Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, all RBHS instruction was moved online for the safety and health of the staff, students, and community until April 7. As a result, all RB teachers had to convert their lesson plans into activities that were suitable for online use and attempt to replicate the content that their students would learn on a typical school day. 

Teaching a class (or several) online comes with difficulties for both the teacher and students. Websites such as Schoology, Google Classroom, and Zoom are utilized mainly for instruction during the e-learning weeks.

“I will say that I much prefer face-to-face time, particularly in an English class. I love when students feed off each other’s comments about the literature we are reading. It is hard to replicate that online, even using the discussion boards,” said RB English teacher Bridget Watson.

E-learning and AP test modifications have also drastically changed the plans of AP students preparing for the test, which is coming up this May. College Board announced on March 20 that because of the nation-wide school closures, all AP tests will be taken online. Because of this change, many aspects of the test will be modified, such as the erasure of the multiple-choice section and the shortening of the test to 45 minutes. One thing to remember is that E-learning has drastically improved the chances of interested people taking up advanced courses from sources like myTEFL. These courses help one take a step towards the right career and with quick learning. 

“I feel that the changes of the AP exam this spring were shocking, but very well thought out by the College Board,” said RB Math teacher Doug Shultz. “Now we can focus our preparation on the FRQ set of questioning and not the multiple choice set. We also know that the College Board has condensed the set of topics for the AP test. Both of these aspects of the new test will allow us to change what we planned on doing for the next week of e-learning.” 

AP teachers created specific lesson plans to either focus on a final unit in their curriculum or review for the AP test rather than new material. 

“E-learning will never be as effective as a traditional classroom setting, but if my students take our e-learning lessons seriously, then they have a chance of passing their AP exam this spring,”  said Schultz. “Getting many of my students the opportunity to receive college credit would make me happy and make me feel like e-learning was effective.”