Learning Losses or Learning Gains: The Sky is the Limit When Youths Take Action

As noted in an October 2021 article in EdSurge, the pandemic allowed many high school students in Colorado to self-direct their learning. Through Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), young people were leading lives of inquiry, resourcefulness, and innovation. In this episode of SLL, researchers Ben Kirshner, Carlos Hipolito-Delgago, Arturo Cortex and Beatriz Salazar talk about the ingenuity and creativity that youth in their project showed when their schools shifted to online learning. From a thematic standpoint, they will focus in on “LEARNING” that happened during the pandemic and how that is different from “SCHOOLING” in their experiences. Second, they will question and challenge several assumptions that are embedded in the prevailing discourses of learning loss and social isolation associated with online learning. Throughout their show, they will express solidarity with teachers as they navigate the politics and health risks of this pandemic.