The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted lives in and beyond Southeast Ohio in countless ways. It has closed schools. It has closed restaurants. It has left people wondering when a sense of normalcy, such as they knew it, will return. But it hasn’t stopped 13 dedicated Stevens Literacy Center Literacy Ambassadors from finding innovative ways to ensure that students and adult learners receive a quality education.
“This experience is revolutionizing how we teach and learn,” said Stevens Literacy Center Director Dr. Julie Francis. “Great things are going to come out of the ingenuity of educators, especially these savvy pre-service teachers. They are all working remotely and creating ways to stay in touch with children and families as they maintain the Center’s programming and move forward purposefully in service to others.”
Using Google Classroom and other virtual programs, Literacy Ambassadors continue to educate students and help them, and their parents, navigate trying times. Sophomore Hannah Rowan, for example, created a Google Classroom for students—nicknamed “Little Patton Pals”—that will soon morph into a website featuring read-alouds, science experiments, and physical activities. All Literacy Ambassadors are contributing to the website, which will continue even after the pandemic ends.
“We would like for this website to be a way to communicate with our Little Patton Pals that we would normally see every Tuesday evening,” said Rowan, a Mild-to-Moderate Educational Needs major. “We want to keep in touch with our students, as well as provide a little bit of relief for parents as many of them are starting to become ‘teachers’ for their children.”
A primary goal for the website is to ensure that Little Patton Pals remain connected with each other. To achieve that goal, Literacy Ambassadors have encouraged storytelling called #shelterinstory.
“Through this program, students would be able to hear from their peers from school and the Literacy Ambassador that they are used to seeing every Tuesday,” said Rowan. “Everyone at The Stevens Literacy Center is working diligently to get this website up and running as soon as possible. We are very excited about all of the possibilities this project will bring to our Patton Pals and Southeastern Ohio. “
This project is extremely personal to Rowan. An Athens native, she is highly motivated to help students through this time.
“It is important to me that our Little Patton Pals know that we are here for them, even though we may be a little stressed out ourselves,” she said. “It is important for us Literacy Ambassadors to understand that a lot of our Little Patton Pals might not understand what is going on right now, so now is the time for us to really be there for them for whatever they may need.”
Another sophomore, Annie Dill, is coordinating virtual lessons and interactions between Little Patton Pals and Literacy Ambassadors, also known as Big Patton Pals. These sessions ensure that Big Patton Pals remain a positive influence in their Littles’ lives.
“This has been an interesting and rough time for all of us,” said Dill, an Adolescent-to-Young Adult Math and Science major. “When we all found out that we were going to have to remain at home for the rest of the semester and wouldn't get to see the kids, we were disappointed and sad. I think I can speak for all [of] the literacy ambassadors when I say the kids are the best and favorite part of the program.”
Dill continues to tutor a third-grade student virtually using Zoom and helps with any math or science questions that the student has throughout the week. Prior to the pandemic, students would wait until in-person sessions to ask questions about difficult or confusing subject matter. Now, however, they can contact Literacy Ambassadors via their parents’ email or Messenger Kids on Facebook.
“I am hoping that all of the Big Patton Pals [will not only] help our kids academically, but also be another emotional support for them during this time,” said Dill. “We know it must be hard on parents who now have to adjust to working from home, if they are able to, and taking care of the kids. With most of us being future educators, we want to take advantage of this opportunity to not only help parents, but also gain experience in adapting to a unique teaching situation.”
Graduate student Josie Jorgenson, meanwhile, is working with an undergraduate Literacy Ambassador, freshman Jenna Hill, to create a Google Classroom for family literacy, which includes activities that are fun and educational across generations.
“Jenna is a great help with finding and sending me resources that would be helpful and easy for our families to access online,” said Jorgenson, who is pursuing a master’s degree in Reading. “By doing this, I can create documents and instructions and link our adults to their lessons and families to their lessons.”
Jorgenson, who uses Zoom to connect with families on a weekly basis to make sure that they are feeling supported, is also an Aspire instructor. Aspire, which is sponsored by the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE), provides free services for individuals who need assistance acquiring skills to be successful in post-secondary education, training, and employment. Ohioans 18 and older with less than a 12th grade education are eligible to participate. Jorgenson is working virtually with parents to help them get their GED, improve their literacy and math skills, and develop employability skills. She’s also incorporating mental health and self-care in her Google Classroom.
“Many of our adults and families have expressed that they don't have much support other than myself and would benefit from more self-care and mental health support, but aren't sure how to go about this,” said Jorgenson. “I firmly believe that all humans would be more successful if they found support and took better care of themselves on a day-to-day basis, but a lot of adults who came from generational poverty, like the families I work with, struggle to find this balance.”
To help bridge the gap, Jorgenson has sent families books to read and questions to respond to, similar to an online book club. She has also sent instructions for meditation and yoga, daily journal prompts that are confidential, and coping mechanisms for anxiety and stress, among other resources.
“I think that this a great opportunity to provide learning experiences outside of our typical reading and math lessons and focus more on what interests us,” said Jorgenson. “I am feeling inspired to get our families and adults excited about this new way of learning and how to use these new and different resources. The great thing is so many of the kids love the virtual learning experiences.”
In addition, the Stevens Literacy Center is working closely with the OHIO Center for Equity in Mathematics (OCEMS) Director Dr. Courtney Koestler and Recreation & Sport Pedagogy Assistant Professor Dr. Brian Rider during this time. Koestler is posting learning activities daily on her OCEMS Facebook page, while Rider is making fitness videos for kids, which the Literacy Ambassadors are posting on their new webpage.
“We are all working together to keep kids and families in our region safe, healthy, and mentally and physically active as we prepare for a brighter tomorrow,” said Francis. “This is a very special group of people, and our outreach work will continue long after this pandemic has ended.”