Remember when day-to-day life was waking up in the morning to immediately opening up your computer on your bed for the day? Although it was not long ago, things have come a long way since then as we slowly attempt to return schools back to normal. 

Being brought to discussion, there are plenty of points that have come to light that schools must address to provide a better educational experience for future students, such as students switching to online programs and improved tailored learning towards students.

Students each work differently on how they learn the best and easiest. Some students are more prone to learning at their own pace and using technological advancements in order to learn better.

Carissa Valenzuela is a fully online student who is currently taking her last year at PXU Digital Academy and she prefers online schooling over in-person school. Even though it was a better fit for her and her family, “Being in-person, I felt like teachers rushed us a lot,” she said. “If we missed one day, it felt like we missed a whole month in a way.” 

Everyone learns differently, so the best way for you to obtain information is really up to you. “We can reach out to classmates if we need help, but since it’s not face-to-face, it can get difficult,”  Carissa said. 

Teachers during the online experience are luckily more hands on with online students. “They actually reach out a lot more to online students, and are very understanding if you are struggling with something,” Carissa said. 

With online schools now being more accessible to students after the pandemic, teachers and schools have been tailoring their learning more towards technological advancements to assist better teaching and a better education for students. 

Since the pandemic, the entirety of teachers and students have adapted to computers for better teaching and learning. The years have gotten harder for teachers as there is a shortage of them. 

A contrast between two surveys of March 2020 and March 2021 from the national representative RAND American Teacher Panel (ATP) on the probability of them continuing teaching as their profession within the next 5 years, “ …also increased from 24% to 30%,” said Gema Zamarro in an article for Brookings.

Many teachers struggled as the pandemic hit, as it caused a surge of confusion and panic. 

In an interview with Ellen Agnello for Frontline Education, Claire, a former fifth-grade teacher who retired in June 2020, said during the beginning of the pandemic that, “It was survival mode. It was helter-skelter. We were scrambling. You had to find your own resources online.” 

With so much change, the household has now become the classroom for all students and staff. Teachers now have to adapt to the best online resources for their students. 

Teachers worked hard to be the most available to their students as possible. Pre-recorded lessons were very useful as it aided whenever students needed them. An article on technological effects on teaching called Tech Day stated, “With video calling services such as Zoom, online lessons have become the most common measure adopted by educational institutions.” 

With being more distanced than ever before it is difficult to aid certain students that you can guide personally. Many teachers across different schools have needed to provide the best support they can, such as Summit Learning. “These programs offer individual models that instructors can use to mentor and provide independent learning to each,” said Jenine Wing from the article in Tech Day. 

With technologies completely taking over, some predict that schools will transition into using VR, with a combination of AR, which is defined by enhanced interactions with the real/physical world by computers, images and sound. For future references, this type of technology can allow learning experiences to reach another level. 

“For students this could mean simulations that allow the student to step in a moment in history and to see and feel what it was like…” said Matthew Williams, in an article on the future of education in Interesting Engineering. 

With online learning opportunities having become more accessible, students now have options to learn from different resources that can help them the most.