Diary of an Online Learner

by V. Zepeda

Being an online learner for a long period of time or even temporarily is quite a change from actually being in a classroom. There are several students who are going through this experience right now for one reason or another, but few people actually know what it is like. Unless you personally have experienced it, you do not know the differences between being in a classroom and being online. 

What I feel when I’m online is different than how I feel when I am actually sitting in the classroom. When one is sitting in the classroom it is easier to focus, making it easier to actually learn. However, while being online you tend to get more distracted with your surroundings and since you’re at home you aren’t really paying much attention to your computer. As an online learner (at least in my case), it is more difficult for me to learn, to concentrate, and to keep up with what’s going on in the classroom. 

It isn’t easy for teachers either, they have to help those in class as well as be sure to attend to those online. In an effort to make sure they are providing the same materials and attention to both in-class and online students, many teachers note they are logging more hours per day to their lesson planning. Sometimes teachers do not have the ability to give the online students the exact same material as the in-person students, which can affect their learning outcomes in different ways. The internet also isn’t as strong in some classrooms as it is in others, thus often making teachers “glitch out” and regularly difficult to hear. 

The online learning experience is different for every student, every class. Even though not many people particularly like the online learning experience, it is now a part of everyone’s reality in the continual fight against Covid-19. Potentially, this could become a permanent thing in the future of schools world-wide. My personal advice to you is that if you do end up getting quarantined and have to do online learning, just remember to do your best and do not be afraid to ask your teachers questions or for help. That is why they are there; to help us.