Dear Members and Friends of the EARCOS Community,
These are worrisome days for all of us. Disruption, anxiety, unexpected and unwelcome change hover above on a seemingly daily basis.
Over the past several months more and more of our region’s schools have closed their doors and turned to distance education to help them support their students’ learning. How far technology has come to be able to actually support our efforts to keep schools ‘open’ and our students’ learning. And what a valiant effort by so many EARCOS tech directors and teachers who have worked tirelessly each and every day to support their students from a distance—often while enduring the challenges of loneliness and isolation as they endure being quarantined themselves. These educators all deserve our deepest admiration and gratitude.
Surely, the current pandemic will subside. But, when faced with the unknown, and surely the Covid-19 virus is that, the very best action we can take is to obtain the facts and to build plans for our next steps based on those facts. Below you will find links to vital information that has been culled from leading organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization and various other agencies. They all offer a balanced and informed perspective on the global pandemic situation.
I especially want to recognize here the information that has come to us from two of our own international education groups—the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE), led by Mark Ulfers, and the Association of Chinese and Mongolian International Schools (ACAMIS) led by Tom Ulmet. The information that they collect, check, collate, and share is truly a gift to all of us. We at EARCOS salute AAIE and ACAMIS for helping all of us find and maintain a balanced perspective. I also want to recognize the many school leaders and IT Directors who have shared their impressive Distance Learning plans on line so the rest of us could learn from their experiences.
Sharing and standing with one another in the face of these uncertain times, once again underscores the power of community that is EARCOS.
With best wishes to all of you and your incredible communities--stay well, stay together, stay informed and stay positive!
Edward E. Greene, Ph.D.
Executive Director
