Students Pre/Post COVID-19
Although COVID-19 is seemingly over, it is without a doubt that it hit us students hard. Given a whole new challenge throughout our (already difficult) semesters. We were faced with immediate online classes with little to no preparation. Until we were ultimately given a choice of hybrid schedules. Although I personally found comfort in taking classes from home, It was hard to say what each student preferred especially when there are so many different aspects of a classroom to talk about. According to a study given in the first article sited 80% of students preferred to attend school completely in person. Why would you think that's true? I would say the need to adapt fast had caused an impact on our mental health overall. Without the constant need to go to in person to school, students were unmotivated and got complacent. Students ended up dropping out of school and even leaving their job. We will never know whether it was the constant fear of the deadly disease or the dull, never ending, and lazy days that came with being in the pandemic. Let's not forget that not all students have the privilege to be able
to access or participate in online study due to a lack of resources. Hence, students would prefer in person school so they can feel more obligated to do well in life. As we are slowly recovering from this worldwide pandemic, what would you say impacted us students the most?
-Marcos Montero
Sources:
How Teens Navigate School During COVID-19
After dropping in 2020, teen summer employment may be poised to continue its slow comeback
As schools close due to the coronavirus, some U.S. students face a digital ‘homework gap’
Amid coronavirus outbreak, nearly three-in-ten young people are neither working nor in school
To answer your last question correctly would be impossible given the fact that every one of our lives are different and we all had different experiences during the pandemic and even now. However, I will answer it by saying that the complete move from a traditional in person learning experience to a fully online experience is what impacted us students the most. I remember my school telling us that an upcoming Friday or Monday, they would be shut down to figure out what schools would do based on the pandemic and once the news got out, we would have to move school online. This took me by surprised and the sudden shift did not benefit me. And I think that is somewhat the case for many others. They have built a good system during the school year just for it to have been completely changed and now the new system they want to create does not make sense or is very hard to achieve due to the lack of resources. It is easy for students to get distracted at home especially when you have closer family members who may not be the same age as you, trying to do some other activity, which could possibly be more entertaining than school. What I liked about in person school, is that it gave us a set schedule where everyone would meet and discuss the material as one with all the resources given to you. Overall, I am glad to have in person school to be back or at least have some classes to be back in person as it motivates me to learn the material and discuss it with my peers.
ReplyDeleteHi Marcos, thank you for sharing! To answer your question, I think there are many factors as to why students preferred to attend school in person. I know some people wanted in person classes because they had a hard time focusing in class, missing friends and teachers, lack of stable internet and technological resources, not having the best home environment, etc. Personally, I preferred online school because there were many benefits to it. I didn't have to worry about how I would be going home/to school, what I would pack for lunch, and overall, I kept my family and myself safe from Covid-19. There were also many disadvantages like unstable internet, pressure to prioritize my siblings education over mine, and not having a set schedule. I am curious, do you prefer online school over in person? If so, what advantages do you miss?
ReplyDeleteI believe that there are many lingering effects that have affected students a lot. One that comes off the top of my head is the social aspect that happens in school. I mean not only with student to student but also student to teacher. The quick turn to online classes made everyone feel uncomfortable. So, when it comes to some students speaking through a computer rather than a classroom there was some discomfort there. Many students would not speak or hardly focused in class. That made it especially hard for educators to make connections with all of their students. It seems obvious but that aspect of making a connection with a student is what can really help them. It not only helps them come out of their shell but also helps them gain the confidence and learn more. While with online many students could easily remain silent. Without that connection there was a lack of proper education going on. It was hard to reach out to the students who needed help but couldn’t gain the confidence to ask. So, when it came to go back into the classroom many were lacking the proper education and social skills. We are all working hard and easing our way back to normal.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I know, online classes were available for some majors. In the case of COVID-19, it was hard because no one had time to prepare, and not all teachers nor professors had trained to switch to teaching online. Also, students were being forced by the government into this system. At school, we were getting live communication with others, and at one moment, it all disappeared.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, students lacked the ability to talk to their peers. I can say that without seeing my friends everyday, I felt a little depressed as there was no one to share some stories and laugh. On the other hand, everyone is different and went through this transition differently.
Quarantine and online school system took away the communication skills and social life of students. A students ability to socialize was impacted the most due to covid-19. When we had online classes on zoom and we had to work in breakout groups everyone would be shy to talk first. A few days ago I was reading a post about how zoom has made teenagers insecure about their looks. People would literally stare at their own face and look for flaws that might not even exist. Students became very lazy to study, they would turn on the class and go to sleep. As a result without socializing and making new friends in schools many students lost the ability to communicate effectively. Today, even if a student is sitting around 10 other peers, the student will prefer to chat with random people on social media. Therefore, in my opinion many students have lost the ability to make new friends and socialize.
ReplyDeleteI think students prefer in person class not only because it allows for more engagement and easier learning, but the chance to talk to others and connect with peers. With online school, although some teachers pushed students to leave cameras on and participate, it never felt the same. Working with other students and speaking in class felt like a chore and was dreadful. Coming back in person, I think students were apprehensive yet excited. Students lost a lot of their social skills during their prime social age.
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