remote learning – North Toronto Collegiate Institute

Positive & Negative Effects of Technology

by George

During the COVID-19 pandemic, electronic devices were used more often which has positive and negative effects.

Teenagers learned in a quadmester system in the 2020/2021 school year which was created by the Toronto District School Board. The students had two classes each semester and they were in class every other day. Teachers would assign virtual activities or require the children to work on a project when they were not at school. On the other hand, the mode of instruction in the 2021/22 school year is beginning to resemble pre-COVID-19 years. However though Mrs. Wolfe has something else to say. “The pandemic made phones and computers, iPhones and iPads critical to our social and academic connections and learning and so the habits and practices that kids learned through the pandemic remain with them now but because we are back in the classroom whether being able to pay attention and be present in the discussion and studies in the classroom is so important and so children right now are on their phones too much in the classroom. It is distracting them from immersing themselves in the learning experiences. They are missing a lot.”

This shows us the importance of a strong academic background when children and teenagers are not receiving them and are suffering the consequences which will impact them negatively in three ways. Firstly, some students may not be able to study properly in their post-secondary courses and be able to understand the material and apply it effectively in real life. Secondly, soft-skill such as collaboration, motivation and problem solving will not be life skills and will also not be developed which means that these future employees will have difficulty relaying information in a company which can cause delays in a project and lost money. Finally, the health effects of uncontrolled exposure is beyond calculation because children might not be able to tolerate not being on their devices which will impact every part of their body including the eyes. All this will create opportunities for businesses.

Many companies that offer blue light glasses such as EssilorLuxottica (EPA: EL) will benefit by having an increase in their income. This could allow them to raise the salary for their employees which could act as an incentive to be motivated to work more and better in order for the company to prosper. Furthermore, the increased income will drive the price of a stock upwards which will please those who have invested in the company and it will also give it a good reputation that could motivate others to look into it.

Though, there are ways to reduce the number of hours on your phone. One of them being that you can stop notifications from social medical websites that distract you from working which leads to staying up late in the evening. Rather, you can call the person that you would like to connect with. This way, you can also improve your social skills. This is one way to reduce time on a device.

The Endeavor of Quarantine: Succeeding In Remote Learning

How to stay motivated and advance your mark at home

by Dylan

Three hundred and eighty nine days, the amount of time since life was normal, schools were mask free and the worry about learning online was out of question.

The formulation of quarantine and the implementation of online learning globally has strongly impacted our schooling today, connecting with teachers miles away and learning trigonometry over a screen. However the latter factors also resulted in the fall of motivation.

I interviewed North Toronto’s own Tait O., the question asked was; What have you done to stay motivated whilst in online school? “The biggest work incentive for me has been finding the right setup” said Tait, “The past year I have rearranged my computer 3 times and I think I got it right, having everything where I need it has made my classes far easier”. Continuing on with what Tait has said, I too believe organization is a key factor to succeeding this year. The next point of view will come from myself, The term I would use to describe what motivates me is engagement, through all online and in class lessons, being part of the conversation has been something that urges me to work as I am more invested in the said topic. I have always been taught that speaking what you have learned is the best way to remember it and I feel remote learning is the best location to apply this principle.

The final piece of advice comes from another North Toronto student, Ralph. “The problem I had with working online was how fast everything was moving” Ralph stated, “To combat my problem, the most helpful tactic I used was persistence and routine”. Ralph’s solution is also a subfactor of what Tait said about organization and I too believe persistence is a keystone of virtual school.

How to Succeed at Remote Learning

Anonymous

Adjusting to a new learning environment after years of doing it in person, isn’t a smooth transition for some people. A number of problems arise from this such as feeling lost or unmotivated, having distractions that take away from your learning and too much exposure to blue light. Here are four tips to help you succeed in remote learning:

Organize your time well

It can be hard to get motivated when you don’t know what the first step is. Using a calendar or daily planner to find to time finish assignments or mark dates for tests can help you manage your time well. It also lets you know when you can do other things that are not school related.

Eliminate distractions

Finding ways to amuse yourself can be especially easy when you’re logged on to a boring virtual class. It might be easier to focus on the lesson if you minimize distractions in your environment. A good place to tune into a virtual class is a quiet room, free from a T.V or other people talking. Turn off notifications from social media and remember that you can always get back to it later.

Take a break from screens

Depending on how your school coordinates your lessons, you could be spending at least 5 hours looking at a screen. That doesn’t count checking social media, writing and submitting assignments or streaming movies during your free time. Too much blue light, which screens emit, can affect your health.

Firstly, blue light can alter your sleep pattern by disrupting melatonin secretion, a hormone released to encourage sleep. This intern goes to disturb your Rapid Eye Movement cycle during sleep which is crucial for brain function. To avoid this, power down devices 2 to 3 hours before going to bed. Benefits attributed to REM include better memory, regulated mood and can increase how fast you can process information. Blue light can also cause eye strain or blurry vision. Instead of spending more time looking at a screen after school, opt for reading which can improve brain connectivity and increase your vocabulary and comprehension. Or walking which can reduce anxiety and stress and improves your heart health.

Get extra practice

From personal experience, I have found that getting into the groove of learning online can be extremely un motivating and is a difficult task for some people. From the comfort of your own home you can be inclined to slack off since your teachers aren’t there to tell you otherwise. Thanks to the internet, you can teach yourself almost everything. Math and science videos can be easily found on YouTube or Khan Academy. If you feel like you’re falling behind the rest of your class, consider getting in the extra practice.