By Lyrikah Rodrigues and Alyssa Kim
As the coronavirus swept across the globe, the world was forced to lockdown in order to prevent further spread of the disease. However, as time waits for no one, every walk of life is forced to adapt to these new conditions. Prior to kickstarting remote learning, teachers developed their plans for the rest of the year with much uncertainty. They were instructed to plan for the worst case scenario, which unfortunately came true when Governor Cuomo announced that schools will remain closed for the rest of the year.
“The majority agreed that online lessons were less effective than classes on campus...”
Of a survey conducted amongst 85 students from all grade levels, 100% meet with teachers via the google meets platform. Additionally, the majority agreed that these online lessons were less effective than classes on campus.
“I am split with remote learning. Some aspects like deadline leniency are extremely favorable. However, being unable to communicate with some teachers face to face hinders my learning and most definitely poses as an obstacle,” said junior Evan Kreth.
“I think that our teachers are doing the best they can to provide us with the same education that they would be providing to us if we were still in school. I try my best to keep up with all the coursework and online classes, but at times it feels like too much as I get distracted very easily,” said senior Alisha Khan.
While some students understand the current circumstances and are able to tolerate remote learning, others feel quite the opposite.
“I hate remote learning. It’s literally the worst thing humankind has ever faced. It’s not the same experience as being in person and absorbing the information with your own eyes. Learning in the classroom is very different,” said junior Rafia Ahmed.
It seems that most teachers understand this and are being lenient with deadlines. In fact, 44.7% of students rated their teachers 4 out of 5 on their leniency with deadlines and due dates.
“I think that the teachers are trying to make the best of the situation given the unforeseen circumstances. They understand the students and the issues they are facing; so it’s only fair for students to do the same,” said senior Ignacio Gomez.
Student opinions came from almost every single grade. Here are a few more.
“I am kind of enjoying remote learning because it’s really calm and you can do your assignments whenever you want. However, for the learning aspect, I feel like it’s not good because I know for a fact that people are not doing work because of how easy it is. It is very easy to get distracted, so it’s difficult to do work,” said eighth grader Samiya Maharajan.
“The days are starting to blend together. Everyday, it’s just the same old routine: wake up, do work, eat, sleep. Quarantine definitely feels more relaxing than our past school schedule, and it’s been nice to have some time to myself. But, I do miss seeing everyone and having a sense of normalcy,” said sophomore Emma Ouyang.
“During quarantine I have been thinking back on something Benjamin Franklin once said. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” This quote is exactly what I feel everyone should wake up thinking about during these hard times. Right now, we are in a pause from reality, but things will go back to normal eventually. All of a sudden your school work will begin to go back to normal, sports games will begin, and shows will go on. I want to make sure that I am ready for when that happens. I am trying to continue to educate myself on new things and continue to work hard towards my goals. This will end and we will come out stronger. Make the most of this time with family and with yourself. Learn something new and challenge yourself to not take the easy way out and let this time escape you. Stay safe,” said junior Nicolette Caneda.
“Remote learning has proven to be a challenge. It has caused the way I learn to change a lot; it’s become more difficult to understand new material, but I recognize the teachers are trying their hardest to make it work. Considering it’s the end of the year and most of our learning is review, it’s efficient enough. At home, I entertain myself with a lot of FaceTime calls with different friends and new Netflix shows,” said senior Robin Bath.
