How the AVID Program is Adjusting to COVID
Photo courtesy of Fernanda Villalba
Class of 2019-2020 AVID students pose for group picture. This was taken prior to the pandemic, where AVID students still partook in on-campus learning.
September 20, 2020
The AVID program, like many others, has created adjustments to adhere with the COVID Crisis.
Recognized nationally, the AVID program has helped numerous students find guidance and preparation for college. On normality, this preparation would include in-class discussion, including bonding time with other classmates, which is now not an option.
Students have been meeting via google meet or zoom, and are discussing similar, if not the same in-class topics. These sessions are nonetheless helpful, but the reality of this experimental, online process, is definitely evident.
“We’re in breakout rooms for five to ten minutes where we talk about an assignment. It’s helpful but it almost seems like we lost our connection, we don’t talk to each other as much anymore so Mr. Bracamontes is trying to get us to collaborate more,” said Elizabeth Smerker, a junior AVID student.
Everyone is adjusting to this online process, so these obstacles are not exclusive to AVID. Talking through a screen is in no way the same as a face-to-face interaction, but with time and practice, students and teachers should find greater comforts working both individually and collaboratively online.
“I am very proud of how much we have been able to accomplish so far in just a few weeks,” said Mrs. Lintz, co-teacher of the sophomore AVID class.
Although AVID’s goals remain the same, the program has made a few adjustments. More time is now spent helping students stay on track, as virtual learning can be nonetheless stressful and in some cases demotivational.
AVID students can also expect to start student-led tutorials for the first time, and can cancel out community work, in which 30 hours of service is normally required per semester.
Additional changes, if needed, will all be made for the purpose of helping students find success both in college and life moving forward, preventing the current situation from hindering the AVID program’s motives.
With a positive attitude and willingness to help and work collaboratively, students and teachers alike can definitely achieve success via online learning.
