What these Seattle-area kids have to say about online school

There is smoke in the air (visible) and a virus (invisible), and Seattle-area parents are throwing their ALL-CAPS energy at frustrations with online school.

Which makes sense: They have become their children’s Zoom concierge, bringing kids snacks and ushering them back online after five-minute breaks.

But what do the kids think? We spoke with students ages 6 to 17 who told us there are drawbacks, but that it’s not all bad.

“I give it two thumbs up, or five stars,” said Noelle Burgess Simms, age 8, who attends Fairmount Park Elementary School in West Seattle. That said, she didn’t like that she could easily log herself off with a mishap of the mouse.

Miles Mason, age 6, also noted tech woes.

“I like going to school better, because then you don’t have to push the unmute button,” Miles said. “All you have to do is raise your hand.”

The students missed, almost to a person, recess and lunch.

Ben D’Amico, an 8 year old at Madrona Elementary said lunch and recess meant seeing friends. “Now I’m just cuddling my dogs, and watching TV,” he said.

Keila Santos, 17, a senior at University Prep in north Seattle, said she, too, misses some social aspects of in-person school.

Last year before the shutdown, she was rehearsing for a school talent show. She and some classmates would perform her favorite song – “Weird Fishes” by Radiohead.

“That’s not possible to do online,” Keila said.

But she said a pro has been more free time. Keila lives in Burien, and would wake at 5:45 a.m. to catch the bus to school. Now she studies during breaks between online classes, finishing her schoolwork by early afternoon.

Avery Hellrung, an 8 year old at Madrona Elementary, has so far delighted in online school.

“I like that I can do funny stuff with my camera,” she said. “I can make big gallery view, or a small gallery view. On my mommy and mama’s computer, they can put backgrounds on.”

Avery was delighted to discover Together Mode on Microsoft Teams, which superimposes faces over seats in a classroom.

“It was kinda funny,” she said, but not like the real thing. “In my real classroom there are seats and desks and cubbies and a white board and a carpet and stuff like that.”

In Everett, sisters Emma and Sylvia do school at a community center. Their mother is a nurse at EvergreenHealth Hospital in Kirkland, an early epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.

“Zoom is the worst thing that ever happened to my life,” said Sylvia, age 7. “It’s glitchy and guzzy and weird. And sometimes people close their eyes and have this weird face on their face, and they get frozen for 20 minutes.”

Emma, age 10, said studying at a community center has made distance learning more distracting.

“People are rude to you, and the counselors don’t really pay attention,” she said.

But Emma said that on a scale of 1 to 10, she gave online school a 6.

“It’s okay,” she said. “There’s a lot of room for improvement. I’m not sure I’m going to stay sane through the process.”

The students all said they feel connected to their friends.

They meet with friends online, through online gaming, Messenger Kids, Google Duo, texting, Skype and Zoom. And they hang out in small groups, riding their bikes, and going on walks.

Idan Pressman, age 11, said he’s more social than ever. Idan attends Jane Adams Middle School in northeast Seattle and has many online friendships. “One of them lives in South Korea,” he said.

Idan said that online friendships can be easier than in middle school, notorious for its complex social structures. “As long as you have one friend, that friend might have other friends,” he said.

Ben Courtney, a 12 year old at St. John Catholic School on Phinney Ridge, said he would still prefer to attend school.

“I’m a big talker,” Ben said. “There’s no one to talk to besides my parents, but they don’t count because they’re boring.”

Challenged on this point, he said that his parents could hear him and were laughing.

“I’ve been stuck with them the last several months,” he deadpanned. “You get bored if you see the same four people the last four months.”

How to succeed at online school:

“Just pretend that you’re watching your favorite show except that it isn’t just rotting your brains out.” – Ben D’Amico, age 8

“Remove any distractions. Move your phone away so that you can’t access it. When you take a break, take a walk.” – Ben Courtney, age 12

“Make sure you are muted. If you're not muted and your mom is asking you something, like ‘Idan, do the laundry, do the dishes,’ the teacher is going to give you that look that everyone hates, and it's going to be really embarrassing.” – Idan Pressman, age 11

“Even if it doesn’t work, keep trying. Because it’s good to keep trying. You can get frustrated, but you should never give up.” – Avery Hellrung, age 8