The return to a fully in-person educational model after a year and a half of what was largely experimentation was, undoubtedly, a unique opportunity for the implementation of new techniques in schools. Many of the techniques  that led to positive outcomes during pandemic learning have been carried into this year. But one thing that The Nexus hoped would have remained the same from before the pandemic was an emphasis on collaborative, interactive work. 

Once the fleeting novelty of working from our beds was no longer enough to sustain us, most students craved any semblance of traditional school. Coming back to in-person school seemed to be the ticket out of silent, black-screened breakout rooms, and all of the online work that came along with that. But despite our return to campus, many of the assignments that we now do feel reminiscent of those that were introduced last year, when our only option was to work from the isolation of our homes.

Before Westview went virtual in the spring of 2020, having a device to use at school was convenient, but in most cases not absolutely necessary. This year, every student was offered  a school issued Chromebook, opening the door to more virtual assignments, even as we returned to a face-to-face setting. 

Advancing the use of technology in schools is by no means all bad. PUSD providing Chromebooks ensures equity in terms of access to virtual resources, and online assignments can be useful tools to both students and teachers. Faster grading, centralized access to classwork, video lessons, and computer-generated interactives are just some of the perks that come along with bringing technology into the classroom, but they only remain beneficial so long as we don’t lose sight of why we were eager to resume in-person instruction in the first place.

The marriage of classic educational tactics with those that were discovered over the quarantine has the potential to be a wonderful thing, we just need to strike a proper balance. Google Doc graphic organizers and Jamboards have a time and place to be used, but when sitting in a room full of other students, collaboration and discussion based learning allows for us to connect with our work on a deeper level, while helping to rebuild the bonds that were lost over the pandemic. 

Working with pen and paper as opposed to solely relying on devices helps to alleviate the technology fatigue that so many students face when spending hours at the computer each day, not to mention that turning in written work removes the pressure of the dreaded 11:59 p.m. Canvas due date. It is also important to remember that “traditional” school work is not entirely a thing of the past. In fact, students will take many of their AP tests by writing with pen or pencil on paper this year, so it is important to be prepared for that. 

Now that we’re back, let’s not lose our momentum of educational growth; let’s redirect it. We no longer have to confine ourselves to the 14-inch screens of our computers, so why would we?

While there is always room for change, we’re excited to be back.  After what has been a generally successful first quarter of the 2021-2022 school year, we look forward to seeing how we will continue to adapt in the classroom setting, while continuing to build back friendships and connect with our work.