Introducing KI’s Distance-Based Learning Interview Series

Life has changed quite a bit in recent weeks, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Many of us are working from home for the foreseeable future. A trip to the grocery store may feel like an odyssey. And that spring break vacation with the kids has been postponed indefinitely.

Speaking of kids, the biggest change for us parents is that we now have to serve as worker and home-school administrator all day long. More than 50 million students are now learning remotely. Adult children have returned home from college and are finishing out the semester in classes online.

It's enough to make any parent want to scream. Never have we more greatly appreciated the work that teachers do!

But remember, this too shall pass. And when it does, we’ll be able to reflect upon what we’ve learned.

At KI, we’re currently thinking about how we can help students, teachers, parents and school administrators during this time of uncertainty, when online learning is our new reality. Education norms and practices are now changing on a daily basis. And teachers are learning on the job, too. Seven in ten college teachers in the United States had never taught a class online before the COVID-19 pandemic.

We'll try to answer those questions over the next six weeks by interviewing kids of all ages, from kindergarten through college. We hope to gain insights into remote, technology-enabled education from those who are actually going through it.

By recording families' lived experience, we aim to support students, parents and educators nationwide. We hope this endeavor will teach us something about how technology can foster connection and learning even in moments of chaos. Stay tuned to learn alongside us!