WASHINGTON – Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction in the School of Education Helen Bond, Ph.D., was recently among the featured panelists for a timely discussion on education during emergencies, hosted by Engaging Students, in coordination with Pellet Media, Inc. The virtual panel provided perspective on how educational institutions are working with the technology industry to transition all instruction online, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. View the full panel discussion here.

For Bond, education in emergency situations is one of her research areas that has not particularly been relevant in the United States until just recently, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She has previously done education in emergency work in Africa, along the Somali border for refugee teachers, along with similar work she’s conducted in India and Bangladesh. Additionally, Bond serves as chair of  Howard University Online (HUOL), an advisory body of faculty who work to develop online courses and programs at Howard. Both specialty areas position Bond to be a desired voice in what has now become a national conversation on education in emergencies. 

“Education is a lifeline during a crisis. That lifeline represents more than a grade or a login to a computer,” Bond explains. “The disruption of education or schooling means a disruption in life; a disruption to one’s routines, and ability to feel safe and secure. Maintaining that educational lifeline should be considered a part of the humanitarian response to the crisis.”

According to Engaging Students, the panel combines online instruction and accessible technology experts to discuss the pedagogy of teaching during an emergency. The panel introduces tools for accessibility along with sharing best practices for educators looking to truly connect with students, through online instruction. A unique element of the panel that sets it apart from others is the inclusion of using content as a tool against racism, in the light of a rise in derogatory incidents toward Asians and Asian Americans. Also featured on the panel are: Jessica Murray, Ph.D., of Pellet Media, Alyssa Kariofyllis of Boston University’s Office of Distance Education, Timothy Ponce, Ph.D., of the Department of English at the University of Texas Arlington and Venkat Rao of Assistive Technology Blog. View the full panel discussion here. 

For more than 20 years, Engaging Students has provided production services to educational institutions and organizations nationwide. For more information, visit https://www.engagingstudents.com. 

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ABOUT HOWARD UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 70 Fulbright Scholars. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.

Media contact: Ramzey Smith, Office of University Communications, ramzey.smith@howard.edu