Originally published: . Volume 12, No. 4. Source pages: 14.
During the coronavirus pandemic, many schools turned to hosting classes virtually for the safety of students and staff. Both virtual school and in-person class have their pros and cons. My experience is that of a middle school student, from an outlying area near Baton Rouge, who went from traditional classroom learning to at-home education. In this review, I'll describe a few of my most clear experiences. One downside to virtual school is that it is, in fact, “virtual.” I recently had internet problems while working in school on my computer, and was unable to do anything for approximately two hours. Although I was on a self-paced curriculum at the time, this still set me back in school, and was a large inconvenience. Many students in the US have no internet, or have very poor internet. I can not imagine how inconvenienced it is for students without the internet, or with very little internet, as they attempt to do virtual school. With many schools still using virtual learning, some students are forced to work at libraries, friends' houses, or ask their teachers for paper copies of assignments. Virtual school has one big advantage over in-person, flexibility. Students who are following a school curriculum from home, whether through virtual or homeschooling, are able to have more control over their schedules, and learning strategies, than students in a more traditional school setting. As a home student, I am able to have almost complete control over my schooling. I still follow a curriculum, but I am able to control, for instance, what videos I watch. If a video in the online program is on something I have already learned, or if it is formatted in a way that does not hold my interest, I am able to go online, and find another video on the
subject, that either portrays more advanced information, or is more captivating. I am also able to have more control over my schedule and my school setting. If I were in a traditional school, classes would be held at a specific place and time. However, as a virtual student, I can control when and where my classes take place. I might attend school outside, if it is a nice day, or postpone my class till the afternoon, if I have a place to be in the morning. However, while online learning is more flexible than in-person school, it is easier to be distracted during virtual school. A traditional school is held in classrooms, where all students and teachers keep quiet and distractions are minimal. Virtual school does not follow the same rule. On a typical school day, I put up with videos on the tv, my siblings playing games and doing school of their own, and my parents working in the other room. There is also music playing at times. I do have a desk in my room, but even there I am easily distracted by birds at my birdfeeder, my siblings, or shouting from the main room. I am tempted by my knitting needles, my craft supplies, or any one of all sorts of other pleasant distractions. While it is true that there are distractions at traditional school, it is an environment centered around learning, and there are far fewer interruptions and temptations than at home. Another problem is screen time. Children and teens already spend so much more time on devices than the last generation. Virtual school is raising this amount even more, with some students spending all day on a screen for school. According to the Canadian 24 Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth, which calls for a daily balance of factors such as physical activity, screen time and sleep, screen time should be only two hours per day. Although I personally don't spend an incredibly long time on schoolwork, I do think that I have definitely been on screens more, whether for school or just entertainment, during the lockdowns. Children ages five to 17 are recommended to get only two of hours screen time. If school is completely online, students often exceed this limit, especially if both attending school and entertaining themselves. As more students stay at home and connect through computer screens, some argue that it cannot replicate the level of social interaction that occurs at normal school. "I realized it's all about the little interactions you have at school every day," said a student on Newsla.com. "Even passing people in the hall, or seeing that one annoying kid in class, I miss those every-day interactions." In my experience, I do believe that virtual school is isolating when compared to a traditional school setting. While in school, students are surrounded by other students of their age. However, virtual school is vastly different. Speaking from my own experience as a homeschooler, having just my siblings as the other students is a very different experience, especially since they are not my age. (No offense intended.) On the other hand, I have spent more time with my family this past year than ever before. With my parents working from home, and my siblings and I homeschooling, we have been able to really enjoy one another's company. Although, if I’m truly being honest, as much as I love all this time together, a little space, just for a day or two, might be nice.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.