Coronavirus: Alberta students, parents adjust to class work being done online

Students, teachers and parents in Alberta are all adjusting to the new style of learning that has taken over due to COVID-19. Now students must adapt to online academics in order to complete class work.

Grade 12 student Brad Drysdale says he’s adjusting well.

“I like how you don’t actually have to go to school,” he said. “I like how you can do it at night time, on your own time.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I like how you don't actually have to go to school," he said. "I like how you can do it at night time, on your own time."

“I like how you can listen to music. I like how you can teach it to yourself. I like how you can finish early if you want. I pretty much like everything about it,” he added.

The Winston Churchill High School student adds that many of his classes already had online components, so this isn’t too much of a change.

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However, he is worried about certain classes that may be more difficult to complete digitally.

“The only thing I’m worried about is shop class and there’s really no way to do shop class online.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The only thing I'm worried about is shop class and there's really no way to do shop class online.

“I don’t really know how I’m supposed to pass that one, but I don’t mind it,” Drysdale said. “I prefer online learning.”

The Lethbridge School Division sent out a letter which reads in part: “Principals will have the ability to award up to 15 unassigned credits to students in Grade 12 whose program has been negatively impacted by class cancellations.

“For any courses that had started, schools will complete them with the student to the best of their ability, provide a final mark and
award credits.”

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Laurie McIntosh, a local kindergarten teacher at the Children of St. Martha Elementary School and mom of three children aged, six, eight, and 10, says they’ve been coping well with the changes.

“We have teachers who have been posting videos of themselves teaching long division lessons and they’ve been posting YouTube links where they can go watch links,” McIntosh explained.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We have teachers who have been posting videos of themselves teaching long division lessons and they've been posting YouTube links where they can go watch links," McIntosh explained.

“They have Google form sent out so that they can take a quiz after they do their reading comprehension, so we’re just seeing a lot of creative ways these teachers are using,” she said.

As a teacher, McIntosh is holding onto hope that schools are not done for the year and that there will be a chance to say a proper goodbye to her students.