By Simone Miller-
Fifteen students and several teachers have opted to learn via zoom this school year, participating in classes through standing iPads that are ubiquitous in every classroom. I spoke to a few of these zoomers to see how their year is going so far:
Note: interviews are edited lightly for clarity and brevity.
Simone: How is zoom going overall?
Dafna: Zoom is going well, honestly. I don’t mind it, and I think it would be worse for me to be in school because I have really bad asthma, which makes wearing a mask all day difficult. Classes are going well: for the most part I understand what is going on in my classes, though I do have to teach myself a little bit to keep up with the class. I am a pretty good independent learner, though, so it works for me.
Carmel Schreiber: Zoom overall is a very different experience from being in the classroom and it’s also different from zoom last year when everyone was online. I am zooming from Israel, so my school day typically goes from around 5 pm to midnight. Zooming is an interesting experience, but I am happy that I can be in Israel and still go to Ida Crown.
Simone: Do teachers remember you and speak to the iPad and upload assignments to Haiku?
Abby Aberman: Teachers remember the online students sometimes, but they mostly speak to the in-person students because they’re in front of the teacher and make up the majority of the class. Teachers are usually pretty good about uploading assignments and sharing documents, but occasionally they are last minute. It’s better if materials are sent ahead of time, because then I can prepare everything I need for class, while if it’s sent last minute then I have to run and print it out or get a picture from a friend and I can fall behind in class.
Sarah Rosenblum: My teachers put the assignments on zoom and always follow up and ask if we have any questions. Yes, teachers speak to the iPad, but even when they don’t it’s pretty easy to follow along with the class without the teacher speaking directly to me.
Dave Holman: Most teachers upload things on Haiku or people send me pictures, but when I have to get a picture from a friend, it’s annoying to have to zoom in on the pictures in order to read them.
Simone: Is it harder or easier to participate in class over zoom?
Abby Aberman: It’s definitely harder to speak up in class, because if a teacher isn't by the ipad, then online students could be raising their hands and the teacher wouldn't know. Instead, we are told to unmute ourselves and just speak, which can interrupt the class and be uncomfortable for us because the iPad volumes are high and in-person students have told me it feels unnatural or weird when we talk.
Carmel Schreiber: It’s harder to participate over zoom: asking questions is fine because I can just unmute myself, but it is harder to engage in a class discussion or answer questions.
Dafna Kutliroff: I typically don’t speak up in class, because my experience with asking questions is that no one will hear me and I keep having to repeat myself, which can be awkward. Instead, if I am confused about something,I wait to ask a friend my question after class.
Dave Holman: It’s difficult to speak up in bigger classes, but in smaller classes I am pretty comfortable speaking up.
Simone: Are you able to hear what is going on in class and keep up?
Dafna Kutliroff: Sometimes it is hard to hear, but I am mostly able to keep up with class, especially on my own time. I look up youtube videos if I don’t understand something, and I teach myself some of the information after class, which I think is probably good prep for college, where you can’t always ask a question if you don’t understand something.
Carmel Schreiber: I can usually hear my teachers because they know to speak up, but sometimes I can’t hear my peers, because students don’t always speak up.
Simone: How natural does zooming feel, and do you feel like you are a part of the class?
Dafna Kutliroff: I kind of do feel part of the class in a weird way, and it does feel natural because I have been on zoom for such a long time. There is obviously a sort of barrier between zoom students and the rest of the class, but the setup that Ida Crown has created makes it feel as natural as possible.
Carmel Schreiber: It depends on the class. In some classes I feel a part of the class, but in other classes I feel like an outside observer.
Abby Aberman: Doing group events or breakout rooms feel natural, but when the whole class is having a discussion it feels like I am outside the classroom looking in.
Dave Holman: It doesn’t feel so natural, and I kind of feel like I’m a teacher or administrator who is evaluating/observing the class. I’m not interacting as much with the class, which makes it feel weird.
Mrs. Arons: I don't think there will ever be anything that replaces a teacher in a classroom. The best part of teaching is getting to know a student and understand how he learns and thinks. But that relationship is formed not just in the class, but in the hallways, in casual conversation, when a student needs extra help or just drops in spontaneously. I miss that interaction a lot. I love when a student zooms privately with me for help or just to talk over something we are working on, and I am sorry that these meetings can't be spontaneous. Zoom doesn't feel natural, but I have learned to use the different functions.
Simone: What changes did you need to make to your teaching to fit the online format?
Mrs. Arons: I had to change how I teach plays. My sophomore honors students chose a scene and worked in breakout groups in class to prepare and interpret the scenes. Then they wrote their ideas in a google doc to share with me. Instead of acting out with props in class, they performed in a reader's theater format. This made them really have to follow their outlines and text and take their own cues. I do miss the days of students standing on risers to be Creon and brandishing the fake swords I keep in the room, though!
Another change is for class discussion. In a way, zooming makes it easier for students to hear each other since only one student can talk at a time and having kids write in the chat when they have a response helps me keep track of their participation and I don't forget who wanted to say something. When discussion is particularly lively, the chat helps me a lot. So there are a few advantages. I still miss being in the classroom.
Simone: Is there anything else about zooming that you think is important to mention?
Abby Aberman: Zoom takes a little getting used to, but it definitely gets easier. Overall, I think that zooming is also a really great idea, I just think that there are some issues that are difficult to solve.
Dafna Kutliroff: Zoom is honestly fine, and it doesn’t deserve the bad reputation it gets. It probably works better for some people than for others, but it’s a really great option!
Mrs. Arons: Yes, I am grateful that I have the choice to zoom so I feel safe. These are extraordinarily trying times. But the high point of my day is teaching and seeing my students thriving (and I think they are). One benefit to zoom (at least in my opinion)--we will never have to worry about snow days!
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