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With a new facilitator, adjusting and reinforcing the policies, and limiting the amount of classes each student is allowed to take, NS’s online program is going through change.
Due to the rise in the number of students taking online classes, NS admin and counselors are going to make it so that the students won’t be taking so many online classes to keep the numbers down. There are currently 272 kids taking classes online, which is 36 percent of all students at NS.
“The number of students with online classes has ballooned over the last three years, ” Ben Cox said. “It’s gotten to the point where it is overwhelming the system.”
Former special ed teacher Debbie Miller is now the teacher for Hawks Online class. There’s a lot for her to learn and get used to after switching roles and having to learn all the things needed for the online classes.
As Miller has worked with the online classes, she has found that being in an in-person class is better than an online class. For a lot of students, taking an online class is just an excuse to get out of in-person classes thinking it would be easier. But most of the classes online would be much easier to take in person.
“I would tell kids not to do art history online because it’s a pain in the butt,” Miller said. “It would be a lot easier if they just went and took an art class.”
Having a class online also gives students the chance to get a class with friends giving them a class they look forward to and a place where they can be closer to their friends.
“Some take this class just to have this class with their friends,” Miller said. “And it has been, they could just talk and stuff in here, but not anymore.”
There have been many changes that include making the students take their final tests, getting a failing grade if they don’t finish classes in the quarter assigned, and making them restart their class if they don’t finish and making it a quieter learning environment.
Not all students are taking classes online because they want to get out of class or be with friends. For many it gives them an advantage to grow in their learning because they may learn slower or different from the way the teacher teaches. It also can give them a second chance at learning in classes that other kids may find easier.
“For other kids, like for math, it’s easier for them because they can go and watch the video over and over again and not just get one instruction,” Miller said.
But for the students they feel the classes really help and wish they had taken the class in person before missing out and having to take it online.
For senior Courtney Sorensen she is behind on credits so she needs the online classes to help her get ready for graduation. But in her opinion these online classes take more time than in-person classes do.
“In-person classes you can go in and get your work done right away, but in online classes you have to sit and watch videos that a lot of people don’t care for,” Sorensen said. “So I feel like you don’t get as much out of online classes.”
Sorensen prefers in-person classes rather than taking the online classes because the instructions can be confusing online when you don’t get an in-person explanation from the teacher.
“You don’t really get [the assignments] explained to you and you just have to guess on most of it,” Courtney Sorensen said, “and it takes a lot more time than it does for in-person classes.”
For junior Ben Aranda these classes are also helpful for credits but also for catching up on past classes and having these online classes helps to keep up.
“I need to get quick credits because I’m not at the right amount I should be,” Aranda said.
For Aranda he feels that the online classes and in-person classes differ on the difficulty. Depending on the classes, assignments, videos or topics that are given online, it could be easier than in-person classes.
“Depending on how much the teacher is talking, [lessons] can take half the class,” Aranda said. “With Edgenuity you can get three lessons done in a day”
These online classes are given to help students and both of these students don’t think that the online classes are being taken to get out of class. The classes aren’t the most fun and can get boring, having in-person classes can be a lot more enjoyable.
“I don’t see anyone wanting to take those classes, I feel like they would do regular online classes not through Edgenuity if they were wanting to get out of class,” Sorensen said.Online classes aren’t for everyone, but they give students who need extra help with learning and credits the change to get on the right track and get them closer to graduation
