2020 has definitely been a year like no other. Schools, businesses, and restaurants have been closed down across the globe. COVID-19 has had a huge impact on schools, causing many of them to switch to online or remote learning. Individuals have many questions. How long will remote learning continue? Will schools continue remote learning for the 2020 – 2021 school year? Students all over the country are working hard at home and are worried if school will happen, in person, in the fall.

Remote learning is a form of education, usually done at home, where the teacher is not physically in front of you, but rather the teacher assigns work to the student on the internet. As people must “social distance” to stop the spread of COVID-19, students are not permitted to attend school and receive a “normal” education. Apps such as Google Classroom, Zoom, Edmodo, and Test Wizard assist teachers in giving assignments to their students. While I think using these apps are the best way to learn while in a remote setting, I would much rather be receiving an education in a classroom. In a classroom it is easier to ask your teacher a question and easier to complete the work; while doing remote learning it is harder to do so. Teachers may not be on their email to receive questions from their students, students may not have devices or access to the internet to complete their online work, or students might forget to submit their work on time. Although remote learning is a good alternative during quarantine, many students would rather be taught in person.

There is a lot of uncertainty if school will happen in person in the fall. Students wonder if their assignments will be done remotely, or in a classroom. Personally, I hope that school starts again in the fall, and I am sure that many other students agree, if the conditions allow. School isn’t just a place for learning, but it is a place where students get to socialize with their peers, develop interpersonal and leadership skills, and participate in extra-curricular activities they normally wouldn’t have access to otherwise. Remote learning doesn’t allow for any of that. COVID-19 has taken a toll on many students, and we do not know what is to come in the future.