COVID-19 Diaries: Dan Adler (MA '17) Tackles the Distance Learning Curve

When COVID-19 closed Massachusetts schools, UP Academy Leonard science teacher Dan Adler (MA '17) had to jump headfirst into the ocean of distance learning. He knew he had to educate himself before he'd be able to teach his students. "Distance learning has started with my own professional development" to learn more about the methods and technology, says Dan. "I didn't really know much when this all started. But things got overwhelming pretty quickly, because there's a lot out there." 

Dan turned to Twitter to collaborate with other educators (see some of his tweets below), hoping to learn from their experience. Next, he jumped into Zoom, Flipgrid, Quizizz and more, trying to incorporate a new tool every day. At the same time, he learned to provide tech support to students and families via text, continued to try to reach students with unstable (or nonexistent) access to technology, and worked hard to make sure the content he shared was accessible to students with disabilities and language learners. "The silver lining is that I'm getting better, and teachers everywhere are getting better, at providing meaningful online learning," he says. "The learning looks different, but it's definitely happening."