples to show the disparity that exists between
suburban, urban, and rural areas. I will provide the picture, which shows two sisters sitting
outside a fast food trying to catch up with schoolwork even though of internet problems. Socially
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speaking this is an issue that has been happening even before Covid-19, but now it is being
talked about.

6. Martin, Madison. “Educational Barriers Heightened for Special Needs Students during
COVID-19 Pandemic.” Https://Www.wmbfnews.com, 14 Aug. 2020,
www.wmbfnews.com/2020/08/13/educational-barriers-heightened-special-needs-students-
during-covid-pandemic/.

Content: We have seen students with special needs that need the assistance of teachers,
therapists that will help them learn, have patience and resources to suit their needs. But people
have not talked about the struggles of that special need students face without going to school. All
the different approaches that need to happen to have them back at school.

Authors: The author is Madison Marin, her work concentrates in justice, compelling stories and
getting underneath the problem. Over the years she has assisted documentaries that relate to
journalism. Her main job is being an investigative reporter, where she covers news that are
constantly happening, but are not being talked about.

BEAM: This article is a good example of a very neglected group that has not been quite often
discussed since the pandemic arrived. Special need students require specific care, where safety
protocols must meet their requirements. Because they (special need students) are use to a routine,
not being able to assist school for a while has been challenging for them and their families.

7. “Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-
coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html.

Content: Mental health is always an important subject around students because they can be
stressed, anxious, having problems at home etc, where having a counselor is an essential key for
students to balance life, school, sports etc. Since the Covid-19 outbreak demographics have
showed that depression has risen because of lockdown. This is serious because it will have a
negative impact towards mental health and academic activities.

Authors: The authors are the CDC (Centers for Disease and Prevention), who oversee protecting
and controlling public health and safety from the United States to the World. They basically are
in charge of establishing protocols to reduce any type of contamination like for example, Covid-
19.

BEAM: This article serves as base for schools to prepare to work with students that are suffering
from anxiety, and depression due to Covid-19. CDC highlights a major issue which is that people
due to isolation have been battling mental health, which has affected their everyday life. They
(CDC) give tips on how to over come this serious issue and invites people to be more conscious
and aware.
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8. Shakya, Tenzin. ABC News, ABC News Network, 20 May 2020,

abcnews.go.com/US/teachers-students-remote-learning-covid-19-poses-challenges/story?
id=70770744.

Content: There is no lie that none of us were ready for this horrific pandemic, where everyone
had to adjust to remote learning. Each day teachers are looking for creative ways to motivate
their students to keep learning, entertained and happy. Times like this bring a lot of stress,
sadness and can even cause depression. Parents are also struggling to help and assist their kids
with homework. Families have hit rock bottom because of internet and technology issues, which
have become the tool for learning. Without it, they cannot complete assignments, attend class,
and pass the grade.

Authors: The authors are Tenzin Shakya, Stephanie Fasano, Mary Marsh, and Anthony Rivas all
of them are journalist who work at ABC News providing the most recent news about schools
during hard times like Covid-19. They all cover different views and aspects during the pandemic
to give to the public a variety of opinions.

BEAM: This article is important because it shows the struggles teachers are having to adjusting
to remote learning. They (teachers) have overcome and yet many to come challenges when
connecting, educating, and informing their students. This source provides a video, with
interviews of teacher which I may use to show the side of teachers during Covid-19.

9. “Strategies for Protecting K-12 School Staff from COVID-19.” Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-staff.html.

Content: The CDC not only is providing a list of safety measures that schools should practice,
but also workplaces. This information will ease the transition from before to after Covid-19. Like
most news, the protocols are much the same, the only difference is that the CDC gives a more
credible and resourceful information about health safety.

Authors: The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) whose mission is to provide
educational information about safety measures that everyone regardless of being home, at work,
or even school should practice.

BEAM: This article serves as a background of a more credible source. Where not only will it
guide me to make a more accurate list of possible solutions, but situations schools may encounter
when preparing to opening schools.

10. Webb, Shelby. “Two Texas School Districts Cancel Remote Learning Options. Will Others
Follow Suit?” HoustonChronicle.com, Houston Chronicle, 29 Sept. 2020,
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/education/article/texas-school-district-cancel-remote-learning-
covid-15603181.php.

Content: As other schools struggle to keep up with remote instruction, Texas has decided that it
was time to cancel remote instruction. This is what we call a double-bind because it has both
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negative and positive effect. It already is hard for student to adjust to remote learning, now on
the other hand it can spread Covid-19 even faster by having students assist school.

Authors: Shelby Webb is a suburban educational reporter from the Houston Chronicles. She
attended University of Florida, where she did her bachelor’s degree. Her major concentration of
article news is about schools, their improvement and most recently school’s response to Covid-
19.

BEAM: This article not only helps explain a bit on how schools have moved forward to opening
their doors, but how that decision may have put them back. If there are possible solutions and
strategies on how schools could re-open, then this article should help guide on what things
should be omitted to successfully move forwards.

11. Werteen, Nancy. “The COVID Classroom: Learning Disability or Depression?” WFMZ.com,
2 Oct. 2020, www.wfmz.com/features/life-lessons/the-covid-classroom-learning-disability-or-
depression/article_5e38a57e-fdab-11ea-ac4e-47a37e258d98.html.

Content: Isolating students, and basically cutting off their routine plus all school activities can
make them depressed and feel bored and not motivated. It is a struggle to find a way to keep all
parties happy, motivated, and mentally healthy on moments like going through a pandemic.

Authors: Nancy Werteen has a masters in Broadcast communications from New York, an is an
anchor from 69 news, where she gathers information a covers day today news and segments of
issues happening.

BEAM: This article focusses on repercussing consequences that Covid-19 has given rise to.
There are around three more articles that support this one, and basically give a more in-depth
insight of what is going on. Many students are going through this and do not know how to
communicate or cope with depression, isolation or even anxiety. This is a serious problem that
should be talked about. Lastly, the goal is to focus virtual counseling and if not how to provide it.

12. Yuzda, Liza. “Solution to COVID-19 School Miscommunication in the Works: B.C.'s Top
Doctor.” NEWS 1130, 5 Oct. 2020, www.citynews1130.com/2020/10/02/covid-19-bc-school-
changes/.

Content: Doctor Bonnie Henry has made it clear that there are still glitches knowing well what
all the symptoms students are can present while going to school. She says that for now she says
that OCPS calls weekly parents to let them know what students have been positive for covid-19.
There are many schools that are open only for just special cases where students do need the
supervision and support of teachers. Other parents have opted for Launchpad which is a remote
learning system that helps the students connect with teachers and learn.

Author: The author is Liza Yuzda, she is a journalist who studied art history at UBC. She
concentrates in covering political and social issues. Her ideal is not only to inform the audience,
but also to cause awareness to situations that are shaping society.
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BEAM: Her guidance, knowledge and advice can provide possible solutions on how schools
should operate to open their doors and kind of retake the normal routine. This article will help
immensely, because it will highlight a point of view from a professional, who can offer statistics
and methods on how to reduce Covid-19 spread.