Alisa Meraz-Fishbein听is a journalism student in the College of Media, Communication and Information at CU Boulder. This story was written as part of a package of reporting on COVID-19 by students in Assistant Professor Christine Larson's class, Writing for the Media. All stories have been lightly edited for style and updated based on new information.听
Albuquerque, New Mexico鈥擲chool busses continue to operate across the nation, though听without children inside. Instead, they're serving as Wi-Fi hotspots to keep students engaged during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Bus hotspots are one way in which schools have been attempting听to provide equal access to students. Since the听coronavirus outbreak first prompted schools to move online last spring, the importance of internet and technological devices has continued to grow. In early April, 83% of parents who responded听to a Gallup poll said that their K-12 children were doing online school. However, many students do not have internet access, limiting their educational opportunities. The National Center for Education Statistics states that 14% of people ages 5-24 (common age range for students) don鈥檛 have internet access at home. As schools continue to grapple听with the transition to more distance learning, they have to consider the millions of students nationwide with limited internet and technology access.
Reggie Smith, CEO of the United States Distance Learning Association, said that the 鈥減andemic has uncovered a big gap in how universal access has been provided across America.鈥� This gap affects the success of online learning, as students must have access to certain technologies, including reliable internet, to participate online. Schools have a duty to provide these resources to students so that equitable learning can happen, said Smith, who听 has noticed a rise in outreach to the distance learning association.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had a definite surge in people attending our webinar series,鈥� Smith said, adding that 鈥減hone calls and emails to the association have increased.鈥� The association has been helping schools transition to online learning by providing live webinars and pre-recorded lectures, and by partnering with educational organizations to give students free learning resources.
The largest obstacle to online learning is听equitable internet and technological access. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, mobile Wi-Fi units have been a way of providing this access. Albuquerque Public Schools stated听on their website that administrators, with the help of the City of Albuquerque, were providing 鈥渄rive-up mobile Wi-Fi units at a number of APS schools and other public locations.鈥� The website also stated that users could drive up to 100 feet of the mobile units and access free Wi-Fi while remaining in their cars to practice social distancing. Additionally, APS has given听a Chromebook to families with at least one student.
Not everyone in Albuquerque has been facing this challenge. Students at Albuquerque Academy, a private middle and high school, are required to own a laptop upon enrolling in the eighth grade鈥撯�搘hether they purchase it themselves or are given one through financial aid. Therefore, the school hasn't faced the same problems with听ensuring that all students have the proper technology. Instead, faculty can focus their energies on online education itself.
Sofia Taylor, a junior at Albuquerque Academy, said her school has been doing a great job of resuming learning.
鈥淭here is a lot of email communication; they鈥檙e super thorough about the transition,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淲e have three-to-four Zoom classes each day, and they鈥檙e each 75-minutes long. So I still have a good amount of school,鈥� she said.
While teachers have continued to give听out letter grades, Taylor added that the homework load has significantly decreased, as teachers haven't been allowed to assign more than 20 minutes of homework per class period.
Online learning at Albuquerque High School, a member of Albuquerque Public Schools, has been starkly different. Albuquerque High School started using Google Classroom, according to teacher Mara McGough-Madue帽a. However, their lessons have been limited.
鈥淎t Albuquerque High, teachers have to continue to provide material. The material can鈥檛 be new, though, it can only be enrichment,鈥� said McGough-Madue帽a. She added that, since not everyone has equal internet access, 鈥渋t would be an equity of access problem to teach new material.鈥�
For the same reason, teachers across the Albuquerque Public School district are no longer allowed to assign grades for assignments. Instead, everything is given a pass/fail grade. This has drastically affected the students.
Cole Romig, a junior at Albuquerque High School, has been adjusting to the online system. He said that lessons with teachers via Google Hangouts 鈥渉aven鈥檛 been that beneficial; they鈥檙e just different and weird.鈥� Unlike Albuquerque Academy, there has听not been a set class schedule. Not all teachers met in realtime; most shared supplemental links and powerpoints with their students and expected them to keep up on their own time. Romig said that this resulted听in a lack of purpose.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 really have an incentive to keep learning,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e aren鈥檛 getting any grades and we aren鈥檛 learning anything new, so my motivation is going away.鈥�
Smith, of the United States Distance Learning Association, acknowledged听that some students can have trouble engaging with remote learning. He suggested听implementing games, scavenger hunts听and social hours into the remote classroom to keep students connected and invested in school. However, not all students have had trouble remaining engaged.
鈥淚鈥檝e been able to focus on the classes that I鈥檓 most interested in,鈥� said Sofia Sanchez, another Albuquerque High student. Instead of seeing online school as a way to put in less effort, Sanchez has seen it as an opportunity to learn more about her favorite subjects.
Amy Biehl High School, a charter school in Albuquerque, is somewhere in the middle听in regards to online accessibility. Executive Director and teacher Stephanie Becker said that all students were given a Chromebook upon enrolling in school. Therefore, much like Albuquerque Academy, Amy Biehl faculty did not have to worry about providing students with a computer. However, Becker said that many students still did not have reliable鈥撯�搃f any鈥撯�搃nternet access.
鈥淲e have to make sure to take students鈥� circumstances into account, especially now,鈥� Becker said. 鈥淪ome of my students don鈥檛 have stable Wi-Fi, so I give extensions and provide them with the material in a different way if needed.鈥�
Amy Biehl High School began offering听Zoom classes that followed the school鈥檚 regular schedule, though each class was only 30-minutes long. Becker said students were showing up to class even more so than before. Schoolwide, there has been around a 2% increase in student attendance since moving online. Becker attributed听this to the fact that students have no longer had to wake up as early, get dressed听and drive to school.
Although the school transitioned to pass/fail grades, Becker hasn鈥檛 found a decrease in productivity or engagement from students, she said.听
鈥淪tudents that normally engage continue to do so,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd those who haven鈥檛 been paying attention still don鈥檛 pay attention. It鈥檚 hard to break habits, good and bad.鈥� For students lacking in motivation, Becker suggested听meeting with someone, such as a teacher or advisor, to keep the student accountable. 鈥淪tudents should also remember that the material they are learning is going to be important next year. It is still relevant,鈥� she said.
Janet Major, the board president for the United States Distance Learning Association, said she believes that the switch to online learning is dispelling doubts about its feasibility.
鈥淚 do believe that fully online learning can be done,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ttendance can be improved. People don鈥檛 have to drive to class, and they can do a lot at a distance.鈥� For now, her primary goal continues to be ensuring that the public has access to the technology to allow distance learning to take place. The United States Distance Learning Association has been doing so by 鈥渉elping people write grants for federal money,鈥� Major said.
鈥淕rants include things like telecom and technology, which are really important right now,鈥� she said.
It appears that some form of online learning may be the norm for a while. However, Major believes that 鈥渂y stretching their imaginations and being creative, teachers will continue to be able to provide an enriching curriculum for students.鈥�
Photo by听听蹿谤辞尘听