COVID-19 forced rapid change in education, with schools migrating quickly online to slow rates of infection. At Nehemia School in Pogradec, Albania, donors on Global Giving contributed to get laptops for our high school teachers. As of February 2021, we still need eight laptops for teachers for lower grades. COVID-19 will not be over anytime soon in Albania, and helping teachers stay connected with their young students during periodic closures will limit disruptions and support learning.
During COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, NG's teachers taught from home. They worked heroically to keep students learning, using the tools they had at hand-- in many cases, personal cell phones. Teaching, communicating with students, and managing homework on a tiny screen with limited data is almost impossible. COVID-19 is far from over in Albania, which has only limited access to the new vaccines; online learning will continue to be a reality. Our elementary school teachers still need laptops...
High school teachers at Nehemia School have already received new laptops through this campaign, and their teaching has moved smoothly between in-person and virtual settings, with greatly improved educational outcomes. Providing teachers for younger grades with the same technology will empower them to continue connecting with their young students, even online. This will make it possible for teachers to teach, and improve educational outcomes for students.
Teachers are carrying the future on their backs, now more than ever. They are keeping a whole generation of children learning in a time of profound disruption, providing stability, continuity, and support while reinventing their methods to accommodate physical distancing and quarantines. Providing them with the tools they need, now, will help them keep carrying the future-without breaking their backs from its weight.
