Online Education Open Ended Questions

29 responses

What has your experience been like navigating online education platforms?

29 out of 29 answered

Like Zoom? Easy.
I am a teacher and used them extensively before we moved to 100% digital learning. I also taught for a virtual school previously. Because of that, I was already familiar with what to do And the transition was pretty seamless.
My district uses Canvas but my first-grade daughter uses Schoology. I prefer Canvas but then again I have extensive training on it that began 4+ years ago. Canvas has easy navigation using sidebar menus and calendars that Schoology does not, which is frustrating. My six-year-old therefore needs my constant help in order for her to find anything (courses, class links, assignments and submission buttons). Canvas also has a streamlined way in communicating upcoming due dates, announcements, overdue work, etc. with notification symbols and numbers listed on the course "cards." Schoology does not. All notifications are listed together, the links don't necessarily take you to the update, just the course's main page, and you have to go into each course and click through the sidebar and check each individually. And load time isn't exactly short.
Annoying because it's so much sitting and I have permenant lower back pain now.
It's been good
Overall, positive. The increase of available technology has improved my ability to differentiate tremendously.
So far not so bad, but I feel they are not as effective as in person learning because I can’t monitor behavior issues. In class I can make kids do their work. Online I have to take the L
It has been a struggle.
I have had no support from my school as a teacher, everything is self-taught. I feel confident in my ability to use the platforms but I dislike them.
It's been difficult because we haven't had much training, and most of these platforms seem not specifically designed for our current situation.
Challenging!
Frustrating
Really tough
Frustrating, to say the least. Like attempting to do delicate surgery while wearing chop sticks and rubber gloves. Nothing is intuitive, every activity is a struggle, and the constant updates make security a nightmare.
A lot of them are not user friendly at all.
It seems pretty obvious the people developing them are not teachers or have not taught in many years. There are good things about all of them and major issues with all of them as well.
So far, tedious and difficult to get engagement from students. (middle school)
Awesome
Been stressful and a lot of information overload. Then trying to teach it to students for them to be able to use it correctly is just another headache. I miss being in person.
Administration invests in too many different expensive learning platforms like CANVAS when Google classroom would work just fine.
My experience has been good. I started teaching this year (here, school year starts in March, only saw the kids for a week before covid). Since I had no experience it was like learning something new. From what I've seen, kids pay way more attention in their houses than in school because they don't get distracted with each other. Also, by getting good images and sharing screen it's like they can visualize better what you're explaining. The only bad thing is sending hw to the smaller ones they depend entirely on their parents and sometimes parents suck. So yes, I'd say my experience was good.
Difficult at first but getting easier every day.
Navigating is ok—I’m a teacher and building a lesson online is hard!
Honestly, the platforms themselves are not difficult to use. However, certain platforms have certain features that aid in my learning.
Challenging

What are some of your frustrations in regards to you or you child's online education?

29 out of 29 answered

My student's not turning in classwork/homework.
As a parent/ my oldest has ADHD and is struggling with finishing work. She needs the classroom environment to be more successful. We now have a tutor that comes twice a week and it has helped.
Overall, my daughter's district is doing a good job. We're 100% virtual and the district provided devices to those who needed them. We're just finishing up the first month of school and there haven't been any major changes in regards to policies or schedules (unlike in the spring where any given week could mean something new). However, during virtual classes, too often parents are interjecting or are taking up time that's for the students. It's gotten a little better, but parents should be utilizing the office hours for tech troubleshooting or other personal issues. The other thing is that due to my daughter's age (six) she needs much more IT support from me and I can only get my own work done in spurts. Thank goodness I took the year off. I wouldn't be able to teach my own classes and help her with hers.
I'm a teacher and I don't have children
Time, there isn't enough to teach or learn
As a co-teacher, having my students navigate between different teachers' Zoom sessions.
Kids can get away with not doing anything and you can’t fix behavior. It’s also limiting in engagement
My children are elementary school age and cannot read directions, follow instructions, or organize their materials without alot of assistance. It is difficult to manage as a parent, who has never been trained as a teacher.
The lack of natural interaction.
(I'm a teacher) I am frustrated with how parents were also not given training, forcing teachers to become tech support.
As a teacher, dealing with the various technology that students are using and the resulting twenty billion different ways each activity has to be prepared and made available.
Lack of student engagement
Lack of strong wifi
As a teacher, I wish that we had started our online training during the summer, because taking 30+ hours of training a week on completely new systems while juggling over +130 students is rough.
As a teacher, it is difficult for me to get my students to focus on virtual class. Often times, I will see younger siblings in the background distracting my students.
It is extremely hard work—way more work than in person. Everything takes at least twice as much time. Lack of engagement is frustrating.
Many students are not getting instruction 5 days a week. Either they are remote 5 days or in building 2 days(the other 3 they have no instruction)
blackboard is the worst learning management system out there. It looks the same now as it did when I was in high school 17 years ago
I’m a teacher with no kids of my own so I can’t answer that one.
None, my frustrations are that of a teacher.
As a teacher, sometimes I feel like certain kids don't have very supportive parents and it makes me angry. One kid didn't go to zoom class since March and now that we're back in school, the kid sits silent looking down because he doesn't understand much of what we're talking about even if I make an effort.
Math teacher here. It’s very difficult to do math on chrome books. I see a huge difference in my kids who have their own nice tech, and students using school issued tech. Same with teachers
Not being in the classroom to see the students’ emotions, the nuances, the fun...😢
For me it would concentrating constantly. Not having the correct equipment and not being able to source the correct equipment.
It doesn't easily translate into collaborative learning

Are there any positive aspects that you can think of?

28 out of 29 answered

Little exposure to coronavirus, spending more time with my teen.
My middle child has learned that as long as his work is done, his chores are done, and he has all As, he can spend a ton of time playing Fortnite and Call of Duty. Motivated kids aren’t being weighted down with busy work.
My daughter has been in "school" since she was two. As a teacher myself, I get plenty of long stretches throughout the year to spend with her, school and job free, but now, we're spending every day together. There are ups and downs to that, of course, but I genuinely enjoy this time I have with her. She also gets lots of time with her newborn sister, who she adores, and that's something you can't get back. As for school, I have a much better understanding how she learns and what she is learning and how it is taught, which will in turn inform my own pedagogy once I return to teaching. I also have a renewed appreciation for my elementary school colleagues. I've always appreciated them but it was more in the abstract and about the students I would inherit from them. Plus: the specials classes are highlights of our day. Who knew virtual PE would be so fun? My daughter has awesome teachers who are enthusiastic and creative in their approach to this new format despite all of the inherent difficulties. And for that, I'm especially grateful.
Na
I love working from home
More dedicated work time for students, increase in school-parent communication, increase in technology use, increase in differentiation, increase in student independence, increase in student self-advocacy
Yes. We are all safer for it. I’d rather teach online than die or see my students effected by death in the family.
Some of my shy students feel more confident in speaking online.
Hopefully students use this time as an opportunity to become more technology literate.
My knowledge and skills have definitely improved, but positive aspects for my students is certainly more difficult... they're still able to study.
More materials accessible
Having breakout rooms for differentiation
It is great for students with social anxiety and for students who are already self-motivated learners. I haven't had to use the "mute all" function during a class, but it does make classroom management easier to have that option.
A few of my students with attendance issues have been completing online work.
Some students actually do really well with it, but I’d say it’s a minority. Of course safety is a huge plus. I enjoy being able to teach from where I’m comfortable and not have to worry about stupid things like dress code (for me and students). Removing the classroom management issues is also a huge perk.
There are many cool apps and programs that are user friendly for assessment and lesson planning
quieter. Students can focus
I get to see some of my students pets!!! And being able to work from home during a pandemic is nice. Just wish we had a vaccine already.
No.
Kids don't get distracted with each other and learn a lot visually from the images in share with them.
Faster to grade, more organized, can do differentiation easily, engaging tech
1. Some of the students say it’s easier, the introverts love it. 2. I feel safer teaching from home!
Yes of course, it’s very practical, I can wake up and just hop into class. It allows my tutors to bring experience individuals from around the world to communicate with us, this would not have been possible in a face-to- face environment.
some shy students are better at messaging me rather than face to face interaction
Flexibility and safety

Thank you. Do you have anything to add?

22 out of 29 answered

N/A
100% virtual learning is difficult at all all levels, no matter where you fall in the system (students, families, teachers and staff, admin). However, I believe that distance learning is the safest and most effective approach we can adopt at the moment until there are much, much improved plans and more medical interventions (eg a vaccine) in place. None of those plans should rely on teachers, staff or parents to fund PPE and/or cleaning supplies, of course.
Nope
I AM from Argentina. So maybe My experience si different to other teachers
Please. Do your work. Be kind during this time. Take a stand against those ignorant enough to be on the wrong side of history. You are the youth. You are the future. You don’t know just how much influence and power you have.
From remote learning, I better understand each child's strengths and weaknesses. I am also more appreciative that my kids don't have severe behavioral issues that some other parents are dealing with.
I don't think that online teaching is effective for languages unless it's in very small (<5) groups. Good luck with your research.
N/A
Cheers to all the students out there who gave us their patience and understanding as we (teachers) learnt the ropes after being thrown in the deep end.
MS Teams sucks donkey dicks
Nope! Thank you
Teachers are trying, and nobody is performing to their fullest potential right now. Being honest and managing fear of failure is key this year. Survival is the goal, not excellence.
Good luck with your paper!
nope
Teaching is not for everyone and most people that are in charge of school districts don't care if children or staff die.
It's great you're researching this!
Nope!
Let us know the results please!
I wish you all the best in your paper😊.
NA
No
No
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