Learning in a Time of Corona

In this our last episode (for now), we share some of our respondents' views on hope, what they hope we can learn from this time, and their reasons for maintaining hope that positive change will come. We originally interviewed and recorded ourselves far in advance of the national elections in the United States. However, as election day draws near, we've found that revisiting these reflections remains relevant and helpful for our current situation. We hope that you find as much inspiration from them as we have.

In this episode, we share some of the personal reflections offered to us by our respondents.  From working through feelings of isolation and frustration to finding a renewed understanding of the importance of empathy, our respondents learned a lot about themselves over the course of this experience.

In today’s episode, we consider how this unprecedented global crisis has caused a massive upheaval in schooling. We hear from teachers, students, parents and other stakeholders in education. We also ask: what aspects in systems of learning go unnoticed and unquestioned? Join us as we explore the challenges experienced by teachers & students during this crisis, engage with the debate about whether or not to reopen for in person classes, and question the overall purpose and structure of education itself. 

This special segment of Learning in a Time of Corona is specifically designed for teachers in the United States who are now grappling with the reality of returning to school in the middle of a pandemic. Because so many of our respondents from Houston provided advice specific to teaching, we wanted to take a moment away from our regular podcast to share their wisdom with you all. The tips offered here represent a coming together of perspectives from educators, students, and epidemiologists that Laurel has spoken with. Hopefully by working together, we can find ways to stay safe and promote learning even in the toughest of circumstances.

In this episode, we consider the starkly different ways in which communities across Mumbai and Houston mobilised to tackle the challenges posed by the COVID pandemic. In times of crisis, we like to think that our communities come together to support each other. When we asked ourselves whether or not our cities came together during the pandemic, the first obvious answer was: not really in Houston, maybe a little bit in Mumbai. Yet, as we dove deeper into this subject, we saw a more complex picture emerging. From coordinating with restaurants to provide food & organizing protests against police brutality, to reckoning with social apartheid, racism, and "wicked problems," we've learned, with the help of our respondents, about the contradictory and multifaceted nature of community mobilization in our two cities. 

To learn more, visit our website at learninginatimeofcorona.com  

This episode is dedicated to exploring insights around leadership, what it means for our handling of crises like this one. and what role education has to play in the formation of future leaders. Governance is meant to be a collaborative process, both by and for the people. Today we unpack how government responses to COVID were conceptualised and enacted. As educators, we ask ourselves, what are our education systems doing to build future leaders?

In this episode, we introduce ourselves and introduce you to our two cities, Houston and Mumbai. We share with you the feelings and experiences from the initial stages of the pandemic that were expressed in our conversations with people who are living and learning in this tumultuous time. Introducing this context is important for understanding the notions of place, power and privilege that we will circle back to in our future episodes.

COVID-19 has rocked the world like no other crisis in recent history. We've helped each other through community organizing and relief efforts, but even then, some communities have experienced division. Current leadership and systems are being tested and questioned. And yet, people have found ways to hope in spite of it all. 

Join us, Laurel & Gauravi, as we share with you the daily experiences of people living and learning in Mumbai and Houston in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic. The last couple of months, we have been interviewing teachers, students, parents, community organizers, and everyday people with the goal of learning from and sharing their experiences through a critical lens, examining the role of power and privilege in shaping how we live and learn. Tune into our podcast, Learning in a Time of Corona, every week to engage in a new conversation about what insights we can learn from each other's stories.