In an attempt to make online classes feel more interconnected between students and teachers, CESJDS has invested in many new online resources for specific departments. 

It can be hard for students to feel excited about schoolwork while in online classes over Zoom, so JDS purchased new online platforms to help make classes more enjoyable and efficient for students and teachers. Some of these new products include IXL, a program used for math classes, Kami, which helps make PDF documents more collaborative and Labster, a website that can enable students to conduct virtual science labs.

Science Teacher Emma Lucore is very fond of Labster and believes that it is enhancing her students’ learning experience.

“Labster is this lab simulation software that our school has access to this year that’s really high quality, and the graphics are really cool,” Lucore said. “It’s a good thing to have in place of actually being able to be together and do labs in person. 

Along with science classes, the math and Hebrew departments both have been using the new online resources numerous times. Also, JDS is now utilizing some resources that the school has previously used.

“We’ve added something called Nearpod [in it’s premium version]… and they’ve definitely expanded their premium features,” Director of Instructional Technology Ginger Thornton said. “One of the things we’ve done is taken things that we’ve used in their free versions in the past and now we’re using the premium versions much more.”

Art teachers also have to come up with creative new ways to do artwork while at home.

Sophomore Lindsay Shell is taking ceramics this year despite not being able to do much of what the class could do last year. 

“Normally in class we would use clay and pots on the wheel, and since we’re not doing that we do more art. We do a lot of drawings and art projects,” Shell said. “We also look at people’s work and give critiques and what we like and what could have been improved.”

There are many restrictions on what a teacher can do simply on Zoom, but these new online learning platforms could possibly make it a more positive experience for the time being. Also, these resources can continue to be used even more once school moves back to the building. 

“I think even once this is all over and we’re back in the building in a more normal way I think a lot of these products will continue,” Thornton said. “I do foresee us continuing to use several of them.”