On March 20th, 2020, students worldwide were told the news that there would be a 2-week lockdown due to a virus called Coronavirus. This lockdown ended up lasting 2 years, and children were forced to take online classes. The lockdown made it difficult for students to get used to in-person classes, and many changes were made.
Ever since the pandemic, there has been a large increase in the use of digital education tools. Platforms like Canvas, Google Classroom, Edpuzzle, and others have been utilized more often than ever. The article “Rewiring the Classroom: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Transformed K-12 Education,” explains how, “Before COVID-19, many schools were easing into the digital age. The switch to remote learning in March 2020 forced schools to fully embrace Learning Management Systems (LMS), Zoom, and educational software almost overnight.”
Eighth-grader Ganeev Brar discusses another factor she recognized when we returned to school. “I haven’t really noticed anything super different, but there’s definitely been more talk about mental health.”
The pandemic triggered an increase in mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. This is often due to the use of social media. Social media can lead to loss of sleep, addiction, and cyberbullying, affecting minors’ mental health. Because of this, schools provide various ways to support students.
Eighth grader Mrithula Vivek Krishna explains why she thinks children have increased their social media use since Covid. “A lot more people are using social media because they didn’t get the chance to interact with people during Covid.”
When in-person learning started again, reading and math scores had dropped. Schools responded to this by adapting to new schedules and programs. Teachers discovered various digital tools that made students more engaged in learning, such as platforms like Kahoot and Blooket. These websites are similar to video games, causing students to be more excited to learn. While digital learning tools have impacted education, they have also been used for students to cheat. Many AI platforms like the popular ChatGPT are used to provide answers to homework questions, and can also be used to write a whole essay. Fallon is trying to prevent this by using plagiarism detection tools and blocking any websites that can be used for cheating.
Even as schools return to their normal routines, these digital changes are still a big part of education in 2025. Schools are making the adjustments necessary to improve learning for students. Although it took a long time for students to adjust, they are adapting to school again.
Sources:
Rewiring the classroom: How the COVID-19 pandemic transformed K-12 education
