Online school vs real school

Recently, as a fun activity for my 6 year old daughter - my sister told her to write a small passage - 'online school' vs real (in-person) school. I didnt think of it much at the time, since I was busy doing 'online work' for my 'online office', but later on in my free time, I thought that I should write something too - my observations for perusal later so that I can laugh about it after all this is over !!

  

The initial few minutes start with each child on logging in, unmuting his microphone and yelling "Good morning teacher !!" The thing with online and telephonic meetings is that everyone has an instinctive sense of speaking louder than usual - as if contemporary technology is still from the ancient 19th century times when telephonic conversations were full of background garble and noise and so you had to speak louder.  

As it is, most kids are loud. Such type of online setup will make them doubly loud and by the end of a class, they are loud even when you speak to them in the same room and from only a foot away !!

My daughter likes school. So it is not a problem for her to stay focused and attentive. But a colleague of mine told me that after he logs in and the class begins, his son just mutes his device, turns off his camera and starts playing with his toys !! I understand because I probably would've done the same if I was young and had SFH !! 

Since most of grown ups have friends outside of the office circle also, we can do without meeting  office colleagues (Although there are a few sad ones who dont have a life outside office. For them office is their life. Well known colleagues are their only friends, bosses are their only gurus, juniors are their real children and walking in office is the only exercise they get. If a bed was arranged for them in office, they would stay there at night too !!) 

But for kids as young as 4-6 years of age, their social life truly starts and develops at school - so this kind of online thing, puts them in a shell. There is no talking when the teacher is teaching, no drawing under the desks, no muffled eating, no playing games with rubber and pencils - in short none of the things for which we used to enjoy going to school !! Its only study and listen  (if the kid decides to do that much atleast without being distracted !!) 

Lots of observations which are funny, but overall full credit to the kids. They have been very co-operative (more than was expected from them atleast !!) during the lockdown times. Being with their parents all the time is as stressful for them as it is for us to be with them all the time !! Hope it will be back to fun and friends for them soon.