Simone Smith
“If we learned anything over the last year, it’s that kids need to be in school for their mental and emotional health. Their best education comes in the classroom, face-to-face with teachers and education workers.” Marit Stiles (NDP Education Critic)
It cannot be denied; students nationwide are falling behind, are facing mental health challenges, and teachers are stressed with school being online, yet, there is still no great plan to improve our children’s learning experience. There are many different factors as to why the children are having such difficulties, and it is important to understand why you as a parent may not be seeing any interest in school
For those who do have access to the right technology, there is evidence that learning online can be more effective in a number of ways. I want you to read that again; for those who do have access to the right technology. Children, especially younger ones, need a structured environment because kids are more easily distracted. To get the full benefit of online learning, there needs to be a concerted effort to provide.
There are other considerations; students with a “traditional” mindset find it difficult to adapt, and time management is a difficult task for eLearners. Online courses require a lot of time and intensive work, and if you are not self-motivated, this can be a difficult task. Self-motivation is an eLearning essential requirement; however, many online learners lack it, much to their surprise.
There are some research studies that show that on average, students retain more material when learning online compared to in a classroom. This is mostly due to the students being able to learn faster online. E-learning requires less time to learn than in a traditional classroom setting because students can: learn at their own pace, go back and re-read, skip, or accelerate through concepts as they choose.
Regardless, online learning has been a rough experience for so many students and their families.
We’re extremely concerned that this government is focusing on finding a cheaper way to educate kids, instead of focusing on their education and well-being, especially as our children, youth, and staff recover from such a difficult period.” Marit Stiles
