The Catalyst / Photo courtesy of Madison Campbell
Madison Campbell, senior at Aragon High School
Madison Campbell, senior at Aragon 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 Madison Campbell, a senior at Aragon High School, about her experiences going to school online.
The Catalyst (TC): What is a typical day of school like for you?
Madison Campbell (MC): I think it’s different compared to what private schools do. Because we’re a public school… it’s also really difficult to check-in for classes because there are so many kids who don’t have access to technology. So, pretty much most of the work is self-guided. I have a couple teachers who are doing Zoom’s at 11 a.m., so I would just wake up at normally 9 a.m. or 10 a.m., go on Zoom, and then start school then.
TC: How are you coping with social distancing and keeping in touch with your friends?
MC: It’s kind of hard. The only times I’ve been going out are for a run or to a grocery store. I think we’re really lucky to have technology because that just makes it 10 times easier to communicate with your friends and stay in touch without seeing them in person.
TC: Do you prefer online learning or on-campus learning?
MC: Definitely physical learning. I think there are a couple reasons. One just being, I learn a lot better. Specifically when I’m with the teacher because it’s a lot easier to ask questions right away, rather than when you’re working on an assignment, then you have to wait until your teacher can email you back, and that’s really inconvenient. And also, I discovered this today: It’s unorganized for some teachers. Some teachers might send out plans and stuff for us to follow, whereas other teachers don’t really send out anything or they just expect us to find it on Canvas. And, that’s really difficult, especially for people who are already on top of their schoolwork. [It’s] probably even harder to be self-motivated.