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A Parent’s Perspective on Enhancing the Online Classroom Experience

“Enhancing the online classroom experience” is the 96th episode of Charter School Superstars. This episode continues the “Classroom of the Future” series, which features stakeholders from Academica-supported charter schools that have implemented the Classroom of the Future. The series has featured students, principals, and even a Samsung representative. Episode 96 of Charter Schools Superstars features Homero Gonzalez, a parent whose daughter attends Pinecrest Preparatory Middle/High.

Mr. Gonzalez’s daughter has been learning via remote live instruction since schools initially closed in March of 2020. He believes that it has been a fantastic experience for his daughter because she has adapted well to the changes. He attributes this easy adaptation to the role technology has played in her life, along with many students her age, since a young age. This transition to remote learning came naturally to many students and was very exciting for Mr. Gonzalez to see.

This excitement stemmed from his belief in technology’s potential in education that he has had for many years. He alluded to the 1980s when the CD-ROM was being introduced. He recalled seeing the CD-ROM being used to explain how a combustion engine worked. The CD-ROM demonstrated a combustion engine animation, which would have likely been challenging to demonstrate on a blackboard. When Mr. Gonzalez saw this, he says that is when he realized the importance of technology for the future. Nowadays, there is more interactive technology than could have even been imagined. Students can learn substantially faster because technology has helped facilitate learning. As Mr. Gonzalez said, “the information is there—you just need to know how to get to it... You can learn anything you want with the guidance of a teacher.”

Undoubtedly, Mr. Gonzalez would support the continuation of remote learning even after the pandemic. He mentioned the clear advantage of remote education: flexibility. As he said, when a student is sick or otherwise unable to attend school, they would be able to attend school remotely and not fall behind. In the end, as Mr. Gonzalez said, though the pandemic forced schools to transition to remote instruction, the technology was there all along. All that was required was to piece it together as the Academica supported charter schools have done.

Listen to Homero Gonzalez speak about remote learning below!