School closures prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic forced school leaders and special education teachers serving students with disabilities to shift to providing traditional instruction in an online environment (Smith, 2020). As these closures were unexpected, school leaders and special education teachers transitioned to a remote learning model with little guidance or support on how to effectively meet the needs of students with disabilities virtually. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the process which system leaders and special education teachers have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic in implementing technology to teach students with disabilities using a remote learning model. Furthermore, this research targeted school leaders and special education teachers who support students with disabilities in educational institutions across the north-eastern region of the United States. Understanding the lived experiences of school leaders and special education teachers while using a remote learning model to educate students with disabilities will inform educational leaders and policymakers on how to best support schools with implementing a remote learning model that addresses the needs of staff, students, and families supporting students with disabilities.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered, and continues to trigger, many changes in K-12 education—some major, like learning remotely from home, and some minor, like sitting farther apart on the school bus. While most students have had routines interrupted, the children perhaps most affected by that disruption are students with special education needs. The challenges we currently face should not undermine what we have accomplished over the last 60 years to protect students with disabilities and those from traditionally marginalized backgrounds. Instead, we must take an honest, proactive and collaborative approach to the challenges laid bare. To do so, we must reckon with the fact that during a pandemic that disproportionately impacted traditionally marginalized communities and people with disabilities, we collectively dropped the ball for students receiving special education services, and we need to consider the continued consequences. Further, we must acknowledge that many students with disabilities have found virtual and remote learning to be more liberating and accessible for their learning strengths, needs, and preferences. This text addresses how we must reconcile disparate realities of the special educational experience during pandemic. Students, parents, teachers, and school officials must align themselves together so that they can provide necessary services and support systems to students with disabilities during unpredictable times. These efforts will help leverage opportunities to disrupt, improve, and ignite educational experiences and opportunities for our children and youth, particularly those with disabilities.

This volume offers international perspectives on the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on disabled students and their families, serving as a call to action for educational systems and education policy to become proactive, rather than reactive, for future disasters. Each chapter in the book is written by authors with lived experiences across diverse global regions, highlighting the daily life of people with disabilities and their families during the pandemic. Including case studies and practical suggestions, the book demonstrates that culturally responsive practices are essential to successfully support people around the world in their times of need. At the critical intersection of education and disability human rights, this book is important for pre-service teachers, researchers, professors, and graduate students to ensure all students are supported during times of crisis.

This book exemplifies the challenges and successes of online learning, teaching and leading in times of crises. It helps shed light on the issues facing online and face-to-face practitioners having to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and continue education within the confines of a specific interface. The volume includes new research and information, which can be built upon in the coming months and years depending on how long the pandemic persists. Therefore, it adds a geometric dimension to the current research on online teaching, learning and leading with emphasis on what can be done during a pandemic. The book is beneficial because it is timely and significant based on current happenings in the world. Its findings contribute to expansive research on online learning, teaching and leading but with a focus on emergency education. The information contained in the book is significant to different regions in the world such as the Caribbean, UK, USA, Greece, Mauritius inter alia. The book is of interest to teachers, students, parents, leaders and anyone who wants to adopt online education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all schoolchildren across the world. In this book, we explore the impact that this has had on children, parents, teachers, and administrators. Some lessons learned from these experienced are revealed as are ideas for how we can proceed for the betterment of our students.

This timely volume documents the immediate, global impacts of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on teaching and learning in higher education. Focusing on student and faculty experiences of online and distance education, the text provides reflections on novel initiatives, unexpected challenges, and lessons learned. Responding to the urgent need to better understand online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, this book investigates how the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) impacted students, faculty, and staff experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown. Chapters initially look at the challenges faced by universities and educators in their attempts to overcome the practical difficulties involved in developing effective online programming and pedagogy. The text then builds on these insights to highlight student experiences and consider issues of social connection and inequality. Finally, the volume looks forward to asking what lessons COVID-19 can offer for the future development of online and distance learning in higher education. This engaging volume will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in online teaching and eLearning, curriculum design, and more, specifically those involved with the digitalization of higher education. The text will also support further discussion and reflection around pedagogical transformation, international teaching and learning, and educational policy more broadly.