What are your thoughts on hybrid learning (in person and at home) compared to when you are in your learning groups (at school for all classes). Which format do you prefer, and why?

In terms of learning, I thought I benefited more in my learning groups. The learning groups felt more consistent and steadily paced compared to hybrid learning. During hybrid learning, I found it awkward and less motivating to switch back and forth between online classes and in-person classes. The learning groups were more challenging, but as a result, my learning was more in-depth and comprehensive. I felt like I was accomplishing a lot more with daily in-person classes. All the key information or “big points” I captured stayed in my head easily. Additionally, I also felt that although online classes were convenient, the environment was more closed. In the majority of online classes I attended, we spent most of the time listening to the teacher speak. There were far fewer opportunities for group work and interaction between students.

How has technology benefited your learning experience?

One of my favourite parts of using a device is being able to type out written assignments. To me, I feel typing is more productive than handwriting. It’s also more flexible; since it’s much easier to edit, I don’t feel restricted to taking risks in writing or roughly typing down a thought. Another benefit technology brings is organization. A prime example is Teams, where teachers can post files and assignments, and students can quickly locate them. With technology, it’s also easier to collaborate with my classmates. I can use a variety of messaging apps to message my classmates. Instant messaging was especially helpful during group projects when my groupmates and I needed to stay in touch while we were working on the project from home.

How has technology impeded you during the hybrid learning experience?

Through technology, everything is freely accessible anytime. Being able to quickly obtain information was a huge advantage, but sometimes it became more of a distraction. I often hopped onto YouTube, games, or other sites before finishing all of my homework. This sometimes led to me staying up late to finish assignments when I could have finished them in the daytime if I hadn’t spent as much time on unproductive sites. Another con from technology was that since it was so convenient to just text my classmates, I relied more on that rather than talking in person. Although it was quicker, it might have been better in some situations for me to clarify something in-person, as speech allows for more detailed and comprehensive communication.

Is there anything that you hope remains a part of school that was new because of hybrid learning after the pandemic is over and school returns to normal?

Two things I would undoubtedly hope to remain a part of school would be having the option to type out written assignments and to keep using MS Teams. These changes made my learning this year more fluent and comfortable.

Link to 2 Projects in school/TALONS that used digital technology and explain how the use of that digital technology enhanced your project. Ideas include In-Depth, Eminent, Zip, individual class projects in TALONS or other subjects…

Technology was very important for my In-Depth project. Firstly, since my In-Depth subject was video-editing, I used technology for the vast majority of the time to create my projects. Due to Covid, we needed to meet with our mentors online this year. I used Google Meet to meet with my mentor regularly. It was straightforward to use and allowed for clear communication between my mentor and me. To keep in touch, we also communicated via email. Technology was also involved in the sharing of my In-Depth, and my viewing of others. We used our blogs to showcase our projects. I used YouTube to post my videos and share them on my blog.

Another project that technology benefited me in was the “Textbook Crush” group project in Humanities. My group and I used technology regularly to communicate, as we needed to spend lots of time working on the project online from home. We posted and reviewed each other’s work, and collaborated to combine each of our parts for the final presentation. We also used technology to showcase our work. For example, I edited a video from our footage. One of our members created character cards using an online app. Another created a minigame using a website builder. Our project wouldn’t have been possible without our devices.