During the winter months, as the weather in New York City gets colder, the chances of snow days increase. Although in the past snow days might have meant fun and a break from school, since the COVID-19 pandemic, real “snow days” are a thing of the past. With the ability to have classes remote via apps like Google Classroom, numerous states have decided to do away with traditional snow days and opt for remote learning instead.
Remote learning during snow days has been extremely controversial and people have different opinions about whether it is beneficial to students, or a waste of time.
While opting for remote learning provides a level of safety for staff and students, especially when the roads are bad and dangerous, there are many setbacks. The setbacks that remote learning provides can prove to make students’ lives difficult depending on their home environment and their access to tools and devices.
Students who do not have access to the internet might have some difficulty trying to complete their assignments on time during online learning. This can make it hard for students to obtain a grade or even participate in classes online. Some students also live in environments where they cannot use a singular device because they have parents, siblings, or other family members that may also need it. In addition, when students live in a household with others, finding a quiet space can be a challenge.
On top of this, teachers may also find it difficult to tell if students truly understand the lesson during remote classes due to distractions such as televisions and phones. Some students may also feel less motivated during remote days, which can impact their overall academic performance.
There is, of course, the factor of the platforms that schools use going down or glitching. Just this year when New York City schools went remote for a snow day, Google Classroom went down with over 1 million students attempting to log in.
However, remote learning certainly does have some benefits. By implementing online learning during snow days, it keeps students and staff safe during dangerous weather conditions and helps schools stay on a schedule. Students are able to continue learning without risking travel in icy and snow conditions. This can also reduce stress for families who worry about transportation delays or school closures.
Students at Cardozo have had their fair share of experience with remote learning, with many being the “pilot” students who had to do it during the pandemic and now, continuously doing it during inclement weather. Junior Gabrielle Payoen expressed that remote learning is a necessity because not everyone lives close to Cardozo and when the weather is bad, the commute can be bad, as well.
“We’ve already got experience with remote school days during the pandemic, and we have lots of resources to help kids stay on track such as zoom meetings, EdPuzzle videos, etc,” Payoen added. “So, the benefits would be that it saves the kids the stress of arriving at school on time plus the struggle of coming home really late on heavy weather days.”
Although remote school days are beneficial overall, Payoen also shared that there are some downsides. “Even though remote learning can help students and teachers, students may fall a little behind on work or they might just search up the answers instead of writing in their own words,” she said.
Remote learning during snow days has both advantages and disadvantages. While it prioritizes safety of the students and teachers while also keeping schools on track, it can also create challenges for students and teachers. Based on both student experiences and the challenges that come with online classes, remote snow days are helpful in some situations, but are not always the most effective or enjoyable option for students overall.
