The foster care community is facing some unique challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. In the latest podcast episode, AIR early childhood expert and licensed foster mom Ann-Marie Faria discusses how COVID-19 has affected the foster care system and ways to address some of the challenges it faces.

In the latest episode of AIR Informs, Irma Perez-Johnson explains why the U.S. Department of Labor’s unemployment statistics may not capture the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workforce; why an accurate count matters; and what the road to economic recovery may look like.

Remote learning requires adjustment for all students, but students with disabilities face additional challenges during the COVID-19 quarantine. In the latest episode of AIR Informs, Allison Gandhi, managing researcher and director of AIR’s special education practice area, describes some of these obstacles and shares strategies to help students make the most of this time.

The coronavirus pandemic is affecting everyone, but people with disabilities will likely feel the effects more than people without. AIR economist Michelle Yin discusses factors that make this population especially vulnerable—and explains how the pandemic has the potential to shift all workplaces to be more inclusive and flexible.

What is a Community of Practice?

A community of practice is a group of people who share a common concern or passion for something they do, and they learn how to do it better as they regularly interact. Group members can connect in person, online, or a combination of both.

Even though the coronavirus pandemic has pushed interaction, learning, and professional development to online environments, that doesn’t mean these activities can’t be just as effective as they would be in person.

In this episode of AIR Informs, Melissa Rasberry and Marshal Conley discuss communities of practice and how they can help teachers connect.

In this episode of AIR Informs, David Osher, an AIR vice president and Institute Fellow, explains the science of learning and development, as well as how parents can create a safe, supportive learning environment at home while their children are away from school during the coronavirus pandemic.

While schools are closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, out-of-school time programs and employees continue to support students and provide child care—especially for parents who can’t work from home—while still complying with local policies and practicing social distancing.

Out-of-school time can mean the time children spend with family members or other caregivers when they’re not in school, but it also refers to a field of practice. It’s mostly nonprofit organizations that run programs for children outside of school. These include afterschool programs, summer programs, clubs, sports and really— any structured activity for young people when they’re out of school. About 12 million people across the country are involved in running and supporting such activities.

In the second episode of “AIR Informs,” AIR youth development expert Deborah Moroney, Ph.D., based in Chicago, shares what parents should know about out-of-school time programs and resources to support students while they’re not in school.

Out-of-school time providers are still playing an important role for students. Community-based programs and spiritual institutions are providing childcare and learning programs for children and young people whose parents aren’t able to work from home.

Even with shelter-in-place orders, out-of-school programs are responding in creative ways. For example, the Chicago Park District is open during the week to provide care for children and young people. Teen programs at After School Matters, also in Chicago, have temporarily closed their in-person programs, but their staff continue to engage their young adult participants online.

Out-of-school time programs are having fun, even in these stressful times. For example, Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium is temporarily closed and the penguins have taken over!

If parents are overwhelmed when looking for educational resources, they should look locally. Visit websites for your local library and cultural institution for curated lists. Also visit large library websites for curated resources for young people by age, such as the New York City and Los Angeles public library systems. And don’t forget cultural institutions, like aquariums and natural history and art museums.

Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, of the American Institutes for Research, provides insight and ideas for staying informed about the coronavirus outbreak, without getting overwhelmed. Salisbury-Afshar is a researcher, physician and public health expert who leads AIR’s Center for Addiction Research and Effective Solutions.

See full show notes here: https://www.air.org/resource/air-s-covid-19-response-and-resources

AIR's Ed Tech Download podcast series explores why research is a critical part of technology development, and what developers should be aware of as they begin using research to evaluate and improve their products.

These three episodes explore the U.S. Department of Education's National Education Technology Plan, which shares new technology advances and research on how technology and digital resources can enhance teaching and learning. AIR experts wrote the plan for an audience of educators, researchers, policymakers, technology innovators, community-based leaders, students and their families. In the podcasts, AIR's Tracy Gray and Larry Friedman discuss the plan with Bart Epstein of Jefferson Education Accelerator.

This third and final episode in the series explains how leaders can help leverage technology to support teaching and learning.

AIR's Ed Tech Download podcast series explores why research is a critical part of technology development, and what developers should be aware of as they begin using research to evaluate and improve their products.

These three episodes explore the U.S. Department of Education's National Education Technology Plan, which shares new technology advances and research on how technology and digital resources can enhance teaching and learning. AIR experts wrote the plan for an audience of educators, researchers, policymakers, technology innovators, community-based leaders, students and their families. In the podcasts, AIR's Tracy Gray and Larry Friedman discuss the plan with Bart Epstein of Jefferson Education Accelerator.

This second episode looks at promising examples of learning technology that promote "active use" -- directly engaging students and pushing them to another level in their cognitive development.