It would be impossible to estimate the amount of time I spent watching minutes on the clock slowly tick by as I sat behind a desk at school.
time goes on and on…
Ironically, as a mother I watch that same clock tick, waiting for the chaos of my kids to come home.
But, this year, both my kids and I were freed from watching the clock — even though it wasn’t exactly under ideal circumstances: In the fall, protests where we live in Hong Kong caused schools to shut down. Then, right as we were getting back to a state of normalcy, the threat of Coronavirus caused the city to go on lockdown yet again.
When school was called off on Jan. 27, the Hong Kong education bureau initially said in-school lessons would resume Feb. 17. They pushed it to March 16 — and then again to April 20, if we’re lucky. Just one year ago, if anyone had asked me how I felt about essentially homeschooling my kids for three months, I probably would have laughed in their face.
Still, left with the choice to either write off the academic year completely or adapt to the situation, my children’s school carried on with virtual lessons. And while I never would have asked for screen-based teaching, this experience has opened my eyes to its unique value — starting with the fact that we get to create a schedule that works for our family.
Here are a few of the reasons I’ve come to appreciate the screentime for educational purposes…
1. Virtual schooling enables location independence
I am 100% a reluctant “homeschooler.” But, even though this wasn’t what I imagined for my family (meaning me as well as my kids), I can’t deny the perks of being able to keep up with school from anywhere in the world.
In fact, as I type, we are stationed in Hawaii, where we self-quarantined from Coronavirus. Before long, my kids will wake up, eat their Hawiian-style toast with guava jam and bananas, and log into their computers to begin their lessons for the day. Then, because screen-based school challenges them to focus and remain efficient, there is generally a good period of time remaining “after school” when we can set out on a field trip to explore our temporary home.
2. They are improving their digital fluency
My kids are 13, 10 and 7, so if you ask them what they want to be when they grow up, the answers on any given day will range from artist to yoga instructor to scientist to doctor and even professional eater. (Based on my grocery bill, they seem qualified for the latter.) Whatever it turns out to be, one thing is all but sure:
They will use technology throughout their careers.
Back home, their forward-thinking teachers were already integrating this into the classroom though lessons via video conference. However, now that we are solely reliant on virtual schooling, I’ve already seen my kids’ skills improve as my 10-year-old daughter learns scratch programming and my youngest submits assignments through Seesaw Classroom with the click of a button.
3. There are no bounds to what they can learn
Today, my 13-year-old son will meet online with a tutor who is a PhD candidate in microbiology. Then he will take an online algebra class from Johns Hopkins University. Again — all from Hawaii.
This is technology at its best: A tool for connecting people from around the world to realize their highest potentials.
It’s also the appropriate balance to increasingly standardized approaches to schooling. Because virtual schooling encourages independence, I am witnessing my kids hone their concentration skills, become more self-reliant and discover new passions as they have the time to lean into their interests.
Is this all to say that virtual schooling is perfect? Heck no.
For example, I would have much rather my 7-year-old had the opportunity to participate in the Day of Dead festival that her school planned rather than just watch the assigned YouTube videos on the topic. There is also an element of virtual schooling that still feels very much like some dystopian future where my kids are plugged into the matrix, especially because we were all thrown into this with very little forethought or preparation.
“I know Kung Fu!”
I also know that when life (hopefully) goes back to normal, my kids will be excited to go back to their classrooms, friends and IRL teachers. And you can bet I’ll throw myself a little party when they are out of the house again.
But, even then, our lives will be forever changed because of the opportunities we now know exist through virtual schooling. After all, some well-used screentime sure beats wasting time watching the classroom clock.
