The Switch: In-Person to E-Learning

From the statewide shut-down to the mask mandates, COVID-19 has completely thrown a wrench into our normal way of life. With all the concerns over safety and keeping students protected from the virus, an E-learning option was established across Brevard County, allowing students to remain at their schools from home.

For some, choosing to e-learn was what they considered to be the safest option. For others, they felt more comfortable returning to the classroom environment they know and love. But even despite students making the choice to go back to school in-person, they are also well aware of the added potential to return to online schooling in the event that they come in contact with someone testing positive.

For those in-person learners, knowing what to do and how to transfer to e-learning in the event that this happens to you is crucial, because missing even one day of class can put you days behind in your coursework.

The Transfer

So you were told to stay home from school for 10 to 14 days, now what? All you have ever known is learning in a classroom, where the only thing you have to do to be marked present is to simply be in your seat. While e-learning presents its own fair share of challenges, it only takes a little bit of time and practice to smoothly transition over.

Being told to stay home and away from others can be difficult. When being given the news, the first thing any transitioning student should know is that it is going to be alright. Change is change, and lucky for them, this change is not necessarily permanent.

“Sometimes I will call directly out to my e-learners and say “Hey, have you guys done this,” or in my breaks we’ve done a show-and-tell for those who are comfortable showing their video and they’ve shown me their animals,” said Ms. Briana Clarke, who teaches Chemistry and Biology.

Getting Started

To log into your class for your first day of e-learning, start with Focus. Edgewood teachers know that if you have to transition to online learning, you will have little to no notice prior doing so, which means everything you need for class is already available to you digitally. If you find it is difficult to locate the link to your virtual class on Focus, also try your class’s Google Classroom page, because many teachers also post this information there.

Once you’ve found this information, the most important thing is to know what to do with it.

For first time e-learners, it is highly recommended to get familiar with the platforms you are expected to use and get some knowledge about how these platforms operate before your first class.

For Microsoft Teams and Zoom, try practicing beforehand or, at the very least, download the apps that you need to be ready for your first day. It is also recommended to connect with someone else in your class in the event that you are having problems joining or get accidentally removed from a meeting due to technical glitches.

“It’s nice to have someone in the class that you can talk to so if something does go wrong you can talk to them and they can get you caught up or get you what you need so that you don’t fall behind,” said Kari Baumhover, 12.

Another recommendation for first-time e-learners is to check that your technology is in tip-top shape before you start e-learning. If your computer is having a difficult time connecting to the Internet, or if your microphone on your headset isn’t working, you'll want to know about it before you try to log on to your first class.

If you don't check these systems beforehand, when the time comes to join class and you realize you have technology problems, it will be difficult to fix quickly and you will have a high chance of being marked absent when you are really present- which would be a really bad way to start anyones morning.

How to Not Be Marked Absent

Relying on technology to do the work of getting you connected with twenty of your closest peers as well as your teacher can turn into nothing short of a nightmare if it glitches.

When teachers call for attendance, they expect to receive a response back, and failing to respond can lead to you being considered absent entirely. Since there are a limited number of days that each student is able to miss, being marked “present” when you are sitting at your desk is crucial.

So what do you do if your teacher cannot hear you or you have technology problems that prevent you from responding?

“The very first thing is to contact your teacher via email so that we have a digital time stamp of you trying to get in. If you can email from your phone or if a parent can send an email from work, that way there is a digital trail,” said Mrs. Laura Vickers, Edgewood Attendance Clerk.

Sending an email with an attempt to get in will let the teacher know that you are in fact trying, but will also prevent you from potentially missing a day of class.

But what if it’s the other way around? What if the teacher is absent and you are an e-learner? Substitute teachers do not have access to Microsoft Teams and will be unable to take attendance as usual. When your teacher is absent, the first place you should begin looking for information is Focus.

As a way to track who is present and who is not when teachers are out is through a Google Survey that your teacher will provide. This survey is short, asking you for your name, your teacher’s name, what block you are present in, and whether you are “here!”. Making sure you submit this form when your teacher is absent is critical, because without this survey, there is no way to know whether or not you were actually there and doing work for your class.

Common Technology Problems and How to Solve Them

With so many students now using technology and with the inevitable difficulties that presents, every student is bound to have a technical problem at one point or another. Knowing what causes the biggest problems and what things you should avoid doing are important to ensuring a successful year.

The two biggest culprits are ones that are right underneath our noses.

“The first one is students logged in with their personal, or if they're using a home machine, their parents' Gmail account," said Mr. Andy Phipps, Edgewood Technology Associate. "The other one is students not following the directions when they need to go into Brevard Schools through either Edgewood’s website or the district website and click on the Launchpad icon and go through Launchpad to get to things."

“The basic computer advice, that it doesn’t really matter what the problem is but chances are it might fix it, is to restart your computer. You want to restart your computer about once a day and you can try launching things in Incognito Mode or clearing your cookies,” said Mrs. Eryn Worcester, Edgewood Media Specialist.

While these solutions may not resolve all of your problems, they may be a significant help to some of the common technological problems you may encounter. Knowing where to start to fix your computer troubles is important when your communication with your class and teacher is limited to calls and messages.

Transitioning to e-learning from being in-person may seem daunting, but with each day, it will get easier. Many of the problems that students have will be within the first few days, and by the end, you will be a pro at navigating these digital waters. Good luck!