This school year, virtual learning is our only way of interacting with one another. This can cause students and teachers to feel stuck and anxious about their future, having the screen becomes a barrier. Everyone is having a hard time adjusting to this new experience. Seniors have a lot to prepare for college and set plans that could change because of this pandemic. Virtual learning isn’t easy to transition to; it takes effort from students, teachers, and administrators.
Due to COVID-19, we aren’t able to come back to school this first semester. It isn’t certain whether or not we’ll be going back to school in the next semester or the next school year. However, recently, the school has plans to do hybrid (virtual and in-class) learning. It isn’t official, but they are in the process of making it work. Meanwhile, the teachers and students are trying to adapt to our current virtual learning system.
Everyone has their home situation to deal with, but Logan has some solutions for a few of those predicaments. For students who didn’t have Chromebooks or had any technical problems with theirs, the school provided free Chromebooks for them to use. For internet access problems, Logan had informed their students and parents that “Comcast is offering 2 months for free in addition to their $10/month program.” There is more information on this and it can be found on the James Logan home page under “Guide to Virtual School”.
It’s much harder for teachers to connect with their students nowadays because it just isn’t the same. They aren’t able to build relationships with their students and collaborate with other teachers/staff. Teachers have less power in holding students accountable. It may be hard to meet the needs of students with the whole communication barrier. It’s not easy to see if a student needs assistance if their camera is off.
An art teacher at James Logan High School, Mrs. Swabeck, is very concerned about helping all students. “[She is] so worried about students that are having barriers to learning, such as IEPS (Individualized Education Programs), broken computers, and unstable living situations. It breaks [her] heart that students have to deal with these barriers and [she is] trying to do what [she] can to help.”
For those who are living in unstable living situations, the Logan Health Center has sources to help you. They are also open to those under the age of twenty-three–it is free and services are confidential. More information can be found on the James Logan website under the category “For Families”.
Swabeck’s experience was smooth overall since most of her content is digital. Since she is an art teacher, she had to provide students with art supplies. The process of making and distributing bags was something she struggled with. She also struggled with revising her lessons, to make it easier for her students to work in this setting. With hands-on related classes, it’s more difficult for teachers to teach if the students don’t have the materials. There are hands-on classes that aren’t the same as in-class learning. Science classes that could have done labs are possibly doing simulations to substitute that.
Students, especially seniors, are missing out on many activities this year. There has been an increase of students taking a gap year due to the pandemic whether they were already in college or an upcoming first year. One Logan student says that they aren’t sure about going to college in Fall 2021 since the vaccine isn’t ready. According to the Los Angeles Times, taking a gap year might be the best alternative during this pandemic. The student mentions that teachers are giving them too much work.
“A lot of [their] teachers expect us to do even more work than normal and don’t take into account [their] mental health due to staying inside all the time and also [their] other responsibilities,” the student said.
While students are at home, there are many distractions that take place in their learning environment. Students and staff alike have to figure out what works for them at home and what doesn’t.
“What has worked has been putting my phone under my blankets and hiding it so I don’t get distracted by anything. I also found that if I use my phone to type notes, my Chromebook will crash less,” the student said.
This is a concerning matter to the students, teachers, administrators, and staff. All our lives have changed these past few months during the pandemic. Students aren’t the only ones having a hard time. Something that Mrs. Swabeck said is that having your video on would be helpful to many teachers, which is why she continues to encourage them to turn them on. Students and teachers have said that they look forward to “human connection” when we can come back to school safely.
