Learning is, at its core, a social enterprise. This is just as true for adult learners as it is for young students. When COVID-19 sent students and teachers home and into a virtual learning environment, the social fabric of schooling was torn for all of us. At Bank Street Graduate School of Education, the community of educators was ready to lean in on all we have learned from running our many online master’s degree and certificate programs and using our fundamental values as a guide.
Extending Graduate Programs Online
By 2019, Bank Street had already established many online graduate degree programs. When the COVID-19 crisis hit, Bank Street had already been hard at work honing its virtual learning environment to reflect the values of equity, relationships, and community. The pandemic provided a reason to continue expanding these online graduate programs and strengthening their connections.
“The Bank Street online model creates a sense of community,” says Robin Hummel, Co-Director of Online Teaching and Learning and course instructor. “Online can be perfunctory, but that’s not what this is. We took our time launching our virtual model, making sure we maintained the essence of what a Bank Street education is.”
This methodical approach has continued to serve students well when more classes moved online in early 2020. Bank Street’s online programs prioritize building and maintaining the important human relationships established during a graduate school experience to offer both academic learning and professional networking.
The Cohort Model
In each area of study, a cohort of students forms a community of committed professionals. Sharing their learning experiences, they bounce ideas off each other, provide mutual accountability, and discuss their on-the-job experiences and opportunities. The cohort model bonds students together, often forming long-lasting relationships that remain the heart of a shared professional network.
Supervised Fieldwork and Mentorship
While coursework happens virtually, Bank Street’s online programs also include supervised fieldwork in an environment specifically chosen to match each student’s professional goals, providing extensive real-world training guided by experienced mentors.
Conference Groups
During supervised fieldwork, cohorts stay connected through weekly conference group sessions with their faculty advisor. The groups bring together five to seven students who form an intentional professional learning community. Within each cohort, peers discuss their experiences, supporting and challenging each other as they apply theory to practice and develop their teaching and leadership practice.
Individual Advisors
Students also meet online regularly with their core faculty advisor to reflect on their work and experiences and focus on their individual learning process.
In Fall 2021, the Graduate School returned to in-person classes before moving classes online with ease when the virus surged this winter. No matter what the future holds, the online programs Bank Street established prior to the pandemic provide students with an accessible and generative model for advancing their knowledge and building the community and credentials they need to move forward in their professional lives.