Because of COVID-19, many schools in America had to transition to remote learning. The demand for technology rose significantly as a result of this. Many students from all over the country are now relying on their internet and their computers to get through the school year. This has been tough for some schools, but RHS seems to differ. RHS had an easier time making this transition, making RHS privileged in this regard.
Even before the pandemic, RHS students were already using technology throughout the school year. In the years prior, students were privileged with the opportunity to have Chromebooks. Teachers have also been using Google Classroom to assign classwork or homework to their students. Because of this privilege, the transition to remote learning was easier for most RHS students and teachers compared to students and teachers at other schools.
RHS may be privileged in this regard, but there is still some work that can be done. Many RHS students report that Chromebooks are not that fast, which can make it difficult to complete assignments or to attend classes via Zoom or Google Meets. Also, students have said that it is much harder to reach out to teachers when they are virtual because emails sometimes take too long to send, which results in the teacher responding much later than expected.
Overall, RHS is privileged in regard to the digital divide in schools. RHS took measures to ensure that the students and teachers would be prepared when we would inevitably transition to remote learning. Even though there could be some improvements, RHS has been pretty successful in preparing for this situation overall.
Michael Hanna
Staff Writer
Graphic: Tess Cundiff