5 minute read
ONLINE EDUCATION
Cats, dogs and 30 kids on a screen
By Elizabeth MacGregor
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Elizabeth MacGregor is a former educator and a regular contributor to SideOne.
The teacher, teaching to a screen, 30 faces watching, now 26, a child upstairs screaming that the computer is down, another that the mute must be on. A literacy lesson, just approaching the important part, and Jimmy raises his hand. Oh, yes, the lesson is landing, the important work of a teacher being accomplished, teaching valuable information to lead these children forward in their education.
Jimmy has been listening and has a question. The teacher’s mind quickly races through the possible ones and the appropriate answers. Interrupting the teacher in the middle of the lesson is not encouraged by some, but this teacher believes in thoughtful discourse, exploration of the marvelous workings of the minds of children.
“Yes, Jimmy?”
“Do you have a cat?”
“I don’t have a cat.”
“Do you have a dog?”
“Yes, I have a dog.” Now, the teacher realizes she is losing the class. Some students are laughing, some have decided this calls for a break, others are pleading to see the teacher’s dog. The teacher, tired after a night of preparing a lesson that would work on the school board’s digital platform, must regain the attention of 30 restless kids. Meanwhile, her own children will break for lunch soon, while her lunch break will only overlap with theirs for 10 minutes.
THE ONLINE CLASSROOM – A COMPLICATED PROCESS
No elementary or secondary teacher was trained to teach online, or to use the software school boards have mandated. Now, many have been forced to learn how to teach in a multi-student, live environment called synchronous learning, with only the help of colleagues and unions.
In Ontario’s spring lockdown, for example, teachers prepared online lessons that students could access at any time of the day. In this wave, that government mandated 225 synchronous minutes for all students from Grades 1 to 12 – despite the vastly different attention spans of say a six-year-old and a 17-year-old.
This new arrangement has led to many complications for teachers, parents and students. Teachers have had to purchase laptops to replace inadequate school board-provided hardware. Computer screens were too small to run a class of 30 students – a screen must be fairly large to see that many students.
Picture a room of children, different ages, participating in different classes on individual computers, while Mom is downstairs teaching her own class. This can only be viewed as comical. Now picture that same room with Mom, an essential worker away at work, and that view is frightening.
STUDENTS NOT SHOWING UP
Teachers are also reporting that many children never show up online, or do so sporadically. Not surprisingly, as not every family can afford individual laptops for their children, and even if boards lend equipment, it takes robust Internet to be able to run a few laptops at a time, with video. If the learning was not synchronous, students could attempt the work later when an adult is home and siblings could share equipment.
Online learning is most successful when people choose it. It requires commitment, discipline, and a keen interest in the subject matter. Its success is questionable when both teacher and student have been enrolled without planning and preparation. Students with special education needs have been accommodated in different ways at different boards, but suffer without consistent, individual, in-person support.
The teacher and the computer screen are often being used as babysitters, with no thought of quality or the strain on both teacher and child. It’s wonderful that teachers can see their students, and provide feedback, but now they need to worry about those that never log on.
TEACHER AS ENTERTAINER
A teacher was highlighted recently for his ability to be an entertainer, creating different scenarios online each day, complete with costumes, musical instruments and props. Hope he can maintain his current pace of amusing interludes. Lucky children watching, but not many teachers would be able to imitate him.
Parents are also chipping in on live classes with their own contributions – berating teachers for what parents perceive to be a lack of skills or commenting on the fact that they learned the material differently. If this was not live, the interruptions wouldn’t be, either. Another nasty feature: the rude student who yells out an insult, racist or homophobic remark, not fearful of immediate discipline since being sent to the office is not possible when studying online.
According to the University of Alberta, asynchronous learning offers “increased cognitive engagement since students will have more time to engage with and explore the course material.” However, they also state, that “course material may be misunderstood without the real time interaction.” The personal touch, albeit on a screen, works better for interacting with students.
SCHOOLS ARE MORE THAN JUST A CLASSROOM
A father was interviewed about his disappointment that his children were learning online and stated that he missed the conversations between parents in the morning when he would drop his children off. He would start at one end of the school, chatting away with one group, then make his way to the kindergarten area and chat with others. This helped ease his feelings of isolation during the pandemic. I have watched this in my own neighbourhood, parents happily greeting each other, some wearing masks, many without, spreading joy and maybe the virus.
Online learning, a desperate attempt to provide education in desperate times, should not be viewed as good or bad. It should be viewed as what it is – a stopgap measure, while we wait for the numbers of Covid sufferers to decrease.
