With most schools now closed, education is now online. I’d like to hear people’s experiences, whether as students, parents or educators (or just interested bystanders).
My daughter is in high school, taking standard academic courses. After a few weeks with technical glitches, things seem to running pretty well. I’d guesstimate that she is learning most of what she would have learned attending physical school. But i have to wonder if it works as well for younger students.
I should add that we already had laptops and wifi. Others of course are not so lucky. Does the shift to online school make education less equal?
Yes, it absolutely makes things less equal. I can only speak for the college level, but there are a LOT of students out there who have no wi-fi and / or no access to a proper computer (sometimes they have a cheap tablet, sometimes they’re literally trying to do everything on a phone). There are also some big skills gaps in terms of students’ experience and comfort level with technology. If students grew up with access to computers, they’re more likely to have trouble-shooting and problem-solving skills; if they didn’t, they tend to freak out every time something goes wrong.
It’s also very hard on students with skills deficits or learning disabilities that affect their ability to process written instructions or participate in discussion boards. I had one guy this semester who seemed to be severely dyslexic, but probably would have passed my literature survey class with a C in a face-to-face format; he was engaged in class, contributed to discussion, and did OK on non-written assignments. He’s not going to pass now that we’ve gone online. He’s in a major (visual arts) where he might reasonably be able to graduate and get a job in the field despite having severe reading and writing issues, but I don’t think he will be able to succeed if we end up having multiple semesters of online-only education.
Parent and teacher. My son is in second grade, and we honestly have just switched to home school. The school is providing curriculum, but it’s all review, he was already pretty far ahead, and we were already doing supplemental stuff at home, so it was really pretty natural just to beef up his at-home stuff. As a teacher (high school), it’s hit or miss. I think my school is providing everything a kid would need, if the kid had a parent to supervise them or was highly motivated. But I don’t think that’s the end of our responsibility: the difference between K-12 and college is that in K-12, if a kid just doesn’t want to learn, you’re supposed to make them want to learn, through carrot or stick. We have a lot fewer carrots and a lot fewer sticks, and a lot of kids are drifting away. Psychologically, I think there’s a bit of a conflict: some of them really really need structure right now: they need class at the same time every day, small assignments that are due very quickly, very rigid standards. Other kids need flexibility: they need a list of assignments, recorded lessons, and everything due once a week. And even then, the flexible kids are in two piles–the ones that need that because of temperament, and the ones who need it because they are supervising 3 younger siblings, or working double shifts at the grocery store because their parents were both laid off. It’s hard to find a way to support everyone.
And the seniors? Oh, lord. They left the Thursday before spring break because Friday was senior skip day. March 12th, we were just starting to think we might not come back for, say, 3 weeks. Never occurred to any of them they’d never see all these people they have known for so long ever again. Now they are stranded at home, college acceptance in their hand, robbed of prom and graduation and other senior milestones. Why the fuck would they care about school? Again, the ones that want to learn have all the tools they need. But a lot have their eyes on the future and it’s kinda hard to blame them.
Its really just annoying at the preschool level. My 4 year old was just starting to read and probably would have been through Dick and Jane by the end of the year and her teacher thought she’d be able to count to 100 too. Now we’re just hoping to get her to remember her letter sounds and her teens. She meets with her teacher one on one for one hour per week and in small groups 3 times a week, with the whole class once a week, and then has music twice a week. Its all for show and for the school to not feel bad they aren’t refunding our money.
Of course, that is better than some. My friends in Montana have told me that their school district has made the decision that because of no child left behind they have stopped all education attempts for the year for their high school aged kid so he has 2 hours of review for what he already learned this year and nothing else. The kid and all his classmates will lose ~10% of their high school education.
My oldest friend is a teacher in California and his district got every student a computer and internet access but he says that he had trouble getting kids to do their work when he saw them every day now that he’s a face on a screen he says about a quarter of his kids have functionally dropped out.
I don’t know. It’s sort of meh. I have an 8th grader and an 11th grader. The 8th grader, who is a straight A student, has been told that all of his classes will be pass/fail. He is, as you can imagine, pretty unmotivated at this point. He takes a high school level math course, which he will be given a grade for, so at least he’s keeping up with that. He understands, too, that his math class next year will build on that, so he gets the importance of not letting that slide.
My 11th grader is a mixed bag. They have been given the option for their grades. They can choose to do pass/fail or they can choose to take the grades they had on the day they left school and they’ll be given the opportunity to improve those grades (but they can’t go down). He’s choosing to go with the second option because he worked really hard this year for a bit of a junior year GPA boost. He has two AP tests that he’ll have to take online in about 2.5 weeks. He also understands the importance of keeping up with his math class so that he’s prepared for next year. Other than those classes, though, he’s coasting. He has a music production class that has completely taken a nosedive, as they use computer programs at school that are really too expensive for the kids to purchase on their own.
I’m only vaguely involved in their schoolwork, as I’m working full time from home (and my husband is still working at his office). I’m happy if they do the minimum to keep their math skills up and do reasonably well on the AP tests.
Years 3 and 5 here. Kids totally unmotivated and will try anything to get out of doing anything resembling ‘classwork’. Frequent meltdowns from both kids and mum.
We’ve reevaluated our criteria for success. If the kids make it through each day alive…
As the parent of a four-year old in preschool, going quite poorly.
Our child’s school and teachers have actually been great, sharing their lesson plans and teaching tips, distributing curriculum materials, pre-recording video lessons, setting up scheduled zoom individual and small-group meetings, the works. Our main issue is that both my spouse and I are still working full days from home on oddball/staggered schedules so that someone is always available to watch the kids (we also have a one-year old). When I’m sitting there actively mentoring my kid, working through his worksheets and lessons with him, interacting and asking him questions, things go just fine. But I don’t have 4-6 hours / day available to dedicate solely to 1-1 mentoring. I actually think my kid enjoys the remote learning because he tends to enjoy the subjects taught anyway, and he also gets my undivided attention for 60-90 minutes at a time.
Don’t get me started on the one-year old’s remote learning (who is at an “academically-focused daycare” cough, sorry I meant “preschool”). That just goes nowhere; and I gave up on that after a week.
This. Oh, so much this. Same dates, too. All my seniors went into March 13th expecting another week of school before Spring Break, then the sprint to Graduation. All of that got tossed and now maybe half of them are semi-engaged in our on-line efforts. Our district did a pretty good job of making sure everybody has access to lessons, but Zoom and Hangout can’t replace in-person class discussions and seminars. We give it our best, but…
The totally unofficial, not to be mentioned in any District communications, will be denied if anyone asks, just chatting among the teachers position at our high school is that, at least for seniors, the options are Pass/Pass. Unless the kid just totally dropped off the map, they are going to pass their classes. Lots of C- grades may go out, but it will take work to not graduate.
It’s not going so well for my son, in 4th grade. His teacher does the best she can, but my son is just unmotivated. On Sunday she sent an email saying that he hasn’t done several of the assignments. He started crying and said he hates doing schoolwork at home all the time. He cries a lot in general about missing school, his teacher and his friends. In school he was a good student so this is very discouraging.
The lil’wrekker is in her Junior year at University. She flew through her class work and papers. Tested well.
She missed her first internship. Easily made up, I suppose.
She was due to go to Japan for a work/study with her program, this summer. We’re very disappointed that it’s cancelled this year. Not sure this can be made up.
College student here. For some courses the content delivery is very similar to online courses I’ve taken in the past (narrated slides, reading assignments, discussion posts, submit homework online). Only one of my courses has scheduled Zoom meetings, which seem to go well enough. All my instructors seem to be doing the best they can.
The amount of screen time is pretty high (taking 16 credits this term) and I’ve pretty much had it. I’m hoping this upcoming Fall will be mostly back to normal but better safe than sorry, I guess.
Elementary school librarian here, with a son who’s a college sophomore. I think our school’s doing pretty well. Teachers are frustrated that there are a (very) few kids who they haven’t been able to contact. My Mondays tend to be slow, but pick up as kids want help with research. They are very appreciative, which feels good. I got major shout outs at our last staff meeting, even though I was making a Daffy Duck puppet move across the screen while talking with the principal during the meeting (last Wednesday had been designated “Wacky Wednesday”.
Our son’s classes seem to be going well. He finished up the last act of a screenplay he’s working on (he’s a screenwriting major). I hear him talking a lot during his classes; he’s in the basement while I’m doing my thing on the main level. He misses his college friends, especially his girl friend. He spends a good bit of time staying connected to his friends from both college and high school. I think he misses the social part of college the most.
I have four kids. Two in high school and two in college.
The college professors have it much more together. They are giving real assignment, real home work, real tests, and the classes and proceeding. My college students don’t like it, but it’s happening.
The high schoolers, not so much. They’ve been out of school for about 6 weeks, and there are teachers who have only contacted them once. Or gave a few assignment, never checked them, and won’t respond to emails. And this after the school made a huge effort to make sure all students had laptops and access to internet. Of course, some teachers are on top of things. But I’d say 40% have done practically nothing.
We have been calling it “Oprah Grading”: you get a 100! you get a 100! Everyone gets a 100! But, I mean, some really are in impossible situations. Even more are in really, really difficult situations and not quite rising to the occasion, but while they aren’t trying their absolute hardest, they are trying. So what do you do? No one will care about this semester’s grades.
Honestly, I am just focusing on being interesting enough that they show up: I have juniors and I am spending a LOT more time talking about college applications than I am about the AP exam, because honestly, they will show up for college stuff. It’s literally the first time in my career, in almost 20 years, I haven’t felt the pressure of The Test and while I will be glad to go back, there’s no denying there are some advantages to this.
If he was a good student before and wasn’t behind academically, I’d back off and tell his teacher to back off. Work with him to come up with a schedule you and he agree is challenging enough, and don’t over do it . . .read for pleasure an hour a day, play outside an hour a day, some sort of math thing. Have him keep a journal. Watch a documentary together once or twice a week. The academics can be made up. His attitude toward school and learning is more important.
I feel so bad for kids trying to get through this.
For those who don’t know, bar exam prep is generally done remotely, with a combination of video lectures and book work. I used BarBri, which is the most popular service, but similar courses are offered by Kaplan and Themis. By paying for the service, you get online access to the curriculum, which is designed to be a few hours of lecture every day (pretty much all morning), followed by independent study using the books. They’ve been honing this course for years; it’s really well-designed. And I would not have made it through if I had to do it all at home.
Thankfully, my law school set up classrooms where we could go to watch the videos. Just having a set time and place where I had to be, with others who would notice my absence (even though they wouldn’t do anything about it) kept me on track. And I was an adult who had already managed to graduate from law school. You’d think I’d have the study skills and self-discipline to handle this shit at home, and some of my classmates did… but I needed that modicum of accountability. I also credit my friend and study buddy with whom I met almost daily in the afternoon to go over flashcards at the beach. Did some solo studying in bars, too, as strange as that may sound. The background roar was helpful. I could really only get about 2 hours max of focused learning at home before I desperately needed to be somewhere else.
I’m fortunate, in that my son is in 9th grade - old enough to learn online, young enough that grades don’t really matter. As I told him, “Take the classes, do the homework, try to learn something, and we’ll figure everything out when all this is over.” So far, things are going pretty much all right. He claims it’s not *that *much worse than regular classes
He is doing well with it. The school already gives each student their own chromebook, so in that he was set. He struggled at first, but was able to get organized, find the most efficient way to learn. We do help him with some subjects. The biggest breakthru is he switched from trying to solve the problems, to trying to understand them. That made a big difference in math in particular. He would struggle about 20 minutes per problem as he was seeking an answer (and he has to get the correct answer to move on when doing it online). He really had no idea why he was doing what he was. Now he discovered if he took the time to understand what they were asking, he could do it much faster. This reduced the time to about 2-3 minutes per problem and his liking math has returned.