I didn’t want to get into this but I’m pretty well fortunate to be where I am and we still had to fashion a background from a tapestry, string, and nails. Every time I’m on Zoom I think about it. It’s embarrassing when the temporary background works but the internet doesn’t.

When the internet doesn’t work, someone hotspots me. Even then, I can’t aways hear whats going on or keep up. If I could watch OR listen, it might be easier. Some professors recorded their lectures. That’s making it easier on students who, once it’s downloaded, may follow.

If you’re at all interested in accessibility during this time, you also must be interested in the gap from classroom to digital learning.

My experience is that while classroom learning is difficult for many reasons, the alternative of using a textbook, a videoconference that needs you to be active, and a notetaking app may be too much for my computer or my internet.

And again, I’m privileged to be around college students who prioritize learning. Imagine what a family struggling to share a small space and provide for one another with a low quality internet connection is experiencing with digital learning.

These systems,both the traditional and the digital ones, are built to be exclusionary of disadvantaged folks.
We have an opportunity to change that experience here and now. Why not make learning easier for everyone?