What Would Remote Learning Have Looked Like Ten Years Ago?
BY KERA MATTHEWS '24 & SOPHIA SAGHIR '24
As a society, we have come a long way technologically. In just a decade, the public has been introduced to a new generation of innovations—including electronics, social media platforms, and online services--to make our lives more convenient. These technological advancements have become essential to our daily lives, especially for those enrolled in remote learning programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, students rely heavily on technology to learn, which begs the question: what would the Remote Learning Program look like ten years ago?
Not long ago, students had to go to a specific room called the “computer lab,” which only had desktop computers. These computer labs were used for special occasions such as important in-class essays, research, or World Language orals. Over the years, the school purchased Chromebook carts, which circulated between classrooms. Now, since the recently implemented 1:1 Chromebook initiative, each student has their own Chromebook. With each upgrade, students have completed digital classwork with more convenience, a fundamental aspect of remote learning.
To gain greater insight into classroom resource comparisons between 2010 and 2020, we asked Profe. Calotta, a Spanish teacher at ABRHS, for her input. She stated that in 2010, and even last year, “a student's files were papers in folders and binders… in 2020 everything is in folders on Google Drive.” Students now use touchscreen Chromebooks for notes, assignments, and tests, eliminating the need for paper. In 2010, that would have not been possible. Profe. Calotta says that she “would have attempted to scan packets and have students print them and fill them out.”
Another key aspect of the Remote Learning Program is interaction through video conferencing systems, such as Zoom. Karen Cavanagh, an Instructional Technology Assistant at Luther Conant Elementary School, expressed that “ten years ago, teacher[s] would not have been able to interact through video the way they can today. Internet companies could not provide the bandwidth to do the video processing that can be done today.” Although there were platforms such as Skype, they were primarily used for one-on-one conversations and could not mimic a regular classroom environment. This has evidently improved, since Zoom rooms can now support up to a hundred video participants.
Acton-Boxborough’s remote education is on par with school’s in-class experience solely because of our technological advancements in the past decade. That being said, a remote learning program in 2010 would have at best consisted mainly of teachers emailing students to print out class materials and of periodic video conferences. Even now, these possibilities may not be feasible depending on the student’s and district’s socio-economic situation and varying access to Wi-Fi and devices. Thankfully, through efforts like the 1:1 Chromebook initiative, the district gives students the ability to focus on learning rather than the method of doing so. As Ms. Cavanagh remarked, “AB has come a long way in providing students the ability to use technology to help them learn and to produce many...types of products...that were not possible in the past.”
Not long ago, students had to go to a specific room called the “computer lab,” which only had desktop computers. These computer labs were used for special occasions such as important in-class essays, research, or World Language orals. Over the years, the school purchased Chromebook carts, which circulated between classrooms. Now, since the recently implemented 1:1 Chromebook initiative, each student has their own Chromebook. With each upgrade, students have completed digital classwork with more convenience, a fundamental aspect of remote learning.
To gain greater insight into classroom resource comparisons between 2010 and 2020, we asked Profe. Calotta, a Spanish teacher at ABRHS, for her input. She stated that in 2010, and even last year, “a student's files were papers in folders and binders… in 2020 everything is in folders on Google Drive.” Students now use touchscreen Chromebooks for notes, assignments, and tests, eliminating the need for paper. In 2010, that would have not been possible. Profe. Calotta says that she “would have attempted to scan packets and have students print them and fill them out.”
Another key aspect of the Remote Learning Program is interaction through video conferencing systems, such as Zoom. Karen Cavanagh, an Instructional Technology Assistant at Luther Conant Elementary School, expressed that “ten years ago, teacher[s] would not have been able to interact through video the way they can today. Internet companies could not provide the bandwidth to do the video processing that can be done today.” Although there were platforms such as Skype, they were primarily used for one-on-one conversations and could not mimic a regular classroom environment. This has evidently improved, since Zoom rooms can now support up to a hundred video participants.
Acton-Boxborough’s remote education is on par with school’s in-class experience solely because of our technological advancements in the past decade. That being said, a remote learning program in 2010 would have at best consisted mainly of teachers emailing students to print out class materials and of periodic video conferences. Even now, these possibilities may not be feasible depending on the student’s and district’s socio-economic situation and varying access to Wi-Fi and devices. Thankfully, through efforts like the 1:1 Chromebook initiative, the district gives students the ability to focus on learning rather than the method of doing so. As Ms. Cavanagh remarked, “AB has come a long way in providing students the ability to use technology to help them learn and to produce many...types of products...that were not possible in the past.”
