TRACKLIST
1. Phoebe Bridgers - "Garden Song"
2. Talking Heads - "Making Flippy Floppy"
3. The Raincoats - "The Void"
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NOTES
Today’s episode brings to a different corner of the Rio Grande Valley, one that is often overlooked and yet the lifeblood of the any region: Education. Students and educators alike have been undergoing entire overhauls of the way they have to live their lives with the shift to exclusively-online instruction methods in the wake of the shelter-in-place orders put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students have found it difficult to transition to a form of learning without the classroom environment they are accustomed to, and instructors alike have found it challenging to recreate their classroom environments and teaching methods through one side of a computer (or sometimes smartphone) screen.
As of this moment, the country has been forced to reopen by its state governments (after immense pressure from the federal government) and has abandoned any requirements for sheltering-in-place, as well as any requirements for the use of masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in their communities. The message is clear: we the people are expected to continue to live our lives as if the pandemic has been beaten and no longer poses (quite possibly) the greatest threat to our health we have ever seen in our lifetimes. By doing so, and ‘going back to normal’, I believe the states’ expectations are that our economy (which has been dead in the water for some time now) will magically flourish. The problem here, however, is that over 30 million people are out of work, out of money, and have now been violently shoved off of their unemployment benefits, so there’s really no money to spend!
NOTES
Today’s episode brings to a different corner of the Rio Grande Valley, one that is often overlooked and yet the lifeblood of the any region: Education. Students and educators alike have been undergoing entire overhauls of the way they have to live their lives with the shift to exclusively-online instruction methods in the wake of the shelter-in-place orders put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students have found it difficult to transition to a form of learning without the classroom environment they are accustomed to, and instructors alike have found it challenging to recreate their classroom environments and teaching methods through one side of a computer (or sometimes smartphone) screen.
As of this moment, the country has been forced to reopen by its state governments (after immense pressure from the federal government) and has abandoned any requirements for sheltering-in-place, as well as any requirements for the use of masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in their communities. The message is clear: we the people are expected to continue to live our lives as if the pandemic has been beaten and no longer poses (quite possibly) the greatest threat to our health we have ever seen in our lifetimes. By doing so, and ‘going back to normal’, I believe the states’ expectations are that our economy (which has been dead in the water for some time now) will magically flourish. The problem here, however, is that over 30 million people are out of work, out of money, and have now been violently shoved off of their unemployment benefits, so there’s really no money to spend!
Meanwhile, schools made the decision back in March to continue their online instruction throughout the remainder of the academic year (2019-2020) and have been preparing for continuing instruction in this manner, regardless of whatever new ‘liberties’ the state has granted the general public. While this should be commended, it does not come without its challenges. Unfortunately, the transition to online instruction has left many students (especially those who live in poverty or out of the country) without access to resources they would have otherwise exclusively had through their schools. Needless to say, their entire worlds have been turned upside down, and it’s been the responsibility of their teachers and professors to alleviate this burden for them. Sadly, this noble task is also up against great obstacles for the time being. This is where we enter our episode today. We talk to three people: a student at UTRGV who also works in a leasing office, an English 3 teacher from PSJA ISD, and an English instructor from South Texas College. Each guest shares a unique perspective on this situation (and picks a great song to play on the show).
This will not be the only episode to focus on Education, as the conversations I had on the topic were far greater in number than with any other area. With luck, we will also hear from an administrator next week; a perspective the show has yet to showcase, and a valuable one when it comes to understanding the decisions made you too’ in moments like these.
Thanks for listening as always. Stay safe, stay home, and stay healthy.
See y’all next week.
AS
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