East Texas teachers, students adapting to online learning

A Laneville teacher and her students are finding ups and downs to adapting to an online school year because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, an East Texas news station reported earlier this week.

"I think it's been good and bad," Jill Bassett, a fourth grade teacher at Laneville Independent School District, said during a KETK Fox 51 news report. "We are having to do things differently, but we are also learning and changing into a new direction as well."

Bassett said entering an empty classroom "was a little heartbreaking at first" and called it a surreal experience, particularly after learning from an administration phone call that classes would be closed until fall.

She isn't alone, but the problems is all the more complicated for those who lack even basic Internet access, according to KETK Fox 51.

Bassett said she found it unbelievable how many of her students don’t have access to the Internet but said she tries to reach out to those students via phone or text messages.

According to KETK Fox 51, Federal Communications Commission said that about 21 million U.S. residents don't have broadband internet access. The National Education Association said up to 25% are lacking the technology for a successful education.  

Texas Connections Academy science instructor Lynette Crawley told KETK Fox 51 that the Texas Connections Academy is an online school, which means its no stranger to internet-based technology and Zoom meetings.

Crawley told KETK Fox 51 that there are ways to make the online learning process easier for parents and teachers.

"Teachers can collaborate," Crawley told KETK Fox 51. "You've got younger teachers around you. I've seen lots of teachers team up and they are sharing a classroom on Google classroom. One feels comfortable with the technology and working on that part. They are meeting every day. They are having Zoom meetings."