The beginning of the 2020-2021 school year is one that has gone down in the books. Despite the technical as well as personal challenges with online instruction, students have also had to deal with sudden heatwaves. In the past weeks, California has undergone intolerable weather conditions with temperatures ranging within the 100s and no less.

Hot and dry summers are not a novelty to California students. However, with the Covid-19 pandemic, experiencing such weather, with online school has added unfavorable challenges for students trying to get by with this peculiar start of the school year. Among the unfavorable challenges are the record-breaking temperatures the heatwaves have brought throughout all the counties in California with the highest temperature being 122°.

In regards to data presented in the Los Angeles Times article, “Sunday was one of the hottest days ever recorded in Southern California. A tally of historic heat,” written by Alex Wigglesworth and Jaclyn Cosgrove, every county did not have temperatures below 105°. Cynthia Mazariegos, a senior at Uni, when questioned about her thoughts on the high temperatures said, “it has been a little crazy, especially 122° being out of my expectations for weather in Los Angeles.”

Unquestionably, “crazy” is the perfect word to describe the weather conditions all Californians have had to face for the past few months. With temperatures not going below 100 degrees during the day, it has definitely been a hassle to endure. “It has been extremely hot where hot humidity is being blown at your face when you step outside and not even the AC can calm the extreme weather,” said another senior who preferred to stay anonymous.

Apart from the extreme temperatures, power outages are another undesirable obstacle for students. The blazing temperatures in California with these heatwaves have led to the high possibility of power outages throughout the numerous cities in LA County.

According to the Los Angeles Times article, “At 121 degrees, Woodland Hills hits all-time high temperature for L.A. County,” written by the same previous authors, “thousands lost power Saturday … as the demand caused by the heat strained the [California Independent System Operator].” Sudden blackouts and a system being overworked more than usual with the heatwaves is a major adversity for students having to now solely depend on electricity and technology to receive online class instruction.

California is known for it’s hot and favorable summer weather, but constant week-lasting heatwaves with accelerating breaking temperatures can be summed up as unexpected and wild. These heatwaves have brought excessive temperatures and it has only worsened with the uncontrollable wildfires arising from such temperatures. The air quality has worsened and LA’s never-ending crystal blue skies have now been replaced with an array of negatives: polluted air, grey skies, ashes, and a red sun.

As humans know it, our world has been turned inside out. No longer are electronics banned from classrooms, rather yet electronics are the most needed resource of this pandemic. What students only expected to last for a measly two to three weeks has now extended into our 2020 fall semester. With warnings going in and out of people’s ears, cases will continue to rise during the last bits of summer left. Students are undergoing the second round of online learning with applications like Zoom, conference on Schoology, and Canvas. With close to 6 million students in California, the changes within our system will determine the future of our education, and new options for generations to come.

Before the only form of learning was attending classrooms with 20 to 35 students. Unfortunately, with the vast majority of the world being seized by a virus, the chances of our return to in-class learning are slimming for those whose districts opted to have the safety of their staff and students.

However, Edsmart, an educational informant site, predicts a wave of technological advancements with educational software being implemented in forms of VR. There are 89% of surveyed teachers wanting to try out different engaging platforms to help students learn and maintain motivation. Introducing different platforms to substitute and customize plans will help students learn on their own and figure out things willingly as they explore sites and programs set for educational purposes.

Continuing that idea, InsiderHigherEd, a college news publication site, suggests that our system will most likely be a blended environment. Balancing the current system of online learning with the lack of preparation is something that many have been struggling with during these tough times. Being social is a driving force for mental health, a key skill that students and adults need in their day-to-day lives, yet this sudden push of new education has little real-life interaction.

During the month of May, Microsoft released a report on “reimagining” education as a hybrid that specifies issues for individual students. The first common issue is tackling the visible trends in absences and faltering work habits from different students. Additionally, a second issue is providing sufficient help to ensure students are mentally prepared and able to practice healthy home activities before implementing an advanced method of learning from afar.

All in all, the future as it is can come in many forms. It is possible that the students will one day return to what was known as normal months ago, but until then, the students of this era should expect more technology surrounding programs and learning styles. Right now, the nation is in a rough, unprecedented patch in this alternate way of learning, but what lies ahead can teach us a thing or two more about the technological world.

The Coronavirus pandemic has affected the 2020-2021 school year for everyone. This has created a new learning style for both students and teachers, known as online distance learning. Teachers and students both are trying to get acclimated to this system of learning, some have been successful, and some not so much.

In an article from fortune.com, “How Teachers are adapting to work remotely,” an English teacher living in Massachusetts states, “no one-kids or teachers-is functioning at 100% right now, and it’s hard to remember at times.” It is definitely a new challenge for teachers since no training has prepared them for online school and it’s hard to function. Teachers have had to quickly adapt to the new learning environment, which means making adjustments to their lesson plans including tests, quizzes, and in-class activities.

The website, theeducator.com, further explains how teachers are adjusting to working online. In the article, “Ten ways teachers are adapting to online working,” it talks about the teachers having to familiarize themselves with technology by using platforms that are both common and easy to them and their students. The list also includes the fact that teachers have to be understanding in the aspect that they might not be able to go over some things on their lesson plan.

According to the same article, some teachers have also taken the time to send books to their students that have problems connecting with technology or don’t have access to it at all. Teachers are trying to make the most of the resources they have, and others are trying to stay connected with parents and their colleagues.

All in all, Maria Lopez, a Uni student, is thankful for her teachers because she thinks they are doing their best in these difficult times. “Teachers have provided links and online books for me to use as additional resources, in case I don’t understand something in class. I know they struggle just like students” said Maria, “but they are doing the best they can and I am thankful for that.”