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LEARNING THROUGH COVID
To adapt to online learning, Makayla Cooper sets up her own learning space. It provides familiarity of being at school and allows her to focus while doing her classes.
BY SAVEA BRINEGAR
FROM GEORGIA TO OHIO: THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN EDUCATION DURING COVID S tudents and staff struggle to keep up with the COVID pandemic. Teachers have been left to decide what education looks like on their own. Students feel North Royalton. “I enjoy the sense of normalcy that comes with being at school in person,” Mary Kathryn said about her school in Georgia. stressed not knowing how the future is going to Schools have tried to maintain the feeling turn out. Although it can feel like the students of normalcy, but still uphold the safety requireat North Royalton High School are experienc- ments for COVID. ing these emotions on their own, kids all over “All desks are separated in classrooms, and the United States share similar feelings about at lunch we’re only allowed five people to a tathis change of learning. One student in Geor- ble,” Mary Kathryn said. “We also have to wait gia talked about how she was handling COVID in the hallways before classes so the desks and while managing school, just like the students in classrooms can be sanitized.”
While there are significantly less people in the classrooms, Mary Kathryn said she preferred that due to it being safer and making classes more personal.
Following guidelines and smaller classes is something the schools in Ohio and Georgia have in common. At North Royalton High School, instead of five days a week, students chose from blended or remote.
“I enjoy that we can do both online and going to school in person or even just stay online for the rest of the year,” said Caycee Lowry, a blended learning student from North Royalton.
It gave students the feeling of normalcy, but reduced the amount of time being exposed and being around other students.
“I like that we do both because it gives the students the experience of what online school feels like while also experiencing high school in person at the same time,” Lowry said.
While students seemed to enjoy blended learning, there were problems with the online portion of the education system.
“Online can be kind of confusing when the teacher writes on the board for the kids in class but the kids online can’t really see the board very well,” she added. “Sometimes our Google Meet doesn’t work either and the internet will stop working”.
For their safety or other personal reasons, some have opted for remote only. Some students have found that online gave them more free time as well.
“I enjoy that I have more study hall time to get work done,” Makayala Cooper from North Royalton said.
While she said there were many benefits to online only, there were also some downsides that made her consider switching to blended.
“I don’t enjoy that the audio in videos we have to watch is bad,” Cooper said. “It’s also difficult to have some kids online and some in person because I feel that the online students don’t get as much help or attention as in person students.”
Each student had different experiences and opinions, but one thing they agreed on is the loss of high school experience.
“I lost the football games, homecoming, getting to be with all my friends in the hallways and the pep rallies. Everything that I looked forward to for my senior year,” Cooper said.
Even in Georgia, Mary Kathryn said their big events were cancelled.
“Our homecoming and possibly prom is canceled. There are also no pep rallies and at football games masks are required as well,” said Mary Kathryn.
From schedule changes to safety procedures, students share similar experiences in school from COVID.
