As the world sits in a time of uncertainty, students are starting their 2020-2021 school year. While some schools have found a way to send their kids to school in-person, many students this year will have to adapt to a fully online curriculum. I was able to host a survey to ask students across the United States and other countries about their opinion regarding distanced learning.
How has Online School Impacted Learning?
Most students have experienced some sort of online curriculum in the Spring of this year, but many schools were not prepared for such a drastic change. Students felt that the online curriculum was not as informative as an in-person lesson. Additionally, it proved difficult for them to stare at a computer for hours without the usual energy that conversation provides. Many schools across the United States have finished their first week of distanced learning, this time better prepared. Yet students, at the end of the day, felt drained of their energy. While online school is beneficial to maintain learning, it is unfit for the usual playfulness of students during the day. Activities during school that normally provided excitement for students are no longer possible.
Another downfall that students noticed during distanced learning was that it was more difficult to receive aid from teachers. Considering an online curriculum is already unusual to follow, it is crucial students have access to the help they need. Students were also more prone to procrastination and found that many of their assignments were busy work. Adjusting to a new way of learning was a difficult transition for everyone, including teachers. Schools not prepared for online learning meant that many lesson plans had to be adjusted, some thrown out altogether. This made it hard for students to ensure that their time spent in school was valued and worthwhile. Nevertheless, we can always learn to see the silver linings.
Seeing the Silver Linings
Although about 80% of students agree that they learn better in person, there are many benefits to distanced learning. Students said that their online curriculum allowed them to have more time for hobbies that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to do. Additionally, more students felt that they used their time outside of school more productively with the flexible hours. Besides obvious health reasons, only a tiny percentage of students answered that they saw zero benefits to online school. So maybe it’s not as bad as we thought.
Students are finding new hobbies amid this pandemic as many sports and extracurriculars are canceled. But this extra time could be even greater than we believed. Many students I have talked to tend to overwork themselves, taking on more than what they can handle. This new-found spare time can be used for self-reflection or mental health awareness. As we reap the seeds we sow, many of us find ourselves overwhelmed with the taxes of our daily responsibilities. Today, this pandemic has put the fast-paced nature of this world on hold and allowed us to take a break.
The Ultimate Conclusion
Ultimately, as many schools across the United States open their virtual doors for online learning, almost all students feel that their school has made the right choice. Regardless of our personal experiences with distanced learning, there is a bigger picture. The most important thing is to stop the spread of COVID-19, even if that means we must sacrifice our normal school year.
Many colleges that have returned in-person for the 2020-2021 school year have already gone back on that decision. Though students understand the severity of the situation, college partying has already become an issue. The goal of education during this time is not to return to normal but to find a new normal. And students must realize that school is not business as usual.
Prosperity through Selflessness and Self-Reflection
Although many of us will miss out on traditional high school and college experiences, we can still do our part to make sure the next class of students will have theirs. We find ourselves in a time of selflessness, where most of what we do is not to protect ourselves, but to protect others. Yet selflessness is hard to learn. As a senior, I’m sure it will be difficult to complete my last year of high school from my bedroom. However, if each day I stay home means that I potentially stop someone from getting sick, it’s a sacrifice I am willing to make. After all, online schooling, although not as cherished as in-person classes, still grants many benefits.
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
It’s time to take a break. The year 2020 has not blessed us, but it has allowed us to reflect. When the world moves fast we try to catch up only to be pushed back. It’s time we move at our own pace.
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