With Everyday Technology, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
By Sophie Salem, Staff Writer
Distance learning has proven to be a challenge, not only for students, but for teachers as well. From technology issues to misunderstandings through a computer screen, it is hard to get through a day without any hiccups. Teachers and students struggle with technology issues, unfamiliarity with new technology, additional instruction and communication all together, affecting academic performance. Due to these drawbacks, students tend to fall back in school and their education time is limited, forcing them to receive further help. These are massive issues that need to be addressed in order to improve Samo’s learning environment.
A considerable amount of teachers have shown to be unfamiliar with the internet. Often, this means delaying class to post an assignment on Google Classroom or adjusting their internet connection. Though Zoom has been a life saver for schools, companies and family get-togethers, the application doesn’t always work smoothly. When a teacher’s internet goes out, they might glitch or even get completely kicked out of the zoom. Oftentimes, they keep teaching, unaware that students missed what they were saying. Technology also makes it a challenge to attend class on time everyday. Students regularly run into technological issues forcing them to be late to class, as even the smallest technological inconveniences can affect attendance. The consequent loss of class time causes students and teachers to fall behind. Students must go to teachers’ office hours which isn’t the most effective way to get work done. Teachers have to be available after school in order to reteach students in need, but not everything can be finished in that short amount of time. This forces students to teach themselves the remainder of their work which is very ineffective for an online education. “It is difficult to teach myself after school by just using YouTube and Khan Academy videos. Help from my teachers themselves would be much more helpful,” said Talia Daghighian (‘22). It seems that teachers would benefit from a seminar or lesson on how to use the internet in the specific ways they need to everyday.
Technological issues aside, distance learning has other limitations too. Regular communication is a very important asset for the best education possible, but through Zoom, it takes teachers a long time to get around to every student, leaving the rest in confusion with misunderstandings. Furthermore, it seems that teachers don’t always have a grasp of how much or how little the students understood the material, forcing students to email them after class or go to their office hours in order to fully comprehend the lesson. To overcome these new challenges, some teachers attempt to implement more direct communication by creating breakout rooms or enforcing a camera-on policy.
“It’s hard to read the room when you can’t see people,” Amy Bouse, a Samo painting teacher, said.
By requiring students to keep their cameras on, teachers are able to observe the class and their contributions, making it easier for them to stay positive and motivated. However, it is clear that most students feel uncomfortable being on camera, sensing pressure and struggling to focus. The situations which students face at home are often overlooked as well.
“I personally have one class where everyone is required to keep their camera on and unmute and it’s very overwhelming because my house isn’t the best environment for online school because it’s very loud and my siblings can get in the way,” Zcjean Ollesca (‘22) said.
Without cameras, students feel more at ease and tend to finish their assignments without as much stress and distraction.
When it comes to the internet, there’s not much we can do, but a conference between Samo faculty and the student body could help teachers and students better understand their respective difficulties and bring up a much needed discussion to improve situations in the future. Moreover, a more lenient attendance system would be beneficial as technology issues can be uncontrollable. As much as the downsides of distance learning are prominent, the internet has its upsides too. Innovative programs and immense resources are at the fingertips of students and teachers. Seeing as though a return to in-person instruction anytime soon is unlikely, Samo needs to take full advantage of these upsides while working around the limiting factors of technology to create the best experience for everybody during these times.
