Three Months of Online Learning… How’s it Really Going?
- Generation Now
- Nov 11, 2020
- 9 min read
Updated: Nov 16, 2020
By GuanXi Liu
An Update on 'COVID-19 in Schools'
Earlier this year, in September, we released an article about how schools will look with COVID protocols and precautions. After 3 months of adapting to this new learning environment—though some might still be struggling—we asked our GenNow team about what they thought, as well as the perspective from teachers setting up for this very different school year.
Right before the school year started, for most students, the last time they were in a classroom was in March. No one really knew what to expect, how classes were going to resume, what clubs would still be running, or even if we could talk to our friends. Oftentimes you will hear about the stress that students, parents, and teachers are experiencing caused by a lack of communication from the government and the school boards. For example, in Ontario, the plan for COVID-19 management in schools was released on August 26th, less than two weeks before the first day of classes on September 8th. Different school boards also had to release their own respective plans for how they wanted to take action during this pandemic. Obviously, due to the short time of preparation, many teachers did not have a solid plan for a semester like they usually do. Additionally, schools also implemented numerous systems for social distancing such as the quad/octo semester, a hybrid model, or even fully online. Not only is this confusing and stressful for students of all grades, but it is also harder to learn.
COVID-19 and its numbers; are our preventions working?
The graph above is from the Government of Canada. From the data, it is clear to see that since September, COVID-19 cases in Canada have risen. This is not only the case for Canada, but also many other countries around the world. Most cases are occurring within the 0–29 age category, contrary to the first wave in March–May, where cases were more frequent in those aged 60+. The virus has found its new host: students.
In a time where social distancing is the new norm, it can be difficult to keep people away from each other, especially when they are in a setting where they would normally interact for hours. Now, students and teachers are all hidden behind masks and keeping 6 feet away. Every day at school, you are reminded of the numerous protocols that you need to follow. Right before school started in Ontario, Premier Doug Form refused to lower class sizes (30 students). Many parents and teachers expressed their concerns, especially after all the school strikes earlier in the year when the Ford administration was cutting funding for teachers and education workers. Before the school year started, the highest number of COVID cases in a day was 160. Now in November, there are over 1000 new cases each day. 2628 cases total have been related to school, though this does not even include cases that might have spread within families. Even though these protocols are trying to protect us from being infected, there is no way that we all learn effectively in this environment.
Students that are privileged and fortunate can afford to learn online from home, however, those who cannot afford devices will need to attend school, making them more prone to infection. Some school boards have lent laptops and internet services to students in order to allow them to still attend classes, but not everyone has this opportunity. While most people reading this had the choice between online learning or going back to school, for some, it was already decided. For younger students, online learning is simply not effective. They rely on hands-on learning, building connections with other students and their teachers, and having a routine schedule. Additionally, they would also need a guardian to stay at home with them. At school, students in grades 4 and up have to wear masks, but it is difficult for young children to maintain good hygiene. It is highly challenging for teachers to regulate that many children at once, not mentioning trying to teach them a proper lesson.
Mental health is important!
“How many Zoom classes do I have today?” “Will I be able to finish this on time?” “Am I the only one struggling this much?”
These are questions that many students have asked themselves during this time. For many, the lack of normality has a negative impact on our mental health. With most of our learning being digital, there is a higher potential for miscommunication. Having strictly lecture-style classes makes it harder to understand certain concepts, since you are unable to immediately ask the teacher for clarification. In many schools, the workload is larger and online work is more confusing. On top of that, the stress and anxiety of being in a pandemic makes everything less manageable. Many people have lost loved ones or others close to them. Constantly staying at home has been compromising for the mental health of many, but it is the best way for us to get through this pandemic. Some have been struggling financially. Unfortunately, this is something that is affecting students and everyone globally.
How is COVID affecting students around the world?
I interviewed members of the GenNow team to hear how they are dealing with the pandemic in their countries, as well as included my perspective of being a student in a pandemic. Special thank you to Catarina, Nia, Julia and Julia’s mom for providing their thoughts on education during a pandemic.
Canada – GuanXi
"Living in Canada, the outbreak is not as bad as the US, but we are still following COVID precautions. I went to in-person school for less than two weeks at the start of the year before my family and I decided it was best for me to stay at home. In our school board, students that chose to go to school were separated into two cohorts, and they each go to school for half of the week. There are arrows on the floor telling you where to go, designated entrance and exit doors, a jug of hand sanitizer in every classroom, and everyone is wearing masks.
At home, learning is more difficult since you rarely speak to your teacher. I still don’t know what some of my teachers even look like or who my classmates are! It’s harder to concentrate and not get frustrated with lessons. Workload has increased because staying on track and following a proper schedule is hard. Oftentimes I find myself stressing about my marks because in Grade 11, I have to start thinking about post-secondary options.
My school is trying their best to accommodate each student, but I still feel like there is a lack of communication with the school board. Every day on social media, you see news that might make you feel desperate, however, I know that everyone will get through this fine."
Brazil – Catarina
"My school is an American school, so we have classes from the morning until the afternoon. We have too many Zoom meetings and we all get physically unwell because of it—I have headaches all the time! We have some free periods though, but we still get piles of homework. It’s obviously very hard to focus in Zoom because of all the distractions around you, and it’s also tiring because of so much screen time.
My sister studies in a Brazilian school though, and her school has handled online learning better than mine. Her school has fewer Zoom meetings and smaller classes, so the kids have the opportunity to interact with their teachers! Brazilian schools only have 5 hours of learning and they start as early as 7am, so my friends that study in these schools have to wake up early to attend their classes.
Our president (Jair Bolsono) has been telling us that “life can’t stop” and “lockdowns damage the economy” since the beginning of the pandemic. He also constantly undermines the virus even though he already caught it, and this makes the Brazilian people mirror his attitudes and breach quarantine. Brazil is a large country, so some smaller towns are handling it better than capital cities. It’s frustrating to see other people partying and having fun, while others below the line of poverty are unable to afford any treatment."
Malaysia – Nia
"The standard operating procedures in Malaysia are fairly strict when it comes to the safety of the students during COVID. When we went back to physical classes in June, it took a while to get used to the new protocols. They made sure everyone sanitized after every class. The school even set pre-recorded announcements on daily reminders. Unfortunately, a third wave struck, so we're back to lockdown until December 6th.
I'm in my fifth year of high school and senior students are required to take an exam called the SPM. In a normal school year, we'd have trial exams around September, and the actual exam mid October to early November. The exam's a stepping stool for most government based students in the country to be qualified to apply to college or universities. With COVID, they might cancel out trials all together and make us take the exam straightaway.
For classes, we have video lessons with our teachers on Google Meet and have to hand-in our assignments on Google Classroom. Pre-pandemic, Wednesdays were extra-curricular days. Despite being in lockdown, the ministry encouraged all the schools to go on with this by doing it online! Students would join a video meet with their club members. My school hosts mini-events and competitions to encourage the students and boost morale! They are also very alert about the students' well-being and mental health, so they make us take monthly mental health exams to judge and see if we need medical attention. I’ve been called to the counselling room back in July to talk it out with our school counsellors. The government also sends out surveys to all the schools to make sure that everybody has the accommodation to attend the online classes that their schools are having. They are trying their best to help the students and I'm very proud of how my country is handling this situation."
Canadian Teachers – Jules
"I’m happy to be at school with students again, but it’s very hard to teach them the way they have to be taught right now. Because they have to be constantly spaced far away from each other, no group or partner work can be done; if they're having trouble, they can’t ask each other, or work together to find the answer, I am the only one who can help. With the large class sizes, it’s hard for me to get around to every kid and make sure they get the help needed. This means the ones that are struggling and falling behind are falling further behind, which is not only sad to see, but frustrating because you don’t know how to fix the problem.
There is also a lack of EA’s who give extra help to students who need it, and not enough support for kids who may need testing for speech problems, learning disabilities or even those suffering from mental health issues. Virtual teachers are having a hard time because they generally are not trained to teach in this way. A lot of time is spent on sanitizing and bathroom breaks, which takes away from the time we have during the day to teach. Right now we need all the time we can get because of the new math curriculum put into place as well as the fact that kids are behind due to the pandemic.
You are also constantly reminding kids to socially distance, pick up their mask, wash their hands, even try not to touch papers or textbooks—it is very hard. For some kids, socially, all these new protocols are making things hard for them, because in split grades they can only play with kids in that class. I do think the kids are happy to be at school, though they do miss a lot of things that they were used to, like the gymnasium and the library, as well as school assemblies.
The most important part of our job is to interact and connect with kids, so to finally be with them again and see signs of learning is great. I think there were some kids that really struggled with being at home. For some, school is a safe place they can be during the day, so missing out on that was very hard on them. It is also nice to be around other teachers and know that we are all going through the same thing together, whether it be the changes or how physically exhausting it is—you never get off your feet."
Post-Secondary Students
In an article by Toronto Life, university students talked about this unusual university experience. Some students moved into residences while others were still living in their childhood bedrooms. Overall, students mentioned that they enjoyed the flexibility of online classes since they could watch video recordings of their lectures, but others regret that they are missing out on the university or college experience. There is barely any socialization and the only people you meet are online. Some have not even been to their school campus yet.
Adapting to online education is also difficult when you have not had any prior experience. Jonathan Woo, an engineering student from the University of Toronto mentioned “I’ve got six courses this semester, and each professor has their own teaching style and uses different learning platforms, like Quercus, Canvas, Zoom and Piazza. It’s hard to manage because the material isn’t centralized: for one assignment, we might get the bulk of the information on one platform and updates on another. That means we have to check in on all of them constantly, which gets tiresome.”
Keeping up financially is also a challenge for many, since new jobs are rarer and the tuition is still the same price. Many students argued that tuition should be lower since most content is now being delivered online, however, that has not been the case for a number of post-secondary institutions. Students are still hopeful for the future and persevering through the challenges.
This is a difficult time for all of us. Online school might not be going as well as we had hoped, and we miss our friends. Students around the world are experiencing the same things, but it is still hard. Everyone needs to support each other through these tough times. Call your friends, take some breaks, and spend some time off your computer. It’s alright if you are struggling, so ask for help if you need it. Your teachers, friends, and counsellors are there to support you, and remember that you will get through this.
Comments