Introducing PRI’s “Learn@Home Blog”

Online Resources and Opportunities Provided by the Coronavirus Disruption

by Don Haas

Last updated March 20, 2020

This is Learn@Home Blog Post #1

We at Paleontological Research Institution are early in the process of developing a new online portal for the range of educational materials we’ve created and are continuing to create for teaching and learning Earth science, biology, and environmental science. This includes existing resources like our series of Teacher-Friendly Guides to Earth Science and Climate Change, The Digital Atlas of Ancient Life, Virtual Fieldwork Experiences (VFEs), and tools and strategies for making and using VFEs. We’ll also be creating new content specifically for the current educational moment. (!)

Through this “Learn@Home” blog, we’ll provide content at least once a week. Initially, that will take two forms:

  • Highlighting existing PRI resources or resources created by PRI in collaboration with others, and;

  • Discussions of strategies and approaches for teaching in these challenging times. That will include considerations of how the disruption made by the coronavirus provides opportunities for educational innovations that may last beyond the current crisis. 

The coronavirus, COVID-19, is, first and foremost, a tragedy of epic proportions we do not yet fully understand. The most pressing lesson to learn and act upon right now is the importance of social distancing and “flattening the curve.” One very good explanation of that is this eight minute video:

Video Source: “What This Chart Actually Means for COVID-19” by It’s Okay To Be Smart (YouTube).

COVID-19 is also a huge shock to systems across society, not least of which is the educational system. Schools throughout the country are shutting down and transitioning to online learning and teaching. Through our new portal, which we hope to formally announce in the near future, we’ll offer resources for K-16 educators of Earth science, biology, and environmental science to continue teaching and learning traditional science content. We’ll also see if we can push beyond traditional boundaries and nurture interdisciplinary teaching in a range of ways.

Join us for webinars highlighting our resources

We’re hosting webinars to offer brief introductions to a wide range of our freely available online resources that support the teaching and learning of Earth and environmental science, and biology.

Dates & times:

  • March 23rd at 11:00 a.m. EDT

  • March 25th at 1:00 p.m. EDT

Agenda:

The two webinars share a common agenda so attend either. The agenda contains many links to the resources we’ll be highlighting in the course of the hour.  

To register:

The registration link is below and is also embedded in the agenda.

The webinars will be recorded and uploaded to PRI’s YouTube channel.

Learn@Home, educationDon Haascoronavirus, covid-19, resources, online learning