Beyond COVID: Blended Learning and ‘Shelter in Place’ Education

I have spent the last few years teaching in different corners of the world, from Türkiye to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and now, as of three weeks ago, back in the United States. However, even though my physical location has changed, my connections with students have not. Some of my former students, now living in Ukraine, still reach out to me. They send messages on WhatsApp, asking for help with assignments, navigating online platforms, and simply seeking reassurance that they are on the right track.

They are part of a growing reality: students who rely on blended learning not as a convenience, but as a necessity. For them, attending school in person is not always safe. The ability to switch between online and in-person learning means they can continue their education despite conflict and uncertainty.

While in Türkiye, I taught (Educational Technologist) before, during, and after COVID-19 at an international school serving the military and diplomatic communities of Ankara. Our use of online learning was not always about the pandemic. We experienced times of political intrigue where we had to shift online for security reasons, following ‘shelter in place’ orders. In those moments, blended learning was not about health precautions it was about ensuring education continued in unpredictable circumstances.

Nevertheless, my former students’ resilience is what inspires me today as I prepare for my dissertation research. Their determination to keep learning despite war, displacement, and instability drives me to study innovative approaches to educational continuity in conflict zones. How do we design learning environments that adapt to crisis? How can technology provide stability when everything else is uncertain? These are the questions I want to answer, not just for my research, but for students like mine, who continue to learn against all odds.

apologies for the brevity here I am still in the middle of moving from GTMO to Tennessee and my house is not ready yet - planning to add a bit more depth to this post but this was my first rection to some of what we read for this week.