The addition of the 1-1 laptop system at Hastings High has ushered in a new era of learning: virtual learning. Under this new system, doing homework on paper is becoming obsolete.
For students, doing work electronically has been a welcome change. Junior Nicole Dillin is one of the students that appreciate how much easier it is to get work done.
“It’s a lot easier to organize my homework. I can just download my homework and work on it wherever[pullquote align=”right” speaker=”Nicole Dillin“]It’s a lot easier to organize my homework. I can just download my homework and work on it wherever[/pullquote],” Dillin said.
Online learning has simplified not only the lives of students, but the lives teachers too. Teachers can now send students their homework via Google Docs, and students can complete all their work online.
With so much of society relying on computers in their dailylives,science teacher Jim Fielder says that the switch was a logical one.
“There has been a huge movement of online college courses,” Fielder said. “Even locally, places like Central Community College have been using online courses.”
Being able to use the laptops in and out of the classroom has been a huge advantage for student learning. With the majority of homework and notes online, it is easier for students to collaborate on projects and access information after being gone. Teachers can send students reminders via email and curb late work by setting time limits for being able to work on assignments. The science department has also seen improvement in the quality of student’s lab work.
“Previously, students would have to hand write their lab reports and tape on a hand drawn graph,” said Fielder. “Now with the laptops, students can type their reports and digitally add a graph. The lab reports are starting to look very professional.”
Even though many improvements have been made, there are still some drawbacks. One major issue is the availability of wifi.
“There are times when the internet is not functioning or the network goes down,” said Fielder. “When that happens, it is difficult to get work done and keep track of grades.”
Another issue that comes with each student having their own laptop is that students can be easily distracted. With the world at their fingertips, it can be hard for students to remain focused on their assignments.
“It inhibits learning on some occasions,” said Dillin, “specifically when students choose to play games or get on Facebook instead of doing homework or taking notes.”
Despite these drawbacks, virtual learning has brought many much needed changes. Even as students and teachers continue to adjust to this new system, there are many ideas for what education will look like in the future.
“[A good idea] would be to set it up so a student that is at home sick or on vacation or something can just get online and basically video chat while their class is in session,” Dillin said. “This would save the teacher from having to teach things multiple times.”
Online learning has opened up a whole new world of options for 21st century students and teachers alike. At Hastings High, the future is officially here and now.
