Coronavirus has affected how many classes operate, including Diana Beebe’s first-semester photography class.

Veteran teacher Diana Beebe believes that COVID-19 has negatively impacted the class due to the loss of resources and inability to meet some of the class’s requirements. She said, “I don’t have the ability to give kids immediate feedback, like kids would take pictures and show me. Plus, all the kids were using cameras when we were in school, [but] now [they] are all using different devices.

“In normal circumstances, [the students] would all be using the school-provided professional cameras and lighting equipment but now [they] don’t have those resources to use at home,” she said.

Payton Brown is a student in Beebe’s 7th-period class and admits she’d prefer to be in-person learning for this class. She said, “A lot of the equipment that we are supposed to be using is now limited to whatever we have at home; and like most people, I don’t have much to work with.”

Beebe thinks one of the biggest impacts on the class is the fact that materials had to be taken out of the curriculum because students don’t have the correct programs simply on their Chromebooks without having to pay. She said, “Not having the ability to have the class using photoshop and learn photoshop and editing has been problematic. Learning Photoshop is a big part of the class and this year we had to just limit it to whatever you can get for free on your iPhones and Chromebooks and change the guidelines.”

Another student of Beebe’s 7th period class is Kyle Gleba who feels that being online is a struggle for him. He said, “I think in-person is easier because there aren’t many different locations in my house to get the right photos for the assignments that I am getting.”

Brown considers that a huge downside of this class being online is that there is a loss of materials for the students to use to enhance their photo. She said, “I think it isn’t too bad but it would definitely be easier if it were in-person, so we have the proper materials for the class.”

Beebe also believes there are some advantages to the class being online like originality. She said, “The photos from your homes are more interesting and independent verses when we were just in the building and you guys just took photos around here.”

According to Gleba, another advantage this semester is the block schedule. He said, “With the schedule we have, I have two days to complete an assignment so if I want to get more interesting photos than something just in my house, I can drive to the park or go somewhere other than just my house.”

However, Brown thinks having an online photography class is “just a little sad” because it’s not like any other course. “Compared to an English class where you read and write which is simple to do from your house on a computer, the arts classes need a lot of materials and unless it is a digital art class, they are mandatory.”