Are teachers using Coronavirus as an education tool?

[chomalungma]

What a fantastic opportunity...

Biology - how viruses work, public health
Maths - exponential growth of infections
Sociology - the social impact of disease, the impact of disease on society, what the effects of closing things down. the different political systems and how they handle it
English - the role of the media
Psychology - how people react

Are any teachers using this real life opportunity in schools? I am sure some teachers can think of other teaching opportunities this presents

But it's also a bit scary. If you talk about it too much the kids will get freaked out and their parents will write angry letters to the school.

Some teachers are because I've seen things on the Tes. I haven't because last thing I need is for more lesson time to be given to them panicking.

My teen DD who was already getting anxious has been tipped over the edge into school refusal by this virus talk. So I hope not.
Use it after the worst has passed by all means, but not right now.

No, we’ve been told not to go on about it too much.
Year 6 are all carting hand gel around.
Would rather they didn’t stress more than they already are

I don't think it's at all helpful if kids are being bombarded with media coverage and then bombarded at school. I'm sure there are some great educational 'benefits', but lots of what you suggest would just fuel fears.
Personally, I'm downplaying it. If pupils have a question I do, of course, discuss it with them, but do i want it to be the focus of my teaching/their experience at school? No.
We've reiterated messages about good hygiene and common sense, but beyond that maintaining a tone of normality in a turbulent time is far more important.

Yes - it's potentially scary and worrying.

It's also a good education tool though - I am sure people will use this time in future lessons.

Especially in pyschology and sociology.

"Discuss the role of social media and MSM in the great toilet roll panic"

Yes. I am teaching communicable diseases and human defence systems to my year 10s at the moment. They are very engaged!

They are very engaged

I hope they understand what a virus is now!!!

DD is doing A level biology, they are doing a bit around Covid19, but mainly, head down to get through the outstanding material so that should there be any lockdowns they have learnt the curriculum as far as the exams go.

Bloody hard enough for this year's cohort without going off on a tangent.

Haha! Well, it’s certainly prompting a lot of questions.
We have been talking about how antibiotics are useless in the case of a virus and the huge threat of bacterial resistance.