With the abrupt impacts of COVID-19, entire school systems have been pushed to move academic curriculums online overnight. Alberta has undergone a fast and sudden migration towards online learning, without any previous plan or precedent. We’ve put together some tips to help both parents and schools ease into this new transition.
With officials predicting the effects of COVID-19 to last into the early new year, post-secondary campuses know better than anyone that it’s time to accept and prepare for this new reality. While society has generally hit a halt, educational institutions are investigating ways to continue academic services in a cautious and accessible manner. Unfortunately, going back to business, as usual, will not cut it this time. Institutions will need to come back smarter and better than before in order to stay open through the remainder of this outbreak, and possibly the next. While re-opening institutions may feel premature, safe returns to campus can be made possible through reinventing the physical university experience. To achieve this, you’ll want to look at reimagining and repurposing your spaces to support new health care policy changes and social distancing protocols.
With parents working remotely and students transitioning to full online learning, we’re facing a unique time in history where both parents and children are operating alongside each other at home. While remote working has become increasingly popular in the workforce, online learning will be a foreign experience to most young students. For some children, maintaining attention in a linear classroom setting is already challenging. As virtual learning continues to manifest over digital classrooms, parents are finding it difficult for their children to sit through a day’s worth of online lessons. However, rather than training children to sit still, consider advocating for healthy movement to help students channel pent-up energy into involvement.
By Dr. Lauren Gant, PhD, CPE, WELL AP, Human Factors & Ergonomics Manager, Allsteel
Staying healthy is on everyone’s mind today. Our focus at the moment has (rightfully) been on disease prevention, however, it is important that we do not lose sight of promoting holistic wellness. We cannot overlook our physical health and mental wellbeing, especially in a climate where anxieties and stress levels may be higher than normal.
Many workers have suddenly found themselves being asked to work from home. Here are some tips for you to take care of yourself during your time working from home, ensuring that you are able to continue to be happy, healthy, and productive.
With more employees transitioning to remote work each day, we’re witnessing a major shift in the way Albertans work. This is a monumental change and it is the first time our workforce is seeing anything like this. We’re exploring uncharted territory and are collectively experimenting and discovering new ways to work. Remote working and self-isolation can be an uncomfortable transition for some, but we’ve got you covered on some ways to make it a little more bearable.
With a focus on avid migration towards online learning, getting caught up in a standardized approach can be easy. While creating a uniform system can help make this transition smooth and seamless, we can’t neglect our attention to unique student learning styles. Where’s the balance between setting up a consistent teaching system and personalized learning approaches? How can we empower our students to take ownership of their learning while at home? The answer begins with us.
At CDI Spaces, our clients come first. As a partner to you and your business, we continue to closely monitor the impacts of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and we strive to ensure the health and safety of our collective employees, clients, and communities.
Guest Post by: Eric D. Johnson, Senior Workplace Advisor, Allsteel
To call the atmosphere we’re all working in ‘chaotic’ feels a bit understated at this point. With an underlying concern about our own and our communities’ health, we’re also moving, literally overnight, into a place where working together is being discouraged and working from home is being considered the ‘new norm’. All this uncertainty and change can be really difficult to manage and get through successfully. So we hope these tips and best practices will help alleviate some of the stress and make it all a bit more manageable.
It starts with creating a learning environment that is not only physically inclusive but also facilitates academic growth and success. Learning styles and teaching strategies also need to be adapted in kind so that students with special education needs are empowered to learn alongside their peers and contribute to the class in beneficial and constructive ways.
Two major drivers are changing the ways that we work in the 21st century:
Technological advancements and the shift towards the Agile Workplace.
As technology continues to evolve, organizations look to develop and deliver workspaces that are aligned with the new ways we work. Sterile cubicles and inefficiently designed offices are making way for inviting workspaces that allow for collaboration and flexibility.