To no one’s surprise COVID-19’s aftermath will affect every aspect of life for the
foreseeable future, however when looking past the trips to the grocery store with a
face mask many wonder what to permanently expect. Educational changes particularly
will have long term reforms that will affect teachers, students, parents and communities.
Schools initially responded to the drastic change by transferring classrooms and
assignments online. Students turned their work in through Google Classroom, Class
Dojo, E-Mail, Zoom, etc all of which are websites and programs designed to fill specific
roles in the classroom. The substitution of physical classrooms with online programs
proved to be a real solution, one when applied in the correct format could create
genuine results. The internet has a vast variety of online tools and resources available
to anyone who wants to use them, this promotes students of all levels to learn and grow
at their own rate and style of learning. Although replacing a teacher is not realistic yet,
online tools, programs, and resources could definitely be used alongside the teacher to
further improve the way students learn.
It is equally important to take into consideration the negative aspects of online
learning. Not every home has the proper equipment or resources to transfer to an online
classroom. The cost of high speed internet and capable computers can become a large
burden on low income families. Not all parents/guardians are willing or able to be their
child’s mentor at home. Most importantly of all, not all students would be willing to
replace their schools with websites and documents.
Personally, I believe a healthy dose of both online learning and traditional
classrooms is the best alternative. Choosing the best of both worlds and implementing
them in curriculum for the school year of 2021 sounds like a great solution. In these
difficult times it is important to work together, not only for education but for everything
else.
Written by Ricardo, District 1