Macey Abrahamson learned unexpectedly what she was capable of of in the face of a pandemic while sustaining her education. The regular morning to afternoon day at her school ended unprecedently as for everyone else at the end of the school year of 2019-2020, but as for the amounts of materials to be taught, were not forgotten. By the decision-makers of the school, the learning tool known as Canvas, a coarse management system that enables assignments, calendars, and anything education-based a school may need to be put on an online platform, was utilized to the max. This was also the first year Canvas was adopted as a replacement for the notorious Google Classroom.

The problem with the first attempt at transforming the school to a complete online system was that it was all sporadic, along with less communication between students and teachers outside of emails, that would take an abundance of time to answer to each individual student. This year,there have been positive upgrades by the school. Modules are organized by week and entail subsections for each day. At least that is the standard. Assigned daily assignments is the closest thing to the essence of a teacher putting a list of things to do on the board as a non-virtual class would, the previous normalcy. Another major change is the homepage of each teacher’s class. Before, although laxs Zoom meetings were not mandatory for students. Every class, besides free-periods for a mild portion of the student-body, is obligated to attend a call with the teacher.  By having a dedicated time for instructions from the teacher, enables a sense of discipline that is a life skill any student and person can learn in their life. Even if someone is operating virtually for school at home, they are held to a certain standard of performance as a student. As for in-person students, since the only thing necessary to bring is their own device, writing utensils, and other needed materials, a paperless and wasteless phenomenon due to massive prints of paper being less and less needed. Students and teachers are learning the alternative from physical ways of learning a language, a formula, or even an event in time, a time like this. 

Canvas only requires an internet connection and a device, the versatile mold it has for all learners, for the environment, and usefulness of it that has been a positive change for the school.

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By Gabby Plasencia, staff writer

Featured photo by Alana Bruni