Learning During a Pandemic

Rae Harrison

Staff Reporter

3 December 2020

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No one ever expected this kind of lifestyle, nor were they prepared. 

So many people around the world are scared to even step foot out of their house because of the fear they may get a virus they won’t know how to control. The United States was notified around the middle of February, way after the virus was already being spread, which is why cases are so high now. As the virus continues to spread, some people still haven’t been able to adapt to the new norm, and some refuse to follow mandatory rules that could help decrease cases. 

The neglect of safety precautions, such as wearing masks or simply washing one’s hands, has caused people to spread the virus without even knowing, and it’s even worse when the person doesn’t have symptoms. Many people have been contacted during this time to collect information about how their life has changed and how they are adapting, whether they have or not.

When interviewing students about what they miss most from school, the typical answer was their friends, but one particular student went into detail about how she really felt. She mentioned that she would have never thought that she would actually miss going to school without the reasoning being her friends. 

She feels if she was still in person she would be able to “learn and comprehend better,” but she does believe that online learning has allowed her to improve her grades tremendously. She is also able to take her time on assignments and have time to do research on them if she isn’t able to comprehend what has been taught in class.

There has also been a discussion about hybrid learning among the teachers. Some schools in other states have already established this type of learning and it seems to be better than having everyone in the building at once. Hybrid learning is a mixture of having students participate in school in the building and the others will still remain online. 

This way, students will still be able to learn, just in two different environments. Although this may sound good, there has to be a low amount of cases in the state for this type of learning to go into process. For example, Maryland has increased in cases, causing lots of schools to rethink opening the building for people. 

Many students and parents have agreed that there shouldn’t be a return back to school until it is for sure that they will be safe. 

“High schoolers are dirty and there is a big chance that people will not want to social distance after reuniting with their friends. I know for a fact that if I return to school, I will be all over my girlfriend,” said a junior high school student. 

This statement coming from a student shows how important it is for some of them to remain healthy and safe during this cruel time. This kind of learning comes with many pros and cons. Having the choice of what environment is best for you to learn can be very helpful for the students; the only problem is that it is not 100% guaranteed that the students and teachers will not contract the virus.

Howard County, however, hasn’t made the decision to begin hybrid learning, but other counties in Maryland and in the DMV area have taken part in this kind of learning. Carroll County has been participating in hybrid learning and has planned to continue it for one week to determine if they will shut down, depending on the increase of cases.

Some schools are trying their best to make sure that their students and staff are safe during this time and they would love to know when the right time is to open schools up again, but no one can be too sure when cases will begin to decrease.

The main reason why cases are starting to increase even more is not necessarily all because more people are contracting it, but some cases just haven’t been reported yet. People are also put in jeopardy because some don’t experience symptoms, which makes it hard for them to know if they have the virus and easier for them to spread. 

If these counties in Maryland and other states continue to keep the schools open for hybrid learning, it could potentially cause more students and staff to attract the virus.