Items
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School
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2020-11-12
NYC Schools May Shut Down
The school system, the nation’s largest, has had strikingly few coronavirus cases. Even so, the mayor may end in-person classes because the city’s overall rate is surging. -
2020-11-06
The Effects of Covid-19 on both a student and teacher
In this video, I interview a former high school teacher of mine and I ask her questions about experiences she's had while battling this pandemic. I believe she's also attending Brooklyn College Graduate (Law) school. -
11/10/2020
Rosie Oral History, 2020/11/10
The contributor of this item did not include verbal or written consent. We attempted to contact contributor (or interviewee if possible) to get consent, but got no response or had incomplete contact information. We can not allow this interview to be listened to without consent but felt the metadata is important. The recording and transcript are retained by the archive and not public. Should you wish to listen to audio file reach out to the archive and we will attempt to get consent. -
2020
Jewish Melbourne: Bialik College Foundation fundraising projects for Covid-19
Amongst its other fundraising efforts, Bialik College launched a special 'Covid-19 Relief' fundraiser: "Our goal is to ensure no child leaves Bialik College as a result of financial hardship caused by COVID-19. Help us make this a reality and support a family in need. We are all in this together." They also launched a fundraiser to create new outdoor spaces: "Help us transform our outdoor amphitheatre into a flexible event space. With current social distancing measures in place as a result of COVID-19, we need to think creatively to look for alternative ways to gather as a school community." -
2020-09-15
Jewish Melbourne: Year One students at Bialik College wish Emmy Monash residents Shana Tova
"The children of Year One at Bialik College share with us their messages of love, hope and resilience" through Rosh Hashanah messages sent to residents of Emmy Monash Aged Care -
2020-04-29
"Reasons I Can't Do My Homework"
This digital comic demonstrates the anxiety and fears that arose during the pandemic around April of 2020. The artists shows how they are being overwhelmed by the fears for their own life and the lives of their loved ones because you can clearly see “mom” and “grandma” in the fears scrolling through their brain. Because of these fears there is no room for “school work” and “classes”. -
2020-07-31
School Re-opening Video from Now This News
This video is from Now This News and uses footage from the School District of Manatee County in Florida. The footage was for promotional material the school district released in July 20202 for what it would look like in August to have their schools be re-opened. The video mentions the controversy between parents and schools and professionals that want to wait for in-person teaching to resume. -
2020-10-28
Milwaukee cultural institutions team up to provide a virtual field trip portal for teachers
In Milwaukee, several museums and a zoo team up to create virtual field trips. This allows for students to have field trips in light of most schools not allowing off-campus trips because of COVID-19. -
2020-10-27
The Last Day Of School
It was march, at school people were talking alot about the coronavirus but nobody really saw how big the issue was. I remember in previous weeks my hirstoy teacher asking our class, “Do you guys think this virus will eventually affect us? What do you think? Will we be affected?” I remember the whole class pretty much saying “Nah we will be fine,” there were maybe a select few who saw this coming, but for the most part nobody had a clue it would bring us here. Even my teacher. Towards the end of that school day, everyone didn’t understand what was going on, but all we knew was that we didn’t have to come to school the following Monday. It was a Friday. I went to my friend’s house after school with my frined group at the time and we all talked about the possibilities, and how we might get a two week extention on spring break, not knowing this would be the last time we hang out for a pretty long time before all of our friendships changed. We never knew that over half a year of growing and learning in highschool, and that one of our very few summers as a teen would be stripped away from us. -
2020-08-17
Alone in Mordor
I remember being home alone with my Dog and doing online school. I just sat there for about 5 minutes straight staring at the sky thinking i'm in a movie. -
2020-10-23
9 Year Old Boy Walks To School For Wifi
A 9 year old boy has to walk to school to use the wifi to attend his online classes. -
2020-09-08
Child Struggles with Distance Learning
Tell us a story; share your experience. Describe what the object or story you've uploaded says about the pandemic, and/or why what you've submitted is important to you. This story is important to me because while I do not have kids, I believe education is so important, especially the quality of education they are receiving. I have many friends that are teachers who are struggling with distance learning themselves and have also questioned the quality of education that children are receiving now as they believe any one-on-one help they would be able to give in a classroom is unavailable now to students who already struggle with learning in a regular classroom setting. It is difficult enough for adults to be self-motivated with online education and for kids this has been deemed to be extremely difficult. -
2020-06-26
Never Been in a Real Classroom
I like this meme because when the CDC came out with initial guidelines everyone who has been in a classroom was surprised. Anyone, especially teachers and administrators, know that its next to impossible to keep students 6 feet apart and stay in one desk. The initial guidelines, and even some of the current ones, are next to unrealistic for a school environment. -
2020-10-01
TD3 20-21 School Plan
I chose a PDF file detailing Tempe Elementary School District’s (TD3) plan for the 2020-2021 school year. This details when and why the school district is pushing back in person start dates and what they are doing to help the students/staff during the pandemic. It’s important to me because this is the school district I work for so it has an affect on what I do. -
2020-10-13
Covid Affects Kids All Over The World
Covid-19 has been affecting schooling around the world. It has shifted mainly online, with most kids attending via virtual schooling. Mix this with poverty and inability to access online school it has been affecting childrens mental health. -
2020-10-14
Mom-shaming
Story posted on IG by scary mom account taking about the grief some mamas are getting for sending their kids back to school amidst the pandemic. The comments also highlight other moms on the same boat. This point is pointing out that we should support one another and spread more love and less judgment. The fact is that this pandemic has hit people differently and some parents (mostly moms) feel they have no choice but to send their kids back or have a mental breakdown. Some are having to send their kids back to loos their jobs. Regardless of the situation I agree that we should judge less and love more. -
2020-10-13
The end of quiet time in the home.
I am very lucky. I have a job that allows me to work 12-hour shifts, which means I have three or four days off a week. I used to have the time while my daughter was at school and my wife (a teacher) was at work to relax or work on my master's classes. These classes take concentration and time to read and write, and noise is very distracting to me. I should also mention that we purposely bought a small house, less than 1300 sq. feet. Suddenly in March, 2020, my world (at the risk of sounding selfish) was changed. My wife was teaching from home, juggling rooms back and forth with me for computer usage etc., while my daughter was asking for help with school. The voice mail attached is a memory I have of my comfortable little environment changing. This particular voicemail surely caused stress and anxiety to the parents of 16,000 students in one district. Even today listening to it feels ominous. Ironically, today I dropped my daughter off for the first time at in-person school, and I was sad to see her go. *Voicemail sound file from my child's school district announcing school closures. -
10/01/2020
Jackie Fiora Oral History, 2020/10/01
Jackie Fiora has been a life long resident of Cincinnati, Ohio. As a licensed school nurse, Jackie shared her thoughts in this interview about the difficulties of maintain a safe school space during the pandemic. She also discusses her experience of living through the COVID-19 Pandemic and how it has affected her daily life. Having a nursing degree Jackie Fiora provides insight into the challenges that have arisen during this health crisis. Her background in both schools and healthcare has given her a front line view of how the Covid-19 has played out in Southwest Ohio. -
2020-10-09
covid, religion & public life reflection assignment
I wrote almost four times the required wordcount as a general reflection on this time period in my life & what it's been like balancing work problems and academics and bad mental health this year and these past couple months for this round of classes. I had some tension I needed to get off my chest, apparently, but I survived this first half of the fall. It is draining to be faced with at least a handful of people every day who radiate contempt for your safety or the dozens who behave carelessly, repeatedly, carelessly or the few who make obstacles of themselves to prove a point. It is draining to not be alone all year and yet pretend, by and large, that all is mostly well, all year -
2020-03-16
Nightmare
Covid 19 has been nothing but the worst ever since it started. The only tiny silver line i found is i was able to rest and heal my body from constantly working out and going to work. But then the situation for work changed as the schedule began to put in more hours for me and although i enjoyed learning new tasks for the job, having nothing but to do those new tasks for months was dreadful. Covid made a big impact on my relationship because it made me dependent and I constantly was on facetime with my girlfriend and now i have separation anxiety where i normal dont. I feel socially awkward as well since i barely was already going out to pretty much nothing at all. I hope i can get my own life back on track and hopefully everything returns to normal. -
2020-09-28
Masks, Floor Decals, Mute Buttons: How Schools are Scrambling to Open
The main point of this news article is to show how teachers and administrators are struggling to adjust to the new lifestyle of having school during a pandemic, while being safe at the same time. I chose this news article because as a student, it’s important to be aware of what you may have to experience when going back to school. Also, the precautions and safety nets that teachers are taking should be addressed because they’re putting in lots of work for students. This news article shows that the school lifestyle is going to change drastically for teachers and students due to the new learning spaces, social distancing, and hygiene necessities. Furthermore, this news article is important because it’s not evident on how long this pandemic may affect our lives, so the public needs to be educated on the situation that we’re going to be put in and may continue to be put in. There’s no bias evident in the article, however there is a perspective point of view from New York teachers and how they are forced to handle these harsh times. The responsibility of the media during the COVID-19 pandemic is to spread awareness on how everyone can be kept safe and that we must take extra precautions so we can go back to our daily lives and see students go back to school freely again. -
2020-10-02
Growing Tired of This
This might be long, but quarantine has been one of the worst experiences in my life. At first, I was kinda cool with the fact that I didn't have to go out. Not having to sit in classrooms for hours, not having to deal with hundreds of people at school, not having to deal with intense anxiety anymore! Life seemed pretty good for me at that time. Online classes during my last months in senior year of high school wasn't too bad. But when it came time for college, I was panicking. I mean, who wouldn't? Starting a brand new experience right in the middle of quarantine? That'd shake anybody in their boots. Like most things, it wasn't too bad at first. Sure, Zoom was pretty annoying to figure out, but things seemed to be running smoothly. However, in my opinion, trying to figure out Blackboard is a nightmare. That site is sooo not user friendly, it's such a complete mess. To this day, I'm STILL having trouble with it. The work load isn't too harsh, but trying to muster up the energy to do even anything during this pandemic is difficult. Everyday has started feeling the same: wake up, feel miserable, force myself to eat, try to do something productive (while feeling miserable), go to sleep, rinse and repeat. My depression has never hit this hard until starting college. On my worst days, I literally cannot bring myself to get out of bed and make myself food. I lie there with zero energy until the sun goes down. It'd be 6-8pm before I finally drag myself to the kitchen for a light meal (which is the same thing I've been eating for the past several months) or for a long, hot shower. I can hardly bring myself to focus on school work. As of writing this, it's currently 4:51 AM. My sleep schedule is an utter disaster. On most nights, I end up staying up till the sun rises. It's not too uncommon that I stay up for 20+ hours. Though this all comes crashing back to me when I end up sleeping through class Zoom calls, or even oversleeping and missing my classes entirely (it's happened twice so far and both times have spiraled me into a deep depressive episode that I won't be describing). Trying to be productive during quarantine is a joke. I have a lot of things around me that can entertain and distract me. How am I expected to focus when Twitter, YouTube, and Discord are in my reach 24/7, you know? During my classes, I just tune everything out. What's even the point of listening, when professors ramble on for a two hours about things you don't even care about, when all the assignments just consists of reading a bunch of articles that bore you to death and then having you write some response (that you can easily BS) to it? I never thought I'd say this, but I just want to be allowed to go out again. I'm tired of all of this. I'm so exhausted. Learning virtually is mentally draining. It can hardly be considered learning. I doubt anybody is really even absorbing any information being given to them during these virtual meetings, save for the few innocent souls that haven't been tainted by quarantine depression yet. I'm so sick of it all. I can't focus. I can't bring myself to do anything. I just can't anymore. (Also isn't it kinda stupid how they're letting literal children go back to school and yet campus won't be open? Okay sure, maybe it's because CUNY has way more students, but still. I wouldn't trust a 5 year old to properly wear a mask for the whole day and practice good hygiene. Kids are messy.) -
2020
New Challenges, New Hope
Ever since the start of the pandemic and the shift towards remote learning, I’ve faced new challenges in places I did not expect. In my home, it was hard getting used to studying and going to class whilst living in a small apartment that I share with my family; I did not having adequate space to learn and read, but my family and I worked something out and now I could/can study with ease. Additionally, I could not talk to my friends and interact with them, even online, given how I had to focus 2x more on my studies but I realized that my friends were experiencing the same thing and we soon planned several days to just talk online and interact. With COVID-19 and police violence spreading like wildfire, I feared what was going to happen to my family, friends, professor, class colleagues and more. However, seeing how people got together, helped each other, protested, united and worked in solidarity, it showed me something: hope. That even in the hardest times in life, there is still hope. -
2020-03-10
Living in the middle of a global pandemic
My experience about the pandemic is that it was not easy. I am an essential worker. I work as a cashier at Whole Foods Market and a full time student so since the pandemic has started, we have taken precautionary steps moving forward at both work and school. School has been a little bit tougher because I have to maintain more discipline in getting my assignments done on time and I don't have the resources that I used to have such as being able to go to the library when I cannot focus at home. -
2020-09-26
The causes of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic was something I definitely did not expect. It was a shock to not only me, but also to everyone in this world. This pandemic completely shifted my life into something entirely different from what I’m used too. Pre-COVID-19, I did not have to think about leaving my house with a mask on. Now, while we are still in the pandemic, leaving the house with a mask on is part of my everyday essentials. Wearing a mask is currently part of my wardrobe. I bought reusable masks because they are not good for the environment. Global warming is a very big issue that many people do not believe in, but I do believe in. I try my best to help the environment as much as I can, so buying reusable masks is what I did. Also, those medical masks are so expensive now, it is something I cannot afford to keep buying. While on the topic of expensive, I was someone who always carried hand sanitizer with me wherever I went. Now that hand sanitizer is a necessity due to the virus, it was hard for me to find them in stores, and when I did find them, the cost was two times higher than it originally would be. Money became an issue for me due to the change of price in many things. I did not work during the start of the pandemic because I was scared to put my families lives at risk. I work now, but I practice social distancing as much as I can, I sanitize, and I wear a face mask at all times. The hardest part about being in quarantine would be remote learning, and it still is. I was someone who despised online classes. I always avoided taking them. However, due to the pandemic, I had no other choice but to take online classes. I appreciate the effort my professors put into trying to make everything work, but it will never be the same as being in class physically and learning. Taking online classes is so stressful because I am basically teaching myself. Depending on the professor, somethings are just not clearly explained so I am left confused very often. Trying to manage everything in my personal life on top of online classes is not easy. Working academically in the comfort of my own home, with my family was and still is a struggle. I need to be in a different environment other than my own home in order for me to fully concentrate and study for my classes. Another constant issue with remote learning is my horrible WIFI connection. My WIFI has been a mess since quarantine started. Having bad WIFI added on to more stress for my online classes because I needed the internet to finish my work and pass my classes. Nonetheless, the CDC is trying their best to stop the spread of COVID-19. This pandemic has caused a major shift to the world, especially mine. The best thing I can do is to continue to work hard and do the best that I can. We have been in a pandemic for 7 months now. Unfortunately, this is our new normal. -
2020
In this Together
Its a bit of my experience of a day in the life living in the times of covid-19 -
2020-09-27
The effects of pandemic on my life.
The pandemic ruined all my plans for this year and I could not get to enjoy the amazing senior events that I was looking forward to. I learned that things don't always go as planned but we still need to be courageous. -
2020-03-26
The day it all went south
From the beginning of quarantine till now the simple, everyday things I used to do has now become a difficult. Such examples would be going to the bodega or going to my therapy appointments or even going to work. There’s now so many extra steps and protocols as if my job wasn’t already stressful enough. While I personally haven’t been affected by corona virus in terms of health, I can still say that it has turned everything upside down. I still can hang out with friends but I’ve missed so many events that I was looking forward to. Anime event to birthday event, all of those experiences missed. The biggest thing about COVID for me was that it showed me just how selfish and ignorant others are by not only people refusing to wear masks but some even denying it’s existence. -
2020-09-27
The Student-Teacher Experience
When COVID-19 hit, i was in my last semester of college. The semester was already overwhelming for me because I was juggling extra-curricular activities, two part time jobs and full time education. I was student teaching, but at the beginning of march, I kept telling myself I had more time to complete the requirements and that when things calmed down in May I would be able to complete my degree. I was wrong. At first we were home, having class discussions about the possibilities of things, we never imagined that we would not be back in schools. Accommodations were made for all the student teachers, regarding our exams and requirements. This should have made it easy to finish my degree on time, but with all the factors in place: documenting the work completed in-person, completing new assignments, completing certification exams, all to get a degree to begin teaching during COVID - Subconsciously I didn't want to do it. So I didn't. I knew I had an understanding professor who would give me an incomplete, and that was the excuse I needed to put off graduating. I hated my student teaching experience, I felt cheated and underprepared. I kept trying to think of was to do it over again, from the start with no extra things on my plate, but I couldn't. I need to finish the class as it was presented to me. -
2020-09-27
Life in Quarantine
I never expected that this virus would shut down the world. One day I’m sitting in class talking about the first corona case and just a little later I hear that this will be our last in person lab. These quick changes were difficult to adjust to not just for us but for the professors as well that have never done remote learning. A biology class I was doing decent in, completely ruined by this remote learning. In order for the professor to target those who were using help from the internet, they just made the exams much more difficult and shorter than needed. But as I got used to it, I feel as I improved in my other classes. If I can, I would like to retake my biology class when we return to in person classes. This remote learning has helped in some ways too. I never thought I’d have more free time when I didn't have to commute. Being at home I was able to do summer classes while working as well. However, due to the pandemic, what I used to do in my free time couldn't be done because most places in this city are closed. I used to go to the gym regularly, and then I couldn't anymore. So instead, I used my free time to bike with my friends to interesting places usually by the water and just enjoy the views. The city is starting to open up with my restaurants doing outdoor dining instead of indoor which gives us the opportunity to try new flavors and new foods. My experience with this pandemic sounds very pleasant but there are families that are hurt. I am grateful for me and my family’s health. It's tragic to see this virus take so many lives. People in the medical fields are working very hard to treat these cases. I doubt things will ever go back to normal but I hope we all can enjoy the little things in our life and continue living to make ourselves better. -
2020-05-19
The World Exists in the Palm of My Hand
The object I'm submitting does not only show us its important during this Pandemic but in everyday life. This object has merely existed for no more than 30 years but has had profound impact on our society. Companies Like Apple Inc. and Samsung Group have made fortunes seeing these items to us. The object that I believe has made a massive impact on my life and the lives of many people around the world are cellphones. These small bricks of metal and plastic seemingly run the world. They control humans and push forward everything from the spread of information to entertainment. Without my phone to keep me entertained, connected, informed and busy; the quarantine and the Pandemic in general would have been much hard. Anywhere in the world I connect and communicate with anyone. During a time when we weren't allowed to leave home phones became a lifeline for communication. I find it very interesting that before the Pandemic people would blame phones for the lack of human contact. Now that the Pandemic has been in full swing the only form of contact we have is through these phones. -
2019-03-19
Beaten But Not Broken
This year has been really challenging for me and my family especially my kids who had to resort to online learning. As I started the spring semester with confident and some excitement as I was entering my last year at Brooklyn College, anxiety ,fear, and some what nervous because this is a crucial part of completing my degree. Some may think why are you so worried you should be happy you made it this far, but coming thus far and failing a class can mean one more semester and you not been able to graduate on time can get you pretty worked up. However while al this was going on in my mind the news break that COVID 19 has taken control of our lives and we have to resort to online learning. This was not the news I want to hear, when I have never taken online classes before ,and I must say its because online I hate. Not only that, I will now become my children teacher while in school myself and this was something that I have been concern about from the beginning of the pandemic until present. Though I have manage to pass my classes it is no secret that I have been overwhelmed, sometimes thinking that its too much to for one person to do in any given day. COVID 19 has bring mores worries and stress in my life than anything I ever experience, but I am determine to overcome COVID 19 and all its challenges. -
2020-09-26
COVID-19 2020
The story I am submitting is about people losing their jobs and homes during this pandemic. It is important to me because I know some people who have lost their jobs due to this and they were struggling to pay their bills, wondering when their next meal was going to come, even the parents who had to quit their jobs because schools had closed down so that was another stressor during this time. -
2020-03-15
A very COVID year.
My nightmare began in March when the government announced that most businesses would be closed due to the pandemic. The day before, I went to a party and I enjoyed myself. Little did I know that things would begin to change drastically. I heard very few things about COVID-19 before the lockdown, all I knew was that it was a respiratory illness and that the first case was found in China. I never thought that it would’ve made its way to America so quickly. As time went on, the days got even more scary. Schools, malls, stores and even supermarkets were closed. Reality hit when I saw how the cases were spiking in NYC. My job was temporarily closed so I was at home whilst doing my remote learning studies for nearly 3 months. I was so overwhelmed and exhausted mentally. Even though I did not leave my house, my mother and sister did everyday because they were essential workers. Every morning they left, I would panic, I was scared that they would catch the virus in the hospital and bring it home to me. My thoughts began to consume me, especially being home alone all day and watching the news. Hundreds of people were dying and the hospitals were full. Nurses and doctors were also dying. I remember watching the news and hearing about how many bodies there were. The morgues were full and they had to use freezer trucks to temporarily store the bodies. Watching the news every day made me anxious and sick to my stomach. Every night I would pray that the cases would decrease so that we could return to normal life. This pandemic is simply the most mind-racking experience of my life. I learned to appreciate life. Even though we are technically still in a pandemic, the cases are dropping and businesses are slowly opening. I just hope that we can soon resume life without masks and worry. -
2020
A cacophony of silence
This is a personal account of my time during the height of the pandemic, how it affected my studies, and ultimately the crushing loneliness of it all. Hello, My name is Shemar Providence and this is my account of the COVID19 pandemic. I will begin at the start of the virus. During this time I was going to classes as normal. The virus had become known as it swept through Wuhan china. My mother and I were worried that it would eventually make its way over to the states. Overall I would describe the climate around the virus as a general sense of apathy. “As long as it wasn't over here everything is fine” was a common sentiment among my peers as well as governing officials. It was the beginning of March when it began to spread like wildfire in new york. The most apathetic of us were now worried or decided to stay home. Colleges began to transition to online learning to stop the spread. Within about 2 weeks, from the gossip to the first outbreak, New york was put into a standstill. I was born with asthma as well as a weakened immune system. For me, the virus was a matter of life and death. I live with my mother who quarantined me in the house until the virus would cool down. We bought masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, whatever we could get our hands on to keep each other safe. During this time the mania had begun all over the country. People were buying things in bulk fighting each other over the most basic of things. It was a mess. it was approaching the end of March. In just a few short weeks I got a glimpse at what pandemonium looked like. Remote learning was a challenge. My neighborhood had poor connectivity issues. For about half of April, I had no internet connection and could not reach 2 of my professors. I ended up not getting credit for those classes. For the other professors, I was able to reach I was able to come up with a compromise. A lot of instructors weren't really well versed in remote learning and would go missing some days. With poor connectivity zoom meetings would stutter and stop. Overall the entire learning process was halted not only for me but for others as well. Considering how many others had a poor connection and were forced to drop classes. The greatest thing to experience first hand was the politics of the virus. You would think a matter pertaining to community health would not become a divisive issue but it was. Like everything in recent years, it had to be split down the middle to appeal to the most radical on both sides. Some people were saying it was a hoax and that the government was seeing how far they could control people. These people felt as though being forced to wear a mask violated their civil liberties. These were the most apathetic of us not caring about what happens to those of us who are less healthy. They bemoaned anyone who would wear a mask as a democrat thus sparking the aforementioned democrats to return fire. And like that the division grew. I think the isolation from the quarantine probably helped to heighten tensions but looking at it live it just seems so stupid. A matter as simple as stopping the spread became a democrat and republican issue, and a rights issue. republican s even put less emphasis on the virus due to it spreading in primarily blue states. It was all truly awful. With the country seemingly falling apart in pandemonia staying at home felt more and more suffocating. The same four walls became a coffin of sorts. If the virus got in I would be done for. However, I was still dead to the world around me. Keeping touch with friends was my only salvation between schoolwork and deafening silence. It didn't help that my own mother kept live streaming the ongoing pain at its height. I couldn't escape it. The death of the depression the pain. It was all around me. People I knew and loved in my neighborhood died and I couldn't even see them go. I grew depressed and more cynical as a person. It seemed like hell. It just kept going and going. School ended leaving me more depressed over my studies than ever. But at least the rate of death had started to decrease. It is starting to get better, slowly but surely. But it still feels as though there is worse yet to come. This year has been so divisive and sad. And I feel like it will just keep getting worse. -
2020-04
The impact COVID-19 had on my mental and emotional health.
My experience throughout this unexpected pandemic took a toll on my state of mental and emotional health. When I first found out about how quick this virus was spreading throughout our city, schools were still not closed officially and I was still traveling on public transportation to work. When taking public transportation, due to the lack of masks, I had to wear a scarf around my face because that was the only way I could think of protecting myself. I was anxious all the time, but most especially on the train and bus rides, my anxiety would get the best of me, so much that at times I felt like I had to hold my breath so that I can minimize my exposure to contracting this virus. Once things started getting really bad and schools and non essential jobs finally shut down, it was a slight relief. Switching from in person lectures to virtual learning was not as easy as I had thought it would be. I was now not only anxious and worried because of this pandemic and the health of myself and my loved ones but also because I was having a hard time trying to adapt to a different style of learning. I was taking two science courses, both biology and chemistry which were not the easiest topics for me. To prevent us from "cheating" professors had made the exams much harder which was another stressor. Throughout the spring semester I was staying up really late at night trying to study in every way possible so that I would do well on my upcoming exams. Whenever I had the time to sleep I just couldn't because my anxiety wouldn't let me. I would have never imagined this getting so bad, I thought maybe with quarantining we would have it under control but unfortunately this virus is still on going and who knows when we'll get back to what was considered normal. -
2020-03-16
Jewish Melbourne: 'Melbourne’s Jewish Community’s Takes Aggressive COVID-19 Precautions'
Article by Yosi Wolf published in Hamodia, looking at the way that Jewish organisations, businesses, and shuls responded in the early days of Melbourne's lockdown -
2020-06-16
Time Alone While Fighting Together
There's a lot wrong with the world and it seems that with everyday that goes by, there is a new challenge that we are faced with. This pandemic has been quite the paradox for me. Before the pandemic, I always wished I had more time to myself to do more creative things. As an artist, i am always sketching and designing but between work and school, I have no time to to bring my sketches and designs to life. When Covid-19 became a threat and quarantine was implemented, it put everything in my life on hold. Society in general was turned upside down. From, coronavirus deaths, to George Floyd, to riots and protests, everyday presented itself unrest and sorrow. During these chaotic times, I decided to capitalize on the time I had, therefore I referred to my sketches and designs, and began creating as much as I could. No matter what i created, i found that I would be immersed in the creative process and would in fact be meditating without realizing it. When i would create, everything going on would be temporarily non-existent. The circumstances of the time I had suddenly acquired was not ideal but I was nonetheless thankful because in some ways, i learned about myself. I created many things during quarantine but due to the virus, I like many other people made masks. Masks have became a household essential seemingly overnight and the demand for them were through the roof. I never made a mask before but i decided try. It took a while to get the exact look and aesthetic i wanted to incorporate in the design but i found way through looking at numerous YouTube videos. I got to work and before i knew it, i created 20+ masks and began to sell them. From friends to strangers, people wanted a mask from me and i was more than happy to make them because i knew i was making something that not only looks good but also will protect people and last a long time. -
2020-03-20
The Real Pandemic: How America Believed the Coronavirus Proved the Existence of Educational Inequity
I am submitting an auto-ethnography on my experience as a college student in the CUNY educational system during the transition to online learning and the pandemic. -
2020-09-10T07:30
New Jersey School Bus Stop, September 2020
My 11 year old was not interested in doing a first day of school photo like we've done in the past. I get that it's embarrassing since "nobody else's parents walk around with big cameras." But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to preserve the moment for posterity, so I snuck a picture with my phone and cropped it afterward. I think the photo says a lot about the moment without words- the American flag, the masks, and the way the two girls are talking to each other while staying at least six feet apart. The flag represents, to me, the event that broke the idea of American exceptionalism for Americans in denial. Despite my prediction that Trump would screw up the response to the virus back in March, I was sure we'd be back to normal by the fall. I thought someone would get Trump to do the right thing. All I can say is I'm glad to live in one of the few states with strict rules that have brought our March and April infection rates low enough to have safe, hybrid, public education. -
2020-05-13
School Cancellation News Article
2. This news article, although short and not very informative, is important to my experience with the coronavirus because it was when I had first learned that schools had started to close. My mother had sent it to me about when as the news had just come out. This was a big moment and a turning point for lots of people because although we had heard lots about the coronavirus and had seen the numbers and read the articles, this would be the first time it would affect us directly. The pandemic, at this time, had finally started to feel real and it had dawned upon me, and likely many others, that this would be something that would really impact me and my life, and it was no longer just something you heard or talked about. This, to me, shows how quickly the pandemic grew and took people by surprise. It also reminds me of times when people would claim that the coronavirus was being exaggerated by the media, or when others would guess that the virus would be gone before summer, because this was the moment that disproved those theories to me. -
2020-08-20
Coronavirus pandemic impacting Alberta music classes this fall
This article from Canada highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting both music majors in college and students in public school and Catholic school who attend music classes. It outlines many of the adjustments being made for music programs, such as colleges restricting voice, woodwind, and brass lessons to being online. Public schools have banned singing in school, as singing has been deemed a high-risk activity. This really highlights how the pandemic may affect performing arts long-term, as college and high-school students may not be able to receive face-to-face training or recital experience depending on their choice of instrument. -
2020-08-12
High School Graduation: Quarantine Style
On August 12th, 2020, I graduated high school with my triplet siblings. In our twelve years of public education, never did the three of us imagine for our graduation to look like this. I remember attending my older sister's high school graduation in 2009 - I was a part of the crowd in the bleachers and there were lots of cheers and parties. It would have been a cool full circle moment to have her then attend our graduation from the same high school at the same bleachers, however, 2020 had different plans. Our graduation included no guests, no family, no teachers, we were spread apart across the football field, wearing masks in 90 degree heat, and received our diploma in rows. Although it wasn’t the graduation/end of senior year that we wanted, the strength of our community consistently shone through all obstacles the pandemic presented to us. The strong sense of unity and support the community gave the class of 2020 was truly inspiring and will one day be historical. -
2020-08-09
Oklahoma School Reopening Requires Teachers to Be Creative with Their Precautions
With the reopening of Oklahoma schools, teachers are doing their best to create preventive measures in their classrooms. Dibble, Oklahoma third grade teacher Ms. McDaniel was inspired by online plans for creating class dividers out of PVC pipe and transparent shower curtains. The dividers allow the students to interact with one another, see the classroom board, and see the teacher without being able to breathe directing on other students. Oklahoma schools have not instituted a regulation for masks or other protective measures and only have offered recommendations. This has left individual school districts to provide their own rules. In this particular school some students wear mask, some do not, and others have opted for virtual learning. These desk dividers become a way for teachers to have structural PPE where individual PPE may not exist. Ms. McDaniel made five large cross section dividers that can protect up to twenty children. Ms. McDaniel researched, purchased, and fabricated all of these on her own. Her ingenuity is an example of how rural schools and rural teachers have had to be more creative with their methods of precaution. Submitted for the #ruralvoices collection. Contributed by Clinton P. Roberts, curatorial intern for Arizona State University, HST 580. -
07/27/2020
Jason Zackowski Oral History, 2020/07/27
Jason Zackowski describes what science education has been like during a global pandemic both in schools and on the internet. He discusses the transition to online learning in schools as he is head of the science department and a teacher at a high school in Red Deer, Alberta. He also shares his concerns for the planned return to school. Jason runs a science podcast as well as a popular twitter account for his dog "Bunsen Berner" which he uses to share scientific facts, research, and methods in a fun way. As such he discusses the "blowback" by members of the public on social media to scientists when it shares information regarding the virus and pandemic. -
2020-07-03
Kid's Masks
In the case that schools return in person this fall, I decided to stock up on face masks for the kids. I realized that we'd likely need as many face masks as the kids have socks or underwear and worried that kid's masks would sell out as the school year neared. I found these super cute animal masks for the kids and they love them. I was really worried that my kids have trouble wearing masks. To my surprise, they have yet to complain about them. Although they are young, their ability to grasp the seriousness of this pandemic is truly amazing. -
2020-07-21
Coronavirus Student Humour
While much of the debate around schools reopening is situated between politicians and educators, students also have something to contribute to the conversation. Humour seems to be the way that some are choosing to approach the current situation, approaching potential illness and death with a devil may care attitude. This item was added TAGS v6.1.9.1. I originally searched under the hashtag #ifschoolsreopennow. Within that search, I have chosen to add the following tweet because it highlights the approach that some students/comedians are taking in light of the current debate that is centered around in-person education. -
2020-07-21
Missouri Governor's Comments on School Reopenings
Schools reopening and children returning to in-person education has become the latest point of contention in the ongoing coronavirus saga. While everyone claims to have the students' safety at the forefront, some people do a better job at conveying it than others. Missouri Governor Parson shared his thoughts, which were immediately criticized as cold and unrealistic. This item was added TAGS v6.1.9.1. I originally searched under the hashtag #missouri. Within that search, I have chosen to add the following tweet because it highlights the ongoing debate around schools reopening, and the safety of children against the coronavirus. -
2020-07-13
Reopening presents additional challenges for Northern Ontario schools
"In one school, she said, there’s one full-time teacher, a part-time teacher and an education assistant. There’s no administrator, which raises a new host of problems during a pandemic. “'When there’s no administrator on site, and a kid gets sick, what do you do?' Douglas said. 'Who’s gonna be responsible for that child?' "But the barriers to remote learning are also greater up north, she said. “'A lot of us don’t have Wi-Fi abilities at our homes,' Douglas said. 'We pay an exorbitant amount of money to get Wi-Fi. And for us to do online learning, it’s been a challenge for many members. I’ve had members who have paid upwards of $700 for their Wi-Fi, just to do the distance learning.'” -
2020-07-06
Summer School Classroom
I went back to teaching in person today. I have about 7-14 kids per class, their exits into the hallway were staggered by classroom, they were all spaced safely apart, and meals weren’t offered in the school but were bagged up and sent home. We can do this with 50 kids but trying to imagine what this would mean in the fall when we hope to welcome back nearly 850 students into our building is frightening. I hated teaching with a mask on because the kids couldn’t read my face and it changed the tone of the room. I truly teared up as I pulled into the parking lot this morning and saw kids walking to school - I’ve missed them SO MUCH!!! I don’t know what the answers are in terms of reopening schools. What I do know is that teachers don’t want to be teaching from their living rooms but if it means keeping the students we love so much and the colleagues we adore safe....then we’ll do it. We’ll move mountains to keep up with our kiddos. We didn’t get into this profession for the fame and fortune, we got into this because we truly love what we do. I wasn't placed in my normal classroom today. Instead I was put in the art room which had chairs for 15 students but no desks. There were many hand sanitizer stations around the schools and are halls are all 'one way only.' The students wear masks while riding the bus but immediately take them off upon arrival and they are washed and given back at the end of the school day. I've used more hand sanitizer in the last 24 hours than I have in a long time. It also has me rethinking class copies of work.