With the advancement of technology and the extensive use of video conferencing apps during the Covid-19 pandemic, snow days are being replaced with E-Learning days. Students don’t get to have fun during snow days any longer; instead, they sit down and attend class through a screen. Are E-Learning days as bad as we think?
Snow Days
Students love it when the school announces a snow day! Snow days are normally referred to as days that students take the day off. That means a break from school! Snow days are planned based on severe weather conditions, specifically during winter. It could be because of very low temperatures, icy roads, blizzards, etc. Let’s talk about the pros and cons of having snow days and see if students would really prefer snow days over E-Learning.
PROS:
Break from school – Students are able to have the day off of learning.
Fun activities – Students are able to do fun activities on their day off, like watch a movie, play games, and/or go outside (if possible).
Rest and relaxation – Students are able to lay back and take a breather.
Family time – Students can spend time with their family members.
CONS:
Disruption from learning – Students’ and teachers’ lessons get interrupted.
Extended school year – The district will extend the school year to make up for the missing day(s).
Safety hazard – When school is called off due to anticipated inclement weather, most of the time it isn’t safe to go outside, so you’re stuck inside trying to find something to do for a whole day.
E-Learning
Video conferencing apps have been around for a long time, but only in the 1990s had it become popular for businesses. Video conferencing has expanded its use in schools, specifically to teach classes online during the Covid 19 pandemic. At this point, schools have gotten familiar with video conferencing to teach students remotely, having no need for real snow days. Now, let’s talk about the pros and cons of E-Learning to see if students benefit more from E-Learning than snow days.
PROS:
Flexibility – Allows students to access materials and complete them at their own pace, which is overall less stressful than physically being in school.
Continuity – Learning continues for students when weather prevents physical attendance. This also means the school doesn’t have to extend the school year.
Comfort of your own home – Although you may not be able to completely rest at home, you will still feel the comfort and relaxation of being at your house.
CONS:
Loss of days off – Snow days provide a break for students and teachers, which is beneficial for mental health and rest.
Increased screen time – Students increase their time looking at screens, which can be tiring and unhealthy.
Technical challenges – Not all students may have access to a device at that moment, they may not have working WiFi at the particular time, they may have technical issues with working the video app and other features, etc.
Deciding whether snow days or E-Learning days are more beneficial for students and/or teachers is entirely up to each individual and their situation. Some people prefer snow days and find the break from school work to be more beneficial for mental health purposes. However, even though people won’t have a whole day of relaxing and taking a break, people who prefer E-Learning days like being in the comfort of their own home and having a flexible schedule, which is a lot less strenuous than physically being in school. In most cases, people who attend E-Learning days are able to multitask or make time for what they want to do while in classes or in between classes. Snow Days and E-Learning days have their own pros and cons, but there is never a clear “winner”. Each option benefits different people in different ways, and, most often, their preference is based on their immediate needs at the time.
In my opinion, E-Learning days just make more sense. Just like snow days, E-Learning is able to save you the hassle of getting ready for school, traveling there, and getting back home. E-Learning lets you go at your own pace and if the student is worried about not being able to socialize with their friends, they have their phones to communicate. Plus, why would you want to make your school year longer to make up for those snow days when you can just have a very relaxed day of E-Learning? Being able to enjoy the full length of your summer vacation may not be that important in February, but it definitely will be come June.