Written by: Presley Marcum
Due to the snowy weather, Salem Schools spent a lot of time doing synchronized eLearning days to start the semester. Would you rather make them up? Or complete your classes at home on the chromebook? Many would choose to be at home, but the majority would say it's difficult to learn staring at a screen.
The National Library reports that 65% of people are visual learners. Being a hands-on student isn't a bad thing. Schools would rather students be more engaged and involved with teachers' lessons.
Sophomore Karley Hawn said, “I liked sleeping in and that the classes were shorter, but I did not learn as much.¨
Being able to sleep in on a cold day like this is always nice and if classes were shorter than teachers would have a rough time teaching all they've had planned.
Elearning can make it hard for students to stay on task and complete all of their assignments.
SHS math teacher Lisa Redmiles said, “I have had to restructure the order and intensity of what I teach daily. When teaching on eLearning, I want to choose topics that are necessary and advance learning but are easier to understand (yet still applicable).”
But even with its struggles she said, “Still, I am glad we have the eLearning option. If we had to miss these days completely, it would still be disruptive to learning. The eLearning option allows us to continue learning, just take smaller, less intensive bites. It is also important that we teach students how to learn on eLearning.”
ELearning days can change the way a teacher is planning their lessons making them feel less prepared for their students. The teachers at SHS are willing to work overtime to ensure their students are provided with the best education they can give during eLearning.
But even with the best teachers, every kid cannot sit and learn over a computer.
Junior Hannah Spears said, “I hated eLearning because I feel like I don't learn as much when trying to learn it through a computer.”
No matter how annoying getting up and going to school can be, students understand the value of being able to sit in a classroom and get their education. Lots of classes like art and choir can be most difficult to teach on eLearning.
Art teacher Carole Clodfelter said, “Snow days don't bend well to continuing to work on our projects like we would in class. It's very difficult to get everyone to take their work home and some classes require supplies that we can't easily take home, like paints.”
Art is especially hard to teach, with as many different components that go into teaching and practicing it. Many students are doing different projects that require different attention and materials so it's hard to see the projects progress.
Clodfelter still found a way to make the most out of eLearning.
"The snow days have created a great opportunity to incorporate some art appreciation and time to introduce different types of art and art careers that we wouldn't always get a chance to explore," she said. "We just have to be flexible and ready to jump back into our work when we get back to in-person classes. We will have a lot to do to prepare for the art show on March 3."
ELearning can be difficult for both students and teachers but by working together, completing your assignments as soon as possible and attending these classes, it can only benefit the students and make it easier on the teachers.
“It's still a new way of learning,” Redmiles said. "This is not intuitive and needs to be practiced with teacher guidance. I am still figuring out how to do this."