I am very tired and have no doubt that whoever is reading this is too, so I’ll do my best to make this thingy fun to make and fun to read!  Or at least my not-worst, have mercy.

 

My experience with online learning has been mostly good, I very much appreciate being able to blast music during tests and wake up and eat breakfast at a halfway reasonable hour.  Sometimes, I miss the social aspects of school, having my teachers physically there, and playing with cool stuff in the art room, but I do not miss group projects and 95% of P.H.E., so all the stress that came along with those is delightfully gone!  I’m a stereotypical disgruntled introvert, I know, but I greatly prefer sleeping and badminton to being forced to dance.

Technology has benefitted me a fair amount setting-wise.  For example, because I’m autistic, sometimes fluorescent lights and the constant din of other people make me want to claw my skin off, and all of that is gone when I’m plugged in at home!  I know I can’t be too picky when it comes to the entire school, but it has been nice coming to Math wrapped in a blanket.  Work-wise, having digital lesson meets has taken some getting used to, but I’ve gotten the hang of it, and the lightened work load hasn’t been too difficult to keep track of.  It’s been helpful to have recorded lessons that I can look back on if I missed anything, and like I mentioned before, I’ve been sleeping longer, which is beyond nice.

The system isn’t perfect though, it has put up communication walls between me and my teachers, and yeah, I can email them or turn my mic on, but just raising my hand or coming to them after class was a lot simpler.  It’s not too bad though, I don’t usually need much outside help, but it was more convenient in person.  I think my JumpstART classes have been the most impacted by the switch, particularly Graphic/Visual Arts, because there’s less live feedback and physical lessons, but I think I’ve adapted well enough.

Here’s the draft of my final JumpstART art project, it focuses on corruption with hints of anti-capitalism, and I’m excited for how it’s turning out so far!

A Core Competency that I was already proficient in that has helped me through all this is my Personal Awareness and Responsibility, my awareness of myself, my limits, and my bad habits. I can keep track of the stuff I need to do and the stuff I’m capable of in a given day, and I think that that has been essential in adapting.  A Core Competency that I’ve improved on during this experience is my Critical Thinking.  The routines have changed quite a bit compared to what I’m used to, and I’ve gotten better at regulating my sleep schedule, handing work in on time, and making little tweaks to my work environment and habits to make things easier.

That’s all, fare thee well, have a nice day, I’m hungry, I’m going to go not be hungry anymore.