Reyna Vaca

Professor Robert Wolfe

ETEC 424 01W

July 11,2020

Online vs. Face to Face

The current pandemic we are facing in many ways is affecting everyone. Many are facing

things such as illness, unemployment, stress, anxiety, depression, lack of necessary items, etc.

All of these factors are influencing the way our students learn in school. This pandemic is

affecting students the most! Many students are facing the problem of learning from home

without the necessary resources.

Even though school districts are providing technology to students, most of the time there

are technological glitches; and school personnel are not always aware of the students' home life.

Many students live in one room that serves as a living room, kitchen, bedroom and homework

area. Also, many families do not have access to technology. According to Sheila Warren, the

head of Blockchain, there is a huge gap in income in our society and a big “digital divide”.

Needless to say, online learning is and will always have some kind of challenge for some

people.

Oftentimes, the challenge is time management when working on school work from home.

When students are at school, all subjects are divided into time slots and there is a specific amount

of time dedicated to each subject. While students are learning at home, it is very challenging and

difficult to stick to a structured schedule and time. Many family obligations do not always allow

the necessary structure that students need to learn from home.

 Here is a good example, my children are currently on summer vacation, but if they had

school work this week, they would not have done it. Why? You ask. Well, I needed to take care

of an ill family member (not with COVID) about 40 miles from our home in a remote location

without internet access. I could not leave them home alone because they are too young.

Therefore, I took them with me. So… if they had school work online, it just simply would not

have been possible to get it turned in on time. This situation was a one time need in our family.

However, this is a constant issue for many families around the world.

Technology is great for many reasons and convenient for many families, but it's not

always accessible. This is also a challenge for online learners. This is one of the reasons why our

young children need face to face learning. Elementary age students thrive academically while

socially interacting with their school peers. Working in groups and exchanging information on

assignments helps students learn and develop their social skills, oral language skills, listening

skills, critical thinking skills, and problem solving skills, just to mention a few.

However, learning online teaches many how to manage their time effectively and

students have access to their classes/course 24/7. Also, online learning may be beneficial for

people who have difficulty interacting with other students, or are timid around others. Another

very important key factor about online learning is building up on technology skills. Getting

acquainted with computers, tablets, new techie gadgets and using creative useful applications

that make sharing documents with teachers and classmates much easier and convenient.

Technology also helps save many trees!

Regardless of what learning style students prefer, it is very important to keep in mind that

flexibility is not always flexible without a good time management routine.

 References:

Sikirit, David. “Learning from home during the COVID-19 pandemic: With her school

closed, 6-year-old Moreyna strives to continue learning at home in Papua”.UNICEF Indonesia,

2 June 2020. www.unicef.org/indonesia/coronavirus/stories/learning-home-during-covid-19-

pandemic.

Headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation. “Face to face vs. online

learning”.2020. https://headspace.org.au/young-people/face-to-face-vs-online-learning/?

stage=Live

Patterson, Dan. “The digital divide: Not everyone has the same access to technology”.

TechRepublic, 18 June 2020.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-digital-divide-not-everyone-has-the-same-

access-to-technology/

Responses:

Response to Heather Smith:

Hello Heather!

I loved that you brought up kinesthetic learners in the video! Hands on sensory activities are how
many students learn and due to the current pandemic, I feel these students are the ones who are
missing being at school the most! Unfortunately, not all parents are able to keep kinesthetic
learners actively learning by sitting in front of a computer. Also, many parents are currently
working from home and that makes this situation almost impossible. It is very important that
students research all of the pros and cons of online learning before taking on the challenge. I call
online learning a challenge, because it sure is a challenge for me!
Great video!
Reyna

Response to Robert Castille:

Hello Robert!

You ABSOLUTELY nailed it! It is very easy to walk away from an online class! I agree that
online classes are very flexible, but they sure can take a toll on you and put on a lot of stress on
you because it is so easy to step away for a second that eventually turns into hours. Especially if
you work full time, go to school full time, have children, and care for older parents! I can relate
to this situation!!! Oftentimes, I am up until 3 or 4 am to do school work and have to be up at 5
to get ready for work. After doing this a few days, one just wants to walk away! Great job on
video!

Reyna