Covid19 | How Students are adjusting to Distance Learning

Be sure to listen to our Companion Episode: HOW TEACHERS ARE ADJUSTING to distance learning.
We, the freshmen podcasters of the Innovation Diploma program, planned, wrote, recorded, and edited, this podcast episode about distance learning from our homes while sheltering in place during the Covid19, or Coronavirus outbreak. We worked from home exclusively using recorded Zoom meetings to communicate. We asked, "What has the class of 2020 sacrificed to beat Covid19? Students tell us how they have adapted to distance learning, but, high school seniors explain what the pain has been like having their final year of high school cut short. While making this episode, something awful happened this week that changed everything about this story for us as we lost one of our own to Covid19.

The music is written and performed by freshman, Sam Hodges.

Thank You for listening to THE GETTING INTO GOOD TROUBLE PODCAST, a project of the Innovation Diploma program of The Mount Vernon Upper School in Atlanta, Ga.
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Chapters

• 0:15 Ben introduces the show and the topic of what distance learning has been like for students.
• 0:43 Sam gives context for the episode.
• 1:01 Kyle talks about where we are at the time of recording with the fight against the Coronavirus.
• 1:23 Miller & Kyle kick off the interviews of Skyler, Trey, Emma, Brice, and Katieann who are all upperclassmen at Mount Vernon. Skyler and Katieann are seniors and have lost the end of their senior year to this shut down.
• 1:32 Jackson asks about it, and Skyler talks about losing all those small senior moments, like decision day.
• 2:09 Katieann talks about how the senior class is working really hard to make sure they still get to celebrate the class of 2020.
• 2:31 Jackson asks them about missing their sports seasons. Trey & Kyle talk about being upset at missing a promising season, while seniors Katieann and Skyler talk about waiting their entire lives to be senior leaders on their team and having it taken away.
• 3:20 Kyle asks about how learning from home has been so far and the group answers. They unanimously agree that they like the flexibility, but desperately miss the interaction with peers and teachers.
• 5:17 Miller talks about how everything changed for all of us when our beloved coach and friend, Ron Hill died from Coronavirus. Before the virus had been a joke and meme, but became deadly serious. Students missed being able to grieve that loss together.
• 6:44 The group talks about the benefits of more family time than they would normally have.
• 7:35 Thre freshmen end the interviews and have a group discussion about losing Coach Hill and all the other unwanted changes brought on by Covid-19.
• 9:24 The freshmen discuss the upside of the environment getting a break from pollution around the world.
• 10:39 Thomas & Ansley sign off and say goodbye.