7.31.2020 - First Semester Reflection

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Despite this year only being the second year of LE with Mr. Paterson, it was very unprecedented as the Corona Virus hit waves into Japan, causing a majority of schools in Tokyo to shut down or ensure social distancing in students. This meant that our school also had to take initiative as well, therefore limiting the number of students available in a day. For LE especially, it was hard for there to be effective lessons because most involve major teamwork and presentations. The fact that we didn't present at all was a weird sensation, so it was very difficult to cope with the new environment. However, throughout the semester, I was able to venture out my skills because we weren't restricted to only oral assessment work.

For the work that we did in Teams, I felt comfortable learning through a computer screen, and to hear Mr. Paterson explaining our current homework. Especially since classes were recorded, I thought it was easier to access past information more than in real life classes. Nevertheless, working from home had its tolls, as I was at times unfocused, so some of Mr. Paterson's words had slipped out of my mind. Perhaps it was the feeling of relief that I wasn't seen and that it was being recorded which made me lazy. However, I had thought that this method would work, only if everyone in the class had access to a type of digital device.  Luckily, we were able to commence online classes, but I thought that it was unfair for other places that may lack the technology. Once classes started though, I was able to adapt to the new surroundings because even if at first we were careful with the distance, in the end, we became allowed to sit close to each other. Whether the class was halved or not, the fact that I went to school was enough for me to feel homeliness in a smaller group of students.

If planned, we would have finished our presentations by now, but due to the new time schedule, I felt that we took a lot of time on a single assignment, the essay. However, the abundance of time that we were given helped me improve my writing, as there were plenty of hours to finish it. Because of that, I was able to research from a wide variety of mediums, making it more enjoyable to create. From this, I hope that classes can focus on invigorating one topic, in order to create an in-depth and intriguing learning experience. However, this comes down to the students' and the teacher's preference, so I would like to continue learning LE while coping with the Corona Virus.



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