Workspace Snapshots The Coronavirus has impacted everyday life for everyone including students who now have to work online from home photos by Jules Torrice
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itting at home while staring at a computer instead of running from class to class is definitely a big change of schooling. The last time most students saw the face of a teacher in person while working in a classroom was at the beginning of March, almost seven months ago. However, now we are almost in November of this school year and students have to take it upon themselves to have a comfortable and easy to work in workspace at home. So let’s take a look at what some students’ workspaces look like. Just as if we were in a classroom, students have needed to set up their own space, such as a one-person desk with enough room to be able to accomplish their school tasks. Students should also have supplies such as notebooks, pens or pencils, charger for the computer, etc. However, some of these supplies may not be needed because of the addition of each student having his or her own computer given by the school. Since students cannot physically be in a classroom for this school year, we now log in to Google Meets through the computer to meet with fellow classmates and different teachers throughout the day. “It still feels weird not to be in school. However, everytime I have to login to a Google Meet, I’m still connecting with my teachers and peers as if we were in school.”, Hannah Myers, senior. With the computer and different Google Meets, students now have access to the internet 24/7, so it can be easier to do assignments and have virtual tools. But just because you don’t need all fifty things you may have brought to class in person, doesn’t mean your workspace shouldn’t be kept neat and is somewhere you can’t focus. According to Entrepreneur magazine’s website, regarding making a good workspace, every business where you have to manage work at home doesn’t require the traditional workplace environment but having clean and multipurpose one comes in handy. Students may choose to sit in the kitchen or in their bedrooms to work but may have distractions such as a television on or clutter everywhere. Since there may be multiple rooms in your house other places that may be beneficial for work spaces are the living room, a quiet bedroom that isn’t your own, basement, back porch that is weather permitting, etc. Some things to keep in mind when selecting your workspace for a place that suit your needs; having the appropriate supplies and equipment in your workspace that are easy to access; renovating your workspace if need be; and make your workspace feel comfortable and safe. For example, sitting in a room in your house where the wifi connection isn’t great or people are coming in and out of the area all the time, or you don’t have enough space for your supplies would not be the ideal place for your workspace during school. However, if there is a stationary somewhere in your house that gives you enough room for your computer and any other supplies and is somewhere that is less crowded would be a better workplace environment. Another thing that adds to a good workspace especially when doing online learning is proper computer etiquette. According to the University of Potomac website, an article on online etiquette, “netiquette guidelines are a set of rules that dictate what tasteful and respectful online behavior is.” Just as if you were in a real classroom you would respect the teacher’s rules, the teacher, students around you, and any good manners. Now that school is through a computer, it does not mean you should drop those rules and manners. Some steps to follow for good online school behavior and netiquette include being polite as if you were in person with others; respecting teachers opinions and feedback; submit assignments carefully and on time; be careful with your tone and mannerisms; remember nothing is private online and in the classroom you should be mindful of that; and if you have something to say you can use the chat box and or email your teachers directly. So is your workspace at home functional and good for you? Remember to have enough room for your computer and any other supplies you need, have limited distractions, and use proper netiquette when working on school from home. If you
Lisa-Marie Bastian,
10u the viewpoint u october | november 2020 u feature
