How Special Populations educators stepped up during the pandemic

When the pandemic hit, in-person learning stopped on a dime and school districts quickly set up online learning opportunities for students. It wasn’t an easy switch, but most students and staff were able to make the transition. And while that worked as a temporary solution for most families, there were many who were left in a lurch. For those with children who fall in the special populations category, the change from in-person to virtual learning simply didn’t work as many of those students require face-to-face interaction for learning to occur. Luckily, many of our local educators and consultants stepped up and when everyone else was getting behind a computer screen, they masked up, grabbed their equipment and curriculum and headed to their students’ homes, the local park… wherever it was necessary to make sure these children didn’t get left behind and still got the learning they deserve. Guests: Janet Hamblin and Kristen Strong, both Augmentative and Alternative Communication Consultants for Oakland Schools Sarah Stargardt, Teacher Consultant For The Blind And Visually Impaired for Oakland Schools Jeanette DeFrank, Paraprofessional for South Lyon Community Schools Resources: Oakland Schools Special Populations Oakland Schools Materials Center/AAC YouTube playlist PP&G (for Communication Board) Host: Oakland Schools' Communications Specialist Sarah Davis Producer: Oakland Schools' Media Production and Distance Learning Manager Mark Hansen