Abstract:

In recent years, advancement in technology and new schooling opportunities have produced exponential growth in the number of K-12 students enrolled in blended or fully online educational environments. To date, most published studies and best practice recommendations have focused on teacher preparation and pedagogical issues in the unique online environment. However, little consideration has been given to aspects of student safety. While crises involving student-to-student or student-to-faculty harm are likely eliminated as a concern in the online learning environment due to the lack of physical proximity. Recent research has found that teachers are reporting that they are suspecting suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, and/or child abuse/neglect among their student populations. Additionally, teachers are experiencing the classroom impacts of student deaths, faculty deaths, natural disasters, and acts of terrorism without the benefit of appropriate training and crisis protocols. The challenges of geographic distance in online learning make the typical school-based crisis intervention models inefficient or impossible to carry out due to their reliance on physical proximity and local response agencies. In the current presentation, attendees will learn of the outcomes of research from two different K-12 online learning institutions regarding crisis frequency and preparedness for teachers. The presenters will also offer practical suggestions for crisis response protocols for blended and fully online learning environments.

Keywords:

Crisis response, K-12 online learning.