“The Virus Changes the Way We Internet.”

by: Christine Gaudette

How has the virus changed the way you use the Internet and technology? It has definitely changed the way I use the internet alright, from having face-to-face classes to online classes. The reason I took face-to-face classes was that I learn better hands-on and now we are forced to do our classes online.

Most of the Professors have provided great support to help us adjust to this hasty change. The reason I say most is that before this virus situation a professor was willing to help us but when the breakout came she let everyone know that we need to find help somewhere else, tutors and so forth. The tutors were not available until days later if you could get an appointment or response from a tutor. That means, my grade will not be as good as it could have been, And the changing of an online class is another thing, one-week zoom, and the next hangout. Then it was supposed to be at a certain time and at the last minute changed to another. It’s bad enough we are having a hard time adjusting, then we got to deal with that, that’s crazy.

Have your personal internet activities changed? Most definitely my personal internet activities changed, which I actually am very grateful for. Before this virus situation, it didn’t even cross my mind to video chat, nor did I know about Zoom. All of this is pretty new to me, but I must say, I am very grateful to be taking this computer class at Leeward Community College-Wai’anae Moku, for without it, I probably would have dropped out of ALL my classes.

Has the virus changed the way you communicate for work and school? Yes, with this stay at home order in place and almost every place closed digital communication is the only way to go if we want to succeed with school and to continue working. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to take their jobs online because of the line of work field they’re in. 

How do you like learning exclusively online versus in a traditional classroom? To my surprise, I am actually okay with this learning online exclusively. It is not as hard as I thought it would be but there are a few things that I wish I could change but I must keep in mind that if I have to adjust to the change and am unfamiliar with it, that maybe…just maybe…the professor is too. It is great that MOST of my professors record the class sessions and email it out to the class. It really helps, not only for the ones that could not connect, but also helps us because we can replay it as much as needed. This is why I am happy I choose to do my blog on “Digital Communication”.