UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The coronavirus pandemic has forced widespread school closures in the U.S. in an unprecedented disturbance of K-12 schooling. In response to the uncertainty surrounding the transition to remote learning, the Penn State College of Education has developed a website that enables K-12 educators to have easy access to a variety of online tools and articles that help to address key questions and concerns related to remote education.
The K-12 Media Repository provides a comprehensive list of links to educational resources that provide information on varied topics related to online education. The posts are organized into categories such as individual grade levels (K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12), early childhood education, family literacy, special education, and technology tools for teaching.
While many other resource website exist elsewhere, one thing that sets apart this one is its aggregation of equity tools, which can help teachers to continue to promote inclusive educational practices in a remote teaching environment.
There also is a family literacy section, which goes beyond the K-12 environment but can be a great resource for families who are now guiding their children's educations at home.
Another featured element on the K-12 Media Repository is the Welcome to the Virtual Teaching Resource Hub that was developed by the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI). The site is intended to “assist teachers as they explore new ways to teach foundational reading skills using technology” and contains tools for reading instruction and intervention with elementary students.
The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted schools’ ability to provide individualized services to students with disabilities in the manner they are accustomed to doing. An article by the National Center for Learning Disabilities that is featured on the website, “Serving Students With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Crisis: Spotlight on Policy & Practice,” addresses “common questions, emerging best practices, and examples of how educators, schools, districts, and states can and should move forward during this challenging time.”
Additionally, users of the K-12 Media Repository can find information on educational resources for children on the autism spectrum and tools that aid in the teaching of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Anyone who has suggestions for additions to the website is welcome to submit their ideas on this online form.