For this assignment, I decided to interview my 12 year old sister, Heather Ortega. The interview was based on her first week back to school for 8th grade after a year of remote learning in 7th grade.
Question #1: What was it like returning to school after a whole year of online school?
Answer: It was really confusing and difficult to make the change from being fully remote to in person. Being remote was a lot easier and the work was a lot better for me to complete. The resources online were a lot better for me to study off of than the ones we get in school, and the school is also big and it is easy to get lost. There are also a lot of restrictions which makes school harder.
Question #2: Do you prefer online learning or face to face learning? And why?
Answer: I preferred online learning, because I really liked working from home, it was a lot less stressful.
Question #3: What makes in-school learning stressful for you?
Answer: The work is different. I was used to doing everything online, like worksheets, and now that I don’t do it online anymore, it is a lot different than what I was used to. It was a lot easier learning online.
Question #4: Is there anything you like better about in-school learning than online?
Answer: The socialization part makes it nicer to be face to face than having to see them on a screen. Seeing my teachers in real life is a good part for me, because it’s nice being able to ask them questions during class, which was harder to do online. I also look forward to joining club and other in-person oppurtunities I missed out on last year.
Question #5: Final question, do you think you’ll be in in-person school for the whole year?
Answer: Honestly, probably not. With the way COVID is going, I do not think we will be able to stay in school for the whole year, but I hope we are in school long enough for me to possibly go on a field trip or join a club.
This interview was insightful as it showed me a different perspective of the transition from online school to in person. With the debate that went on over the summer about whether or not students should return to school this year, it was interesting to learn more about how younger students are being affected.