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I am currently in the process of transitioning my M.A. level course on Science, Technology, and Development with 11 students to virtual instruction. One of my interests in engaging with COVID-19 is to examine how it (should) informs development ideologies and practices. How should students of development studies retool -- conceptually, methodologically, practically -- in wake of the pandemic?

• I looked into the accusations of fraud and wrongdoing against the government that were made in the article, much of which is true. The director of FEMA, Michael D. Brown, was initially praised for the response but later forced to resign over accusations of recklessness. The New Orleans Mayor at the time, Nagin, was arrested in 2014 for fraud and corruption.
• The article mentioned separating children from their parents during the initial evacuation of survivors, I looked into the rationale behind separating families. The only reason I could find for the separation of children was to prioritize their evacuation, children were rescued from houses first and then bussed to other cities while the resources to transport their parents were still unavailable. While this is an admirable goal, to rescue as many children as possible, in a disorganized situation such as an evacuation this can lead to families separated for months due to a lack of available information.
• The article provided statistics on the growth of New Orleans after several years, I looked at the current state of New Orleans. While the city has been mostly rebuilt many residents still claim that the city is not the home they had before Katrina. The process of rebuilding massive parts of the city has changed it significantly, and not all residents are happy with the changes.