The Catalyst / Photo courtesy of Cameron Clarke
Cameron Clarke, freshman at Serra High School
Cameron Clarke, freshman at Serra High School
Since many schools have closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, many high school students are going to school online in what is called distance learning. Some of them communicate with their teachers via email or websites, like gClassroom and Schoology. Others participate in online classrooms via video conferencing apps, like Google Hangouts and Zoom. The Catalyst interviewed Cameron Clarke, a freshman at Serra High School, about his experiences going to school online.
The Catalyst (TC): What’s a typical day of school like for you?
Cameron Clarke (CC): A typical day of online school starts with me waking up and starting my online Zoom classes. Each class is about 30-45 minutes long, and there are two classes a day.
TC: How are you coping with shelter in place and keeping in touch with your friends?
CC: It’s difficult to still be in contact with some of my friends, but I’m able to talk to them through like calling or FaceTiming.
TC: How has your home life been since being told to shelter in place?
CC: My life since shelter in place has been less entertaining. It is hard to connect with my friends without seeing them in person.
TC: Do you wish Serra did anything differently with distance learning?
CC: I wish they would have created a schedule sooner, instead of them creating one just now, because it’s harder to get into the schedule now that we’ve had a somewhat of a break. The schedule means that Zoom meetings are now required for every class, instead of, [at] the beginning of the break from school, we would only be assigned work through Google Classroom for some classes.
TC: What do you miss the most about being at school?
CC: Being able to see my friends in-person [and] hang out with them. It’s not as fun just sitting at home.
TC: What do you like the most about distance learning?
CC: It’s easier for me to get my work done through distance learning because it allows me to be in a more free environment, working harder.