| Remote learning is rough going for everyone; the University of Oxford makes strides toward a coronavirus vaccine. Tonight's Sentences was written by Cameron Peters. | | | | | | | Remote learning poses difficulties for parents, teachers, and students alike | | | | | David L. Ryan/Boston Globe via Getty Images | | - For many parents in the US, the coronavirus pandemic doesn't just mean working from home — as schools close for the remainder of the academic year and switch to remote learning, they also have to learn to be teachers. [NYT / Elizabeth A. Harris]
- While schools are still keeping up instruction through Zoom and other online tools, much of the work falls on beleaguered parents. And remote learning isn't easy for students either — a video is often a poor substitute for in-person classes. [AP / Gillian Flaccus and Jocelyn Gecker]
- School counselors are also concerned about the effect the pandemic could have on at-risk students. In Montana, one counselor says he hasn't been able to contact some of his most high-risk students while they're at home, and he's worried they're not getting the help they need. [MTPR / Aaron Bolton]
- Matt Barnum, a reporter for the education site Chalkbeat, tells Vox that, unfortunately, "it's not unreasonable to think that this is going to have long-run negative effects," despite the best efforts of educators and parents. [Vox / Daniel Markus]
- Currently, schools in 43 states and the District of Columbia will remain online-only through the end of the school year; according to Education Week, more than 55 million students have been affected by school closures. [EdWeek]
- And for some of those schools, the end of the year might come earlier than scheduled. Amid difficulties with the transition to remote learning, school districts in Georgia, Texas, and elsewhere are ending the year weeks early — as soon as this Friday. [WSJ / Tawnell D. Hobbs]
- While some states are starting to explore easing their coronavirus lockdowns, there's no sure end in sight for schools. On Sunday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker cautioned that teachers should prepare for the possibility of remote learning when students return to school in the fall. [WTTW / Amanda Vinicky]
- If students do return in the fall, things could look dramatically different as school districts search for ways to keep students separated to prevent a second wave of Covid-19 cases. Many educators also worry that the politics of the pandemic — President Donald Trump's push for a quick reopening of the country — could lead to schools reopening under unsafe conditions. [Washington Post / Laura Meckler, Valerie Strauss, and Moriah Balingit]
- Colleges are facing a similar set of difficulties. On Monday, for example, the provost at Harvard University warned that, while the university will hold classes this fall, they could still take place online if the risk of another coronavirus outbreak remains high. [CNN / Theresa Waldrop and Melanie Schuman]
| | | | | Human trials begin for a promising coronavirus vaccine | | - In the UK, scientists at the University of Oxford think they're onto something — a coronavirus vaccine that could be ready by September, rather than in the 12 to 18 months that most experts believe it will take to manufacture a vaccine. [CBS News / Imtiaz Tyab]
- The first human trial for the new vaccine began last week with a group of about 500 volunteers; if the clinical trial proves effective, manufacturing is already underway for subsequent testing and eventual wider availability. [ABC News / Guy Davies and Nadine Shubailat]
- Initial signs are promising: In an animal trial of the vaccine conducted last month in the US, the vaccine appears to have protected six rhesus macaque monkeys from the coronavirus. [NYT / David D. Kirkpatrick]
- The Oxford vaccine isn't the only one currently in development; dozens of potential candidates in the US, UK, China, and elsewhere are in the works, though the Oxford vaccine is one of the most promising so far. [AP / Lauran Neergaard]
- One as-of-yet untried approach that could speed the development of a coronavirus vaccine is "human challenge trials," where vaccinated volunteers are actively exposed to the virus. Vox's Matthew Yglesias argues that the potential benefits of such a trial could outweigh the risks. [Vox / Matthew Yglesias]
| | | | | | | The US passed 1 million confirmed Covid-19 cases on Tuesday as the coronavirus pandemic continues to pummel the country. | | | | | | | | | "Make sure she's praised as a hero, because she was. She's a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died." | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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