After much debate, and research, the Chesapeake Public School board decided that all Chesapeake Public schools are starting the 2020 school year off completely online. The school board plans on sending freshmen back as soon as November 9th. As students and teachers await their return date, they are trying their best to adjust to virtual learning.  

“In the beginning, there were a lot of mishaps going on with teachers figuring everything out, and students adjusting to it, so it was just a learning process,” Ed Maynigo, 11, said. 

On top of adjusting to learning virtually, students have to adjust to a new online program called Schoology. 

“There’s obviously more than meets the eye when it comes to online learning,” Maynigo said, ”For Schoology, overall I feel like it’s an ok program…I just feel like we’re having problems with studentvue and Schoology being connected.”

Studentvue is the website students use to check their grades and is where all final grades are posted. 

“Our grades aren’t updating in studentvue as it would in Schoology. So, I feel like that needs to be sorted out,” Maynigo said.

Before Chesapeake public schools started using Schoology, they used a program called Google classroom. It was what students and teachers used during online learning in the spring of the 2019-2020 school during the pandemic. Making the switch was difficult for some students because they were already used to navigating google classroom.   

Online learning has been difficult for teachers as well. “I’ve been teaching for 15 years,” Mrs. Williamson, family, and consumer sciences said, “I feel like a brand new teacher. It’s like starting from scratch,”.

Just like students, teachers have to acclimate to the Schoology program.

“Schoology, in comparison to google classroom,” Williamson said, “is a bit harder to navigate, and get proficient in quickly.” 

Even though there are downsides to online learning, teachers and students find that they have a bit more downtime to get work done. 

“The schedule is pretty good,” Williamson said, “ I am able to be a little more flexible than maybe some other classes, that makes it more enjoyable for me.” 

The breaks between each class help with teachers inputting grades and navigating Schoology, and it gives students time to get their work done. 

“I do like the idea that in between each class time we do get independent learning time,” Maynigo said.