SHIFTING TO ONLINE EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS IN PALESTINE

Abstract

Covid-19, the global pandemic first reported in December 2019, has caused many drastic shifts in the world. A significant number of these unexpected changes were in the field of education. Educators were forced to shift to online teaching without any preparation, and with minimal guidance or support. Many of the challenges which occurred during the move to virtual teaching have the potential to improve educational processes. Policymakers and educational leaders must reflect on the past year-and-a-half of online learning in order to plan and develop learning strategies. In Palestine, a land under occupation and with limited resources, education has been interrupted in the past mainly for political reasons. Thus, interruptions to education and the possibility of shifting to online teaching may occur anytime for any reason. This reflective essay, based on my lived experience and observation as an educator in Palestine for the past decade, will shed light on the hardships that school educators in Palestine faced due to Covid-19 and consider how they may become opportunities in the long term for learning.