Learning On The Flip Side

Ever since COVID hit the United States, our school system has changed dramatically. Some schools across the country are all virtual, some are hybrid, and some schools are trying to keep the school year as normal as possible. Currently, Fluvanna County Public Schools are doing a hybrid version of learning. All students have the choice to either learn remotely or participate in the hybrid learning which is two days a week in-person learning and 3 days a week virtual learning. Fluvanna Schools are coming to the end of their first semester using this new approach and here is how the students feel.

There are many students who opted to go hybrid this semester. Jaden Ferguson, a hybrid student who has stayed hybrid throughout the entirety of the semester, plans to stay hybrid for next semester. He enjoys the hybrid attempt at learning because it is his “opportunity to have a more hands on and traditional learning experience.” He and many other students have mentioned that they do wish more students would attend hybrid learning because he feels that without other students it “rips away the social aspect of high school.” Many teachers have also seen a decrease in the number of students attending their in-person classes. Although there are many things that students enjoy about in-person learning, teachers and staff are finding ways to improve next semester.

Virtual learning has seemed to be the more popular option for students during the end of 2020. Carlie Grady is one of many students who chose the remote learning option, saying “it has definitely been a hard adjustment but it has become more normal as the weeks go by.” The concept of virtual learning generally includes students joining a google meet with their teachers and their classmates at scheduled times for forty-five minutes per class, then a forty-five minute time slot to complete the work assigned for the day for that same class. Carlie feels it is “harder to keep motivation to complete our assignments without having to actually go to school, but there are still many perks of online learning.”

The Class of 2021 also has an important perspective on all of this. Although it is out of their control, it is devastating that their senior year is not what they had always pictured it to be. Seniors Lea Kelly and Ellie Miles state that throughout the semester they quickly “lost motivation” due to the “combination of online school and senioritis.” It “seemed very exciting at first” says senior Kayla Taylor but she, just like the other seniors, also lost motivation. Fluvanna is doing all that they can to hopefully make next semester as memorable as possible for all students including the seniors to make up for what they have recently missed out on due to this pandemic.

Everyone should be expected and ready to see change as the weeks go on. The country is changing everyday and COVID updates have been unexpected recently. FCHS is entering the new semester using the hybrid learning program they did in the first, taking every day one step at a time.