Since March, school has been online, the benefit of online classes is that the students don’t have to worry about materials that you will need for school.

A special education teacher at Oakdale High School, Glenda Segreti, speaks on how she perceives online school: ¨Some disadvantages are not being with the students and staff. It makes it more difficult to help students with different learning styles. Not being able to do many of the fun things we do like pep rallies, carnivals, dances, etc.¨

Segreti continued to respond, ¨Teachers have to work harder to do their work. Technology is always changing which has to be learned outside of work hours.” She then speaks on some of the advantages that online school brings: “Not having to stress about the virus and not contributing to it’s wrath of our nation..¨

 A junior at Oakdale High School, Claire Coffey, provides her opinions on how she feels about online school: ¨An advantage is that I can learn independently, and have more time for myself, as well as stay safe; however,I think we are missing out on student interaction.¨ 

Online school has been both easier and harder for both students and teachers. Classes have been easier because there’s less worry about getting too much homework. 

School has been harder because you are not in school with students and teachers, this makes it harder to get immediate responses from teachers. Mrs. Segreti adds, ¨Online learning is not socializing with peers and teachers makes it more difficult to work in groups. Eye strain from staring at the computer. Teachers often do not see students´ faces and body language, teachers can´t read students non-verbal cues.¨ 

Coffey also adds on to her previous comments. ¨At schools the teachers are always there giving instruction, but at home we have to hold ourselves accountable to doing the work.¨ 

Students and teachers use Google Meet so that they can go over class instructions and assignments that need to be done for the week. Teachers can present on Google meets with students so that they know what the teacher wants them to do with the assignments that the students need to do for the week. 

Mrs. Segreti claims, ¨Seeing and hearing people online is closer to being in the classroom than the way we thought last spring. I have been working part-time in the building, so I have seen some of my colleagues. It has been good to see people outside of my bubble, but I am not sure how long I will be comfortable with working in the building.¨ The quote is saying that being online is like being in the classroom.

 She also added, ¨There is a lot of interaction still missing with students and teachers even though we use google meet.¨ The quote is saying that there is interaction missing between students and teachers even though everyone is online for school.

Teachers are using other tools for assignments like Playposit and Kami. Playposit is a website that allows you to watch a video and then take a quiz. Kami is a website that can highlight words.