Online platforms bring a new wave of schooling that provides resources to continue this year virtually, but, as teachers and students have experienced at Kingsway, there are benefits and burdens.

There are notable changes with this online year, the most prominent being student involvement. Kingsway Principal Melvin Allen commented that “clubs that… don’t rely on a virtual platform, there’s an obvious decline in involvement”, showcasing how having interactions through a screen has altered the way students view the clubs they used to enjoy; thus, reducing their participation with Kingsway. 

However, Supervisor of Pupil Personnel Services/Guidance, Michael Schiff, stated that “with zoom, the ability to include parents and students has been helpful”, highlighting a positive outlook on the online site from an academic viewpoint where parents now have a role in their child’s schooling. 

Many aspects of the virtual environment have caused delays with learning, such as computers crashing or being unable to connect to the Schoology platform. Chief Technology Officer Robert Iocona addressed one of these issues and said “we have enough Chromebooks for every child… Every student that has an issue needs to come to the school and get a Chromebook… that should fix their issues”, as this solution allows for students to continue their education efficiently. 

One teacher at Kingsway, added, “I’ve had some frustration with loading things, sometimes Schoology goes down, and it’s like I made a rubric… and it doesn’t save; however,  I have learned a lot of new programs that I can now use to make my instruction delivery better.”  

Although administrators and teachers are in the same boat, students have experienced a whirlwind of changes this year as they attempt to adapt to this virtual system. 10th grader Evelyn Kornegay admitted that “It’s definitely made [her] feel a little less prepared for learning and [she doesn’t] like learning as much”. 

One positive outcome that Kornegay noted is the flexibility that comes with online learning, as she said that “[she] definitely likes not having to wake up super early in the morning”.