< Previous30 | The Daily News | Latitude 29 | 2021 Tyree Bearden, program director for the electrical and electronics program at Galveston College, explains how an online simulator students can access from home mimics the Amatrol Motor Control System they learn on in the classroom.2021 | Latitude 29 | The Daily News | 31 ‘CONSISTENT CONNECTION’ DIGITAL PLATFORMS HERE TO STAY WITH IN-PERSON LEARNING Story by KERI HEATH | Photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS32 | The Daily News | Latitude 29 | 2021 AUSTIN MIDDLE SCHOOL READ- ING TEACHER SHANAEL WIL- LIAMS WILL NEVER GO BACK TO PAPER. The pandemic forced her to move all her lessons online. It was a big shift for Williams, who carried home heaps of papers, she said. Even though she’s back to teaching in person, she’s keeping the digital plat- forms that allow her students to access materials online, she said. “I think they like it better because they know where everything is,” Wil- liams said. “If they’re absent, they know where to go to find it.” The past 18 months have been dis- ruptive to students and learning. But most educators agree the pandemic inspired long-term improvement in the way teachers integrate technology into the classroom. NOT AN ILL WIND While online classes haven’t replaced in-person learning, many educators are using streamlined online systems to give students additional resources, keep parents updated and collect data about how their students are performing. With students learning mostly from home, many school districts and col- leges updated their digital systems and moved communications online. Faculty at Galveston College had to learn to shift to virtual learning, said Cissy Matthews, vice president of in- struction. “All of our faculty now are prepared Wyatt Peterson, a student in the electronics program at Galveston College, uses the virtual simulator to study motor control systems.2021 | Latitude 29 | The Daily News | 33 to teach online at any given moment,” Matthews said. “Many of our workforce programs are very hands-on and online is not the preferred method, but we’ve got to move forward.” More options are open for students to study at home, she said. Teachers for many hands-on classes such as elec- tronic and mechanical courses could give students access to virtual modules for after-classes, she said. Students can virtually build materials and do their labs virtually, she said. “Though they can’t come into the lab, they can still move forward with instruction,” Matthews said. “It really helps the students at home.” MORE ACCESS Online platforms definitely have made school work more accessible for students, said Dr. Susan Silva, assistant superintendent for teaching and learn- ing at Clear Creek Independent School District. “Before, when a student was absent for a week, they just sort or missed or maybe picked up some work,” Sil- va said. “We have more of a consistent connection with kids who may be at home, but they can still log in or do assignments.” The pandemic also changed the way teachers as- sess how to teach students, she said. After return- ing to the class- room in the fall of 2020, teachers started giving stu- dents tests before starting a unit to understand what students knew about a topic. That’s been very helpful, Silva said. “The teachers are doing lots of pre-as- sessments,” Silva said. “They can plan their instruction based on what they see their students need or don’t need.” The digital shift prompted Galveston Independent School District to digitize its records and registration process, as well, said Lea Walker, director of Pub- lic Education Information Management System and Student Data Services. Before the pandemic, registration was only about 50 percent online, Walker said. Now it’s almost fully digital, she said. Digital systems also have streamlined parent communications and paperwork during the year, she said. “It’s a lot less cumbersome,” Walker said. “You don’t have the papers com- ing home in the backpacks. We can track that things are turned in on time. Parents can complete the registration in their own time, instead of trying to make sure the first-grader brings the pa- per back in the backpack.” PERSONAL TOUCH Just because schools are using more technology, however, doesn’t mean they’ll shift to entirely online platforms, said Grace Townsend, instructional as- sociate professor of chemistry and uni- versity faculty senate executive commit- tee member at Texas A&M University at Galveston. “Up until 2020, there was this pie in the sky notion that all learning was going to be online in the future and we wouldn’t need physical buildings,” Townsend said. “We discovered that it wasn’t all it was maybe cracked up to be.” Faculty at the university got a lot more comfortable using technology, she said. Professors started pre-recording in- structions for labs and using online polls and discus- sion boards to students’ advan- tage, she said. But much, in- cluding a teach- er’s ability to watch students’ expressions and gauge whether they’re getting it or not, is lost when classes are online, she said. “It’s easier in person to see that on their faces,” Townsend said. “You just lose a lot of the energy between student and instructor.” NO CHANGE Technology just isn’t the same as a teacher in a classroom, said Kami Hale, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at Texas City Indepen- dent School District. “A quality teacher is not effectively re- placed by a virtual program,” Hale said. “Not only do students need an in-per- son instructional setting, they also need to interact with their peers.” But for reading teacher Williams, the pandemic brought many good changes. She can post videos she shows in class for students to review and audio- books for students who need learning accommodations, she said. “I just had paper everywhere,” Wil- liams said. “I am now paperless.” “A quality teacher is not effectively replaced by a virtual program. Not only do students need an in-person instructional setting, they also need to interact with their peers.” Kami Hale34 | The Daily News | Latitude 29 | 2021 SUPPLY AND DEMAND AS HEALTH CARE STAFF LEAVE PROFESSION, OTHERS RISE THROUGH SCHOOL Story by KERI HEATH | Photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS DR. TIMOTHY HARLIN HAS A LOT THAT COULD KEEP HIM UP AT NIGHT , and what’s always on his mind is the burnout and demand on his staff at the University of Texas Medical Branch. “Burnout is very, very real and something that keeps me very concerned,” said Harlin, the executive vice president and CEO of the med- ical branch. Those concerns are enhanced with worries that burnout caused by the 18-month pandemic could lead health care professionals to leave the field, aggravating a shortage of workers in an industry already struggling to keep up with demand. “I’m hearing anec- dotally that we’re see- ing people leave the profession, not just get- ting hired away through a signing bonus or the promise of good dollars through agency staff- ing,” Harlin said. “People are saying, ‘This is too hard. I need a break.’” The pandemic has exacerbated preexisting staffing challenges in the health care industry, especially among critical care nurses, and has many in the field searching for innovative ways to attract and retain the workers. At the same time, the pandemic has a brought heightened sense of awareness to the health care industry and sparked increased interest in medical and nursing school, a trend many in- dustry leaders hope will continue. ALREADY SHORT Even before the pandemic, some areas of health care had staffing shortages, said Dr. Amy Waer, dean at Texas A&M University’s col- lege of medicine. “Staffing in health care is an ongoing is- sue but definitely was magnified quite a bit by COVID,” Waer said. By 2032, the number of registered nurses in Texas is expected to grow 30.5 percent from 2018 levels of 224,000 nurses, according to the Department of State Health Services. But in the same time period, demand for reg- istered nurses is expected to increase 38.8 per- cent, according to the data. Nurses, especially those who specialize in “Staffing in health care is an ongoing issue but definitely was magnified quite a bit by COVID.” Dr. Amy WaerShirnyl Alviza, a certified registered nurse anesthetist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, waits to start anesthesia for an outpatient procedure at the hospital.36 | The Daily News | Latitude 29 | 2021 critical care, anesthesia, emergency medicine and operating room medicine, are in high demand locally, along with re- spiratory therapists and specialists who diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease, Harlin said. Much of that demand is for the critical care experience that nurses have, said Nancy Fahrenwald, dean of the col- lege of nursing at Texas A&M University. “People are being offered incentives and higher salaries,” Fahrenwald said. “Our health system wants to meet our pa- tient care demand.” GROWING INTEREST On the one hand, the pandemic has brought attention to the health care industry and has inspired more young peo- ple to study medicine or nursing. “The silver lining part of it is there’s a heightened aware- ness around health care, which is a good thing,” Waer said. “We have seen, with our undergraduate and graduate stu- dents, increased numbers of applications for those posi- tions.” The problem is that the academic funnel doesn’t neces- sarily have a spot for everyone who’s qualified and wants to enter health care, said Dr. James McDeavitt, executive vice president and dean of Baylor College of Medicine. Medical schools also need more professors to increase student capacity and newly certified medical students need more spots to complete residency training programs, he said. “We were always lagging a little bit behind,” McDeavitt said. “The growth in medical schools and residency pro- grams hasn’t really kept pace with the population growth.” That’s changing, but slowly, he said. CONSIDERING CONSEQUENCES What staffing shortages mean for the health care industry is increasing salaries and heightened demand for some spe- cialties, Harlin said. “We have to create a culture where people want to stay,” Harlin said. “They’re part of a family at UTMB. They feel they have a voice. They feel that we really do emphasize quality and that we are not just in the business of grinding through employees.” For patients, it could mean reduced capacity at hospitals, a reality local hospitals have had to contend with during the pandemic, he said. “If the patient demand exceeds the staffing capacity and we go to saturation, we can’t take transfers in or we house people in our emergency department,” Harlin said. “It’s been less about ‘Do we have the bed capacity?’ and more about ‘Do we have the staff capacity?’” The hope is that reinforcements are coming through ris- ing doctors, nurses and health care professionals who have been inspired by the pandemic, McDeavitt said. “I think it has absolutely made health care a more appeal- ing career choice,” McDeavitt said. “I think there are people going into health care today that wouldn’t have thought about it pre-pandemic. There aren’t many careers that are so directly tied to a sense of mission and purpose.” Galveston • Pearland • League City • Friendswood • Alvin • HomeTown.Bank OOOOO Five-Star “Superior” rating by BauerFinancial, Inc., awarded June, 2021 OOOOO A New Look for the Seawall Scott Kusnerik Executive Vice President Cesar Hernandez Senior Vice President Brandon Rogers Vice President Traci Shugart-Garcia Vice President Our NEW Seawall Branch Opens Next Summer! 45th & Seawall Boulevard • (409) 763-5252 1801 - 45th Street (Main Bank) • (409) 763-12702021 | Latitude 29 | The Daily News | 37 HITCHCOCK ISD BULLDOGS For further information, please visit our website at www.hitchcockisd.org HITCHCOCK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TRAVIS W. EDWARDS, SUPERINTENDENT 7801 Neville, Hitchcock, TX 77563 (409) 316-6545 Office, 409-986-5141 Fax Hitchcock Independent School District is a small district of approximately 1700 students with high standards. Dedicated to promoting the academic success of all students, HISD takes an active role in providing quality, learner-centered curriculum and instruction to a diverse population of students. A dedicated professional staff develops graduates who take their places successfully in an ever-changing world of careers, community service and higher education. Hitchcock ISD offers instruction in grades PreK-12 as well as a Head Start Program that serves children ages 3 – 4, including students with disabilities, living in the Hitchcock, Santa Fe, and La Marque, communities. Students, age 3 through 12th grade, receive individualized programs and special services, based on identified needs. Many Hitchcock ISD seniors and juniors take advantage of our close partnership with College of the Mainland, enrolling in dual credit and Collegiate High School courses, which also fulfills their high school graduation plans. HISD provides the majority of the cost for this program. There are six (6) fully accredited junior and senior colleges within five to 30 minutes from the city of Hitchcock: College of the Mainland, University of Houston at Clear Lake, Galveston Junior College, Alvin Junior College, University of Texas Medical Branch and Texas A & M University at Galveston. Hitchcock ISD offers many career and technology classes including culinary arts, auto tech, marketing, business, health science, criminal justice, cosmetology, and welding. Hitchcock High School Principal: Laurie Gilcrease 6629 FM 2004 Hitchcock, TX 77563 409-316-6544 Crosby Middle School Principal: Donette Line 6625 FM 2004 Hitchcock, TX 77563 409-316-6542 Stewart Elementary Principal: Connie White 7013 Stewart Hitchcock, TX 77563 409-316-6543 Hitchcock Primary School Principal: Kevin Lankford 5901 FM 2004 Hitchcock, TX 77563 409-316-6467 Kids First Head Start Director: Ethel Gaines 5701 FM 2004 , Hitchcock, TX 77563 409-316-6541 START HERE. STAY HERE. We welcome children, adolescents and adults for all services. Same-day appointments available with clinics in Texas City and Galveston. We welcome Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance and self-pay. COASTALHW.ORG 409.938.2234 Primary care including well- child visits, women’s health, family planning, annual physicals, chronic disease management and more. Confidential one-on-one talk therapy for mild to moderate mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. MEDICAL CARE Basic dental services including cleanings and tooth extractions. Ask us about our affordable dentures, root canals and crowns. DENTAL CARECOUNSELING38 | The Daily News | Latitude 29 | 2021 ZOOM BOOM AND WORKING FROM HOME INCREASE INTEREST IN PLASTIC SURGERY Story by EMMA COLLINS A YEAR AND A HALF OF ZOOM CALLS, working from home and avoid- ing restaurants led to more than just COVID fatigue. All those months looking at our own faces projected onto sometimes unflat- tering video screens also inspired an increased interest in plastic surgery, at least among some. Results released by the American So- ciety of Plastic Surgeons showed 11 per- cent of women surveyed in 2021 were more interested in plastic surgery than READY FOR YOUR CLOSEUP?2021 | Latitude 29 | The Daily News | 39 ME INCREASE INTEREST IN PLASTIC SURGERY OUR CLOSEUP? before the pandemic. Despite a halt on elective surgeries at some points, peo- ple are still clamoring for procedures. “People were indulging themselves at a time when so much has been taken away,” said Linda Phillips, chief of the division of plastic surgery at the Uni- versity of Texas Medical Branch at Gal- veston. Although there was a 15 percent de- crease in the number of procedures performed in 2020, that dip corresponds to the time when many practices were closed, according to the study. And the increased interest sent people back to GETTY IMAGESNext >