February 19, 2021

California students watch and learn through hands-on projects as Mars rover lands

Teachers have crafted weeks and even months-long lessons culminating with the historic Mars rover landing on Feb. 18.

Sydney Johnson

October 27, 2020

Academic testing looks very different in California during distance learning

To assess students during distance learning, teachers are relying on informal check-ins, open notes and webcams to monitor a student’s behavior.

Sydney Johnson

October 15, 2020

Up to 1 million California students may still lack connectivity during distance learning

State leaders struggle to pinpoint how many students remain unconnected, and fear widening inequality as distance learning continues.

Sydney Johnson

August 26, 2020

On or off? California schools weigh webcam concerns during distance learning

Some teachers report less engagement with cameras off, but anxiety, tech glitches and privacy concerns could keep some students from turning them on.

Sydney Johnson

August 17, 2020

Millions of students — and their teachers — embark on vast experiment with distance learning

Distance learning is not a mode of instruction most parents, students, teachers and administrators would have chosen in the absence of the pandemic.

Louis Freedberg

August 14, 2020

Pressure is on to close the digital divide under California governor’s executive order

The governor wants to reimagine the state’s Broadband Council and ramp up efforts to connect all students to technology during distance learning.

Sydney Johnson

August 13, 2020

Oakland Unified opens virtually with thousands of students lacking computers and hotspots

A citywide campaign raised $12.5 million to provide for low income students, but the devices have not yet arrived due to a backlog.

Theresa Harrington

August 13, 2020

Ask a reporter: Back to school in California during Covid-19

EdSource reporters and readers met Wednesday in a virtual town hall to discuss what education will look like this fall in California. 

Sydney Johnson

August 11, 2020

Some California districts, teachers struggle to agree on distance learning

The Legislature set minimum hours but left it to districts and unions to define instruction, engagement and set the length of a school day.

John Fensterwald

August 5, 2020

California makes internet-enabled tablets available to nearly 1 million students

At least 100,000 tablets with internet included will be ready for districts in time for the new school year, state officials said.

Sydney Johnson

August 3, 2020

Sal Khan says distance learning can't fully replace in-person instruction

Sal Khan, a pioneer in distance learning, warns that distance learning does not replace the value of in-person instruction.

Louis Freedberg

July 24, 2020

California school districts brace for an online back-to-school season

Many school districts will have to ditch plans for hybrid learning and in-person classes at the start of the school year.

Sydney Johnson

June 26, 2020

Long road ahead to close California’s digital divide in education before new school year begins

About 56,700 laptops and 94,000 hotspots have been sent to districts across the state so far.

Sydney Johnson

June 16, 2020

Endangered: large university lecture hall classes

Very large classes are less common than often thought. Technology and new in-the-round designs will alter teaching experience.

Larry Gordon

June 10, 2020

California science teachers look for new ways to bring hands-on experiments to students

While some families are doing science projects at home, teachers say a lack of supplies makes it difficult to assign hands-on experiments.

Sydney Johnson