By Hayley Crandall
Current online student studying. (Credit: Hayley Crandall)
As the COVID-19 continues to effect daily life, many schools across Wisconsin have been forced to turn to online learning and suspend extracurricular activities.
Due to Gov. Tony Evers’ “Safer At Home” order, Wisconsin schools have to utilize virtual classrooms until at least April 24th, when the order is set to expire.
The order forces thousands of students to navigate learning while homebound – something they may have not been faced with before.
While many opt for in-person learning, many students across the state have been learning online for years. These uncertain times virtually have no effect on their regular school days.
Nicolas Lagenfeld is a senior at Wisconsin Connections Academy, an online public-school option available in many states that offers K-12 schooling, tuition-free. He has been learning online since the fourth grade.
Lagenfeld gets the major switch in situation and offers some pieces of advice for first-time online learning families.
His biggest advice is to keep treating the days like you are still going to school and that will help to really keep on track with everything.
“If you treat this as though you were still going to school every day,” said Lagenfeld. “The only thing that will change is where you are learning, not when or for how long.”
Some other tips from Lagenfeld include:
- Utilizing an online schedule to prioritize time management
- Stick to a consistent live and work schedule, including a bedtime and wake up time
- Take frequent breaks whenever needed
- Hold yourself accountable or ask someone else to keep you on track
- Set up an area that is just for schoolwork to minimize distractions
- Figure out what keeps you motivated
Many resources can also be found through Wisconsin Connections Academy resource page. They include some sample calendars to set up routines along with tips on setting goals for online learning.
Wisconsin Connections Academy has a page dedicated to Coronavirus and learning from home that advises on staying calm, creating a standard plan, and maximizing potential growth during this time.
Open enrollment for the 2020-21 school year through Wisconsin Connections Academy is open until April 30th and more information on the process and eligibility can be found through their enrollment page.