"As Easter and Passover come and go, the world turns its focus back to the shelter-in-place order given in light of the dire situation COVID-19 has put the world in. And for parents and children, that means going back to distance learning." -- Declan mcmahon, 7th grade
As Easter and Passover come and go, the world turns its focus back to the shelter-in-place order given in light of the dire situation COVID-19 has put the world in. And for parents and children, that means going back to distance learning.
There are many different prerogatives on the distance learning measures taken by the CDC. Some students don’t like it. They don’t feel they have the outlet they need, or the work is stressful, or punctuality is tough, or anything else, like Leah Upton, 8th-grade Literary Arts student “I feel like online school has made a lot less productive. I don’t have a very good schedule and I’m starting to build bad habits like staying up really late and spending too much time on my phone. I need things to be more structured in order for me to succeed.” Many kids, however, enjoy learning from the comfort of their own home. Others have homeschooled before and are already accustomed to this sort of situation. Also, many students don’t have the access they need to the internet or a computer.
But as the world delves more and more into the challenges and advantages of distance learning, there is one opinion less heard: teachers.
As far as the choice to continue school through distance learning, all the OSA teachers I reached out to unanimously and vehemently agree that it was a good choice and they support it. It was put best by middle school science teacher and club-runner at OSA, Julie Humphrey. “I heartily support the decision to continue school through distance learning,” said Humphrey, “[the students] would have missed out on a lot of important curriculum if we had ended the school year on March 13th.”
As much as kids complain about boredom and being stuffed inside with no social life, teachers have made many sacrifices as well. For Jordan Karnes, middle and high school Literary Arts teacher and Department Chair, distance learning has even extracted a physical toll. “I am getting so tired of my computer! My body doesn't like sitting so much,” said Karnes when asked what she was sacrificing in light of online class. “But it's hard because distance learning for a writing teacher means a TON of editing, which means a TON of sitting at my computer. So I guess I'm sacrificing my sciatic pain.”
Everybody is adjusting to our distance learning situation in different ways, teachers most of all. Some, like Teddi Pontecorvo, 7th and 8th-grade social science teacher, are keeping things low-tech, “Technology has a long way to go in being as reliable as these amazing brains we all have,” she said when asked how she was adapting her class to distance learning “and real learning happens through muscle memory, or doing something, like writing notes by hand, it makes information stick better.”
Other teachers are adjusting by giving their students tougher assignments to pack in the learning, such as Humphrey, who says she’s giving her students fun, curious, but “meaty” online assignments.
Others still are understanding that the home technology situation is confusing, and are relaxing their deadlines, such as Karnes. “Everyone has different access to computers and the internet and personal space now, so deadlines are a little softer and communication is major. I am finding that I need to be keeping up with students individually a lot more,” she said when asked how she was changing her class.
Throughout their learning experience, everybody needs some support, and online learning is no different. “I sometimes feel a bit adrift and unsure whether the information I'm putting out electronically is reaching everyone. As a result, I sort of obsessively check my email, Google Classroom, and my texts to make sure I'm not missing any communications,” said Amelia Whitcomb, middle and high school fiction teacher in the Literary Arts department.
But there was one thing that teachers all agreed on when finishing the interviews. It’s that they miss their students! So if you’re a student reading this, shoot them an email saying thanks, or have them in your thoughts. They miss you.
There are many different prerogatives on the distance learning measures taken by the CDC. Some students don’t like it. They don’t feel they have the outlet they need, or the work is stressful, or punctuality is tough, or anything else, like Leah Upton, 8th-grade Literary Arts student “I feel like online school has made a lot less productive. I don’t have a very good schedule and I’m starting to build bad habits like staying up really late and spending too much time on my phone. I need things to be more structured in order for me to succeed.” Many kids, however, enjoy learning from the comfort of their own home. Others have homeschooled before and are already accustomed to this sort of situation. Also, many students don’t have the access they need to the internet or a computer.
But as the world delves more and more into the challenges and advantages of distance learning, there is one opinion less heard: teachers.
As far as the choice to continue school through distance learning, all the OSA teachers I reached out to unanimously and vehemently agree that it was a good choice and they support it. It was put best by middle school science teacher and club-runner at OSA, Julie Humphrey. “I heartily support the decision to continue school through distance learning,” said Humphrey, “[the students] would have missed out on a lot of important curriculum if we had ended the school year on March 13th.”
As much as kids complain about boredom and being stuffed inside with no social life, teachers have made many sacrifices as well. For Jordan Karnes, middle and high school Literary Arts teacher and Department Chair, distance learning has even extracted a physical toll. “I am getting so tired of my computer! My body doesn't like sitting so much,” said Karnes when asked what she was sacrificing in light of online class. “But it's hard because distance learning for a writing teacher means a TON of editing, which means a TON of sitting at my computer. So I guess I'm sacrificing my sciatic pain.”
Everybody is adjusting to our distance learning situation in different ways, teachers most of all. Some, like Teddi Pontecorvo, 7th and 8th-grade social science teacher, are keeping things low-tech, “Technology has a long way to go in being as reliable as these amazing brains we all have,” she said when asked how she was adapting her class to distance learning “and real learning happens through muscle memory, or doing something, like writing notes by hand, it makes information stick better.”
Other teachers are adjusting by giving their students tougher assignments to pack in the learning, such as Humphrey, who says she’s giving her students fun, curious, but “meaty” online assignments.
Others still are understanding that the home technology situation is confusing, and are relaxing their deadlines, such as Karnes. “Everyone has different access to computers and the internet and personal space now, so deadlines are a little softer and communication is major. I am finding that I need to be keeping up with students individually a lot more,” she said when asked how she was changing her class.
Throughout their learning experience, everybody needs some support, and online learning is no different. “I sometimes feel a bit adrift and unsure whether the information I'm putting out electronically is reaching everyone. As a result, I sort of obsessively check my email, Google Classroom, and my texts to make sure I'm not missing any communications,” said Amelia Whitcomb, middle and high school fiction teacher in the Literary Arts department.
But there was one thing that teachers all agreed on when finishing the interviews. It’s that they miss their students! So if you’re a student reading this, shoot them an email saying thanks, or have them in your thoughts. They miss you.
