Learning From Home Adventures With Anne Arundel Family

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Learning from home during the coronavirus pandemic has been a life lesson for everyone, from students to parents and caregivers. When parents work from home and are trying to guide their students' daily schoolwork, it can result in a chaotic day.

Mom Nicole Alston of Glen Burnie told Patch that the first thing she did when school moved online was ask her two students where they wanted to spend their time learning, because the environment is key.

"My daughter wanted to work in her bedroom because it has less distractions. My son decided the family room because he wanted to watch YouTube between classes and lunch," Alston said.

Her daughter, 13, is in eighth grade and her 10-year-old son is in fifth grade. Alston said she is not guiding their learning and lessons, and her daughter has been excelling with logging on to virtual classes on time and completing assignments by due dates.

"My daughter is doing well with this format of learning. She’s expressed that she prefers learning this way. She actually wish the school system have keep the format from the spring because that really allowed her to go at her own pace," Alston said.

Her son needs a bit more guidance, however.

"My husband works from home and sets him up in the morning, meaning he logs in to his computer and Google Meet for him. And although my son attends his virtual classes without my husband being nearby, my husband writes out his assignments for the week and remains nearby or even goes through the assignments with him to ensure the work is done. If you ask him about this thoughts on virtual learning, he says it’s OK," she said. "He likes having freedom to do other stuff he likes while learning like listening to music and watching YouTube between classes. I, too, work from home as a student assistant for HCPSS, but because of my schedule being in sync with my kids, it makes it nearly impossible for me to walk through assignments with them."

Regardless of their different learning styles, one thing remains the same. Her kids miss interacting with their friends and teachers. They both have stayed busy playing instruments and socializing with the same group of kids from the neighborhood.

As an educator, Alston wishes she could be in-person with her students to ensure they're receiving as much support as they can. As a parent, she's comfortable with the online learning module her own kids are engaging in, although she would like to see more quality work from her son who seemed to perform better with in-person instruction.