Technical challenges mark return to online learning Windsor-Essex

The return to online learning of Ontario students saw some challenges with technology and attendance.

The province announced earlier this week that students would shift to online learning for at least two weeks as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in Omicron cases.

Jordan Morrish, who has two children attending kindergarten in Windsor, said the first day of online learning "felt kind of hectic."

"My girls loved it, though," she said. "They had fun. I kept asking them, honestly, if it was too much, if they wanted to stop, but they didn't. They were good. They were dedicated and wanted to finish the day."

For Morrish, though, the day was a bit more challenging, given the young age of her daughters.

"They still very much need constant assistance, like turning the mic on, turning the mic off, you know, fully understanding what they're doing," she said. "So I had to bounce back and forth between the two of them the whole entire time that they were online doing their school." 

Candice Girard has two sons enrolled in a Catholic elementary school in the county. One is in Grade 6, the other is in Grade 2 and is in a special education program.

"There was a lot of anxiety this morning about going online, seeing the students, getting back to the computer," she told CBC News on Wednesday.

"Our school's done a great job at trying to communicate, sending stuff home before Christmas," Girard said. "But I feel for families that don't have devices."

Mario Spagnuolo, local president of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, which represents public elementary school teachers, said he's heard teachers say they're "cautiously optimistic" about the next few weeks.

"They're happy to see kids smiling faces on the camera," he said. "Kids are happy to see their friends and classmates as well."

"We're trying to make the best of a very bad situation," Spagnuolo said. "From what I'm hearing, most people obviously would like to be in class, but they get that safety comes first."

There have been some technological challenges, however, he said.

"I'm sure there are families that struggled in the first few hours to get them logged in," he said. "Sometimes systems need updates because you haven't used it, or software needs an update on your computer if you haven't used it in a while."