Teachers have turned to technology to help them to continue teaching and connecting with their students on a limited basis, since classes were suspended in mid-March due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
“It definitely helps to have a connection with our students,” said Weyburn Comp science teacher Karen Kennedy-Allin. “The whole year was kind of pulled away from us suddenly. A lot of us haven’t had any chance to say goodbye.”
With the Ministry of Education mandating that classes be offered online now, it’s provided a way for students to still be learning in a few courses, she added.
“This way we can do what we can to help them. I’m very glad to have this contact,” she said.
Currently she is teaching Biology 30 and Physics 30 classes, and in the past week, she used the available technology to demonstrate and explain a biology experiment. She also uses it to hold a live face-time class with her students, and then to see the photos and results from her students as they carry out the experiment.
“I’ve emailed all of my students and talked to quite a few of them,” she said, noting many of them are “happy to have something to do. I haven’t heard from too many of them that they’re feeling stressed about it.”
Kennedy-Allin teaches for 60 per cent of her time, as she is also on the executive of the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation and head of the local Cornerstone teachers association, which takes up some of her time.
“One thing that’s impressed me a lot is how teachers have stepped up with the technology,” she said, adding that students have also embraced the technology. She has also noticed that teachers have been working very collaboratively in learning the technology, in particular using the Microsoft Teams program to connect with the students.
Being able to do real-time class sessions online has helped provide some of the human connection that people need, and allows for feedback with students, such as if they have questions on the lessons or experiments, she said, noting she has been holding a couple of live sessions each week.
The STF dropped their sanctions, which had teachers restricted to classroom instruction only with no extra-curricular activities, and Kennedy-Allin said this will allow teachers more flexibility in their use of time.
An advantage for students, especially for those in Grade 12 looking at heading off to post-secondary education in the fall, they can improve their marks, but their marks will not go down. They will graduate with the marks that were in place at the time classes were shut down, unless they are able to make their marks better with the online school work they are doing now.
Some of Kennedy-Allin’s students were asked about how they are finding the experience of doing their classes online.
“Online classes are kinda nice,” said Cassadi Harris. “You have a lot more freedom and are in a much more relaxed environment.”
The downside for her was not being able to have one-on-one conversations with her teachers, although she noted she can have a video chat or phone call if she has questions.
“Online classes are great for myself personally, because I get to work at a comfortable pace. I am a night owl so being able to work on my projects in the evening are great,” she said.
Student Reece Pittman said, “I’ve found online learning to be more self-directed and challenging because you’re somewhat on your own, and you’re figuring out how to use Microsoft Teams. It’s more valuable for me because there are a lot of new things that we haven’t learned yet that will be important for future classes.”
Hunter Labbie also found online learning was easy for him to get into, because he had already taken some of his electives online, so he was used to how it should be done.
His worry, as a Grade 12 student, was in not being able to finish learning some of the subjects that he will want to pursue in post-secondary school, so he is very appreciative that he can take the Biology 30 course online. He isn’t certain what he will be taking at university, but said it will be in the science and-or medical fields.
Pittman said she isn’t worried that the stoppage of classes will hurt her education, “because I have been doing the online things provided by my teachers. Other than trying to figure out how to use Microsoft Teams, the experience has been fine for me. I am glad to have online learning, because it allows students the opportunity to continue on with learning new things.”
Asked if she was worried about her education, Harris replied, “This is a hard question because I am on the fence. In some classes you need a teacher by your side to assist you in your current activity; others not so much. Our teachers are doing the best they can for not being able to see us in person. They are doing amazing for what they can do. This is the best way to keep up with some of our courses.”
She pointed out that this kind of learning isn’t possible for hands-on sort of courses, and students will lose half a semester’s worth of instruction in those subjects.
