Video conferences are key to surviving school during the pandemic

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many things have changed. Face masks have to be worn when in public, and schools have switched to hybrid learning or 100 percent online learning in order to keep students engaged.

Students that are completing the school year from home may have a few complications because there isn’t always an educator present to assist them.

E-mailing teachers for help may not be very efficient seeing as a teacher may be instructing a class and is unable to reply to the student right then and there.

This is where Google Meet, Zoom, and other video conferencing applications come into play. These applications provide better communication between teachers and students that are having a hard time with a task

Hialeah Bever uses Google Meet to communicate with her Honors English and Publications teachers. Students like Bever also appreciate the flexibility that video conferencing offers.

Puglisi uses Zoom to meet with students for Q&A sessions, and office hours.

“It can be very overwhelming especially when you have so many other assignments and meetings on your plate. That’s why I’m glad that meetings aren’t mandatory and teachers understand if you can’t attend them all,” said Hialeah Bever.

Some teachers make attending video conferences optional so that students who need flexibility can have it.

“I don’t like to use it for direct instruction or demonstrations. I prefer to record lessons and post them, that way students can watch them at their own pace and on their own schedule,” said art teacher Hilary Puglisi.

Video conferences can make completing an assignment easier and less stressful. It can also help teachers provide emotional support for students who are struggling at home.

"It is nice to get to actually hear from students that you don’t normally get to hear from because they are learning online,” said Puglisi. “This way, you can engage if they are struggling academically or even emotionally.”