Published in The Mammoth Times on August 19, 2020
Mammoth Unified School District and Eastern Sierra Unified School District are prohibited from resuming in-seat instruction in the fall, following Mono County’s recent placement on the California Department of Public Health Monitoring List.
The end result is every student in the county started school this week online only.
This rule, most agree, is safest for our county under its current conditions.
“Until it’s super safe for us to be in classrooms, we just don’t want to take a risk… and we aren’t allowed to,” said Jennifer Wildman, MUSD Superintendent, noting that the rising Covid-19 cases in the county effectively took the choice out of her hands in July.
To learn more about the impact of this shift in learning style, I spoke with eight different students and two teachers from Mono County. They revealed that online learning, despite being both safe and necessary, is likely to be difficult for most and, the implications from going to school with no in-person interactions will be prevalent and far-reaching.
Online learning plans look slightly different for MUSD and ESUSD students. The state of California has established a required number of hours that students at every grade level must fulfill through either independent work or synchronous instruction.
The ESUSD district’s goal for the semester is to fill that requirement with synchronous instruction over Zoom, according to ESUSD Superintendent Heidi Torix.
“There’s so much power in having direct instruction,” she said. “That to me is actually key, providing direct instruction so that students have that connection with their teachers.”
The MUSD is offering two different programs for students to choose between: the first, which the majority of students opted for, is composed mainly of synchronous classes, which, said Wildman, “kind of looks like school, only it’s at home on the computer.”
The other program, popular among elementary schoolers, is asynchronous for the most part, with a daily, 30-minute teacher check-in and lots of independent work.
There is no doubt that these adjusted learning plans are evidence of the ability of schools to adapt during trying times.
But, according to the students I interviewed, even creative learning plans like these can’t replace in-person school.
“A lot of people have said this… in school they feel more engaged with their learning… it’s not the same feeling online, you’re not in that school environment,” said Andrea Santillan, a senior at Lee Vining High School (LVHS).
“It’s better being in person with the teachers. Because the teachers can really work with you and your classmates,” she said.
Reflecting on her experience with online learning at the end of the spring semester, Mammoth High School senior Melissa Rodriguez said, “It was more of a passing thing than a learning thing… it was difficult, especially for me. I had a hard time adapting. (Online school) is going to change our way of learning.”
This struggle to remain engaged through online classes appears consistent in younger students as well.
Nora Hinson, a 5th grader at Lee Vining Elementary School, said “It’s harder than at school… you’re not having someone really helping you, right there.”
The general disengagement resulting from online learning affects students in different ways. But across the board, difficult home and family situations have the potential to disadvantage students, the students said.
“I do think distance learning will impact some families negatively more than others,” said Torix. “Many of our families depend on our public education system to protect and watch their children while they are at work. Many families don’t have the means to pay for additional childcare.”
Erin LeFrancois, a history teacher at Mammoth High School, had similar concerns.
“I think some kids have really struggled with finding an educational environment in their home,” she said.
Torix also shared her specific concerns about the impact of online learning on her youngest students.
“K-2 students, they’re learning how to read,” she said. “…it’s really important to be able to sit there and point at a book… touch the words themselves.”
Isabella Grundon, a 1st grader at LVES, said that she is “shy and scared. And happy… and excited” to begin first grade “because I want to learn to read more.” But she also commented that she wants to “actually see my teacher in real life.” Cassia McQuilkin, another LVES 1st grader, said that in-person school is “fun because it’s longer and there’s art.”
Sadie Hinson, a 3rd grader at LVES, similarly noted that activities like art are difficult over Zoom.
“We tried to do a Meet the Masters, but it was hard,” she said.
Older students–including seniors applying to college–are also worried about how this new way of learning is going to work, and the impact it will have on their futures.
“The pandemic took away a year from us,” said Rodriguez. “It backtracked us a year. It’s really stressing some of my friends out … about college and the SATs … not knowing how anything’s going to work out.”
“It’s unsettling as a senior,” said Santillan. “You’re making big decisions by yourself in your room rather than with your teachers or your counselor helping and guiding you.”
Alongside these difficulties, students simply miss in-seat instruction.
“Being in person is what makes school fun,” said Oscar Velazquez, a senior at LVHS. “Because it’s not always about learning… you get to have laughs with everyone, and when you’re online you don’t really do that… and that’s what motivates me – having those funny moments, everyday at school.”
“One of the things I miss most is having interactions with people, whether it’s talking about a book we’re reading in class, or talking over lunch… the extra curriculars, getting to play sports, mock trial, all those things that are great activities to do with people in the school,” said Ellery McQuilkin, a LVHS junior.
Many of these students’ perspectives are shared by teachers and administrators alike.
Jamie Godoy, history teacher at LVHS, reflected on the changes his teaching has undergone in the switch to online learning.
“There’s all these little one-way interactions that are happening in Zoom between myself and the kids,” he said. “But we’re not getting the full … 18-way interaction that happens in a classroom.” And as a result of this, he said, “You can’t really give the help you used to give… There (are) just some tools that you used to have that you can’t use anymore.”
LeFrancois agreed.
“Part of teaching is your human interaction with your students and being able to provide help face to face,” she said.
However, it is not all grim.
Teachers are working hard this semester to set more rigorous goals for their online teaching and are finding innovative strategies to achieve them. For example, Google classroom is an online platform where teachers post assignments, polls, and announcements, and students submit them.
Zoom’s breakout room feature allows students to converse and work in smaller groups within their class.
And websites like Pear Deck and Kahoot test students’ knowledge in a fun, low-stakes environment.
“I think there are a lot of electronic tools … that translate pretty well to the classroom,” said Godoy. “So to do online learning right, you just have to try and be a better teacher. I think at the end of it, we’ll all be a little better at our jobs.” LeFrancois also hopes to make online learning more engaging.
“Teenagers learn best from each other,” she said. “I want to make sure I complete that in my online instruction, so that the kids are interacting with each other.”
Wildman also reflected on the successes that came hand in hand with the downfalls of online learning in the spring.
“Computerized learning really appeals to some kids,” she said. “It works for them.”
Then, perhaps, the real question is “are we going to do a good job online learning this year?” Godoy asked. “If we can, that will help (students) in the future.”
All in all, many find consolation in the hope that Mono County will contain its virus cases and return to in-seat school again soon.
When asked whether she thought she’d be able to start first grade normally, Isabella Grundon said “Maybe after coronavirus is done.”
Cassia McQuilkin added, “maybe once it calms down.”
What can we do to make these first graders’ hopes reality?