The benefits and struggles of virtual learning vs. hybrid

Story by Morgan Hubert – Staff Reporter

   This year has brought many struggles in people’s lives, including school. The question is, what is more efficient for students and teachers: Online learning or hybrid?

   “It is more difficult to figure out how to put everything online.  It takes longer because I have to type out all of the instructions that I would normally just say in class. I have to figure out what I think students can do with not a lot of one-on-one guidance.  I feel like I can not do as many interactive things as I would in person and it is frustrating.  While I like only having to “give” notes once when I record them, I miss the questions and discussions that come from those when we get to do them in person,” Jennifer Mooney, social studies teacher, said.

   There are struggles that students and teachers face with online learning. When the network is down or even when a teacher clicks one wrong button things can go wrong for every student in their class.

   “Other than at the first of the year, I really don’t have a lot of problems with technology. Sometimes Schoology is down when I want to work or sometimes I forget to click something important in Schoology and then things do not work right from the students’ end, but for the most part, technology has not been a major issue for me this year,” Mooney said. 

   Not only teachers but students have had trouble with things this year as well. 

  “Not getting a senior year is definitely hard, considering I had been looking forward to it. The lack of fun senior activities also makes it too hard to stay motivated in school. But, at the end of the day, keeping people safe is far more important than a senior year and I fully understand that,” Morgan McGurk, senior, said. 

   Adjusting to each new schedule has its challenges.

   “Learning can be really exhausting. In my IB classes, some teachers lecture the entire block, and then we have homework after that too,” McGurk said. 

   For many, learning has been a struggle this year, but with everyone working together we are keeping people safe.