Not all have resources to make e-learning work

I'm an experienced babysitter. I regularly take care of my neighborhood's children, and last Saturday as I prepared a meal of corn dogs and cantaloupe for three elementary schoolers, I asked them their thoughts on e-learning. They groaned, as most children do at the mention of school and expressed their distaste for the current situation.

I agreed. Being a high school senior, I understand the challenges of learning through a piece of glass and metal, existing in isolation and processing a lecture through a screen. But, soon after dinner, the youngest girl, a first-grader, lept up from her chair with excitement and eagerly ran into the other room to show me the desk her mother had set up for her for online school. It was small and sweet, a short little desk with a cup of pencils and markers, motivational posters taped to the surrounding wall, and a nametag adhered to the desk, much like an actual classroom.

But, in this moment of innocence, I couldn't help but think of her classmates, the young students who may be left behind because in-person public school was a safe haven for them. Childhood is a time where one learns and grows so much, elementary school being an integral part of it. With it now closed, a lot of students are forced to learn in an environment that does not meet their educational and developmental needs.

This young girl I was babysitting had the best possible situation: a supportive family, a clean and quiet workspace and a strong internet connection. It's important to recognize that functional e-learning is a privilege, and without the resources in-person educational systems have to offer, many students run the risk of being left behind.

Gracie Brown

Arlington Heights