January 2021 rustlernews.com
04
Remote Learning
Q&A
by David Miller, staff writer
I spoke with student Cat Rangel, 11, about her remote learning experience. Cat has been remote learning from the beginning of the school year and hopes that next year, she’ll be able to return.
Q:What is your stance on remote learning?
Q: How would you change how things are being taught now?
A:I wish there were more options. There aren’t any options right now in the Great Falls Public School District for honors classes.
A: There’s really no way for you to participate in certain electives and discussion is kind of out the window.
Q:What are some benefits of remote learning? A: I’m getting a lot of the requirements that I need to graduate so that next year, my only required class will be English.
Q: How has the social aspect changed? A: [In school] we were more encouraged to talk to each other. I wish I knew the people I was doing my online classes with. I don’t know anybody’s name if I’m being completely honest.
Q:What does your schedule look like now, doing remote learning? A: I’ve been working at McKenzie River Pizza and when I come home from work, I do my homework. Q:How would your schedule be different if you were in school in person? A: I’d be living at the school. I’d be in student government, I’d be involved with drama, basically, I’d be at the school as much as possible.
Block Schedule: worth it?
by Anthony Matury, staff writer
Block scheduling was one of the changes that took place this year with all of the new health guidelines and protocols. The block schedule was designed to help with contact tracing and lowering numbers while making classes over 80 percent longer. And with every big decision comes split opinions. “Yes and no. A lot of classes take advantage of [the time alloted], and there are some that don’t take advantage of the time.” Michael Kadoshnikov, 12 “At first, I really didn’t like the thought of [the block schedule] since it was different and I wanted everything to stay the same as it was, but school overall is a lot shorter and I think it’s pretty neat. I [also] like sleeping in and stuff.” Savanna Solano, 11 “I’m personally a very big fan of the block scheduling. It allows enough time for education without it being too overbearing, especially for classes like math. It allows formore material to be learned and digested.” Trent Koch, 12 “I’m not a big fan of it because you can’t see your teachers everyday, and it makes it pretty tough in some classes, like math, to get by.” Luke Jaraczeski, 12
“Block scheduling is tough on students from the standpoint of a lot of kids have a tough time concentrating for an hour and a half on the same subject and sit in the same room for that long. Teachers are having issues with it also because it is difficult after twenty-some years of teaching [with] 50 minute periods to figure out lessons, labs, and other things for an hour and a half period. Another thing I find difficult is kids are missing classes. They’re not going to the same class, let say Health and P.E. for example, is every other day. So, if a kid misses Health on a Wednesday, they might miss the whole week of Health, so they’re missing quite a bit of instruction if they do miss one class, compared to missing a day in a 50-minute period. They can come back the next day and usually be okay to get caught up. So, it’s difficult in a lot of different areas, I think. Remembering which day it is, if you have a 0-period off, if it is a Health day, especially freshmen, they’re having troubles [figuring out] if it is a Health or P.E. [day]. Remembering the whole mark from last Thursday in Health class, ‘Do I got Health on Monday?’ It’s very difficult.” Mike Lins, Transitions Teacher
