7 News Belize

The Difficulty With Distance
posted (April 23, 2020)

So, viewers will definitely note that all forms of productivity, including the pursuit of education, are now taking place on the internet. 

Face-to-face meetings and interviews, for example, are now taking place via video conferencing. Businesses have bolstered their online presence to adapt to the COVID-19 threat.

But we’ve been wondering can students make the adjustment to online learning for the duration of this threat? For many years, the routine of a scholar was a rigorous week-day schedule of waking up early, attending classes for many hours, and then heading home where assignments and homework happens. Now, with the closure of schools to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, all elements of the learning process are taking place at home, via the internet.

So, we asked Jaye Wagner about how he and his peers are coping with the sudden and drastic changes in their education. Here’s how that conversation went:

Jaye Wagner - 2nd Year Student, SJCJC
"Actually, for some of the classes, we were essentially almost finished. We only had like a couple quizzes and final projects to complete. However, for some other classes, they were still teaching, and then, we kind of lost that connection between the student and the teacher physically being together. And also, there’s that loss of community, per say, where when you go to school, and you basically look forward to seeing your friends, and you look forward to learning new things. However, when you’re online, you don’t necessary feel that. You feel like time is just passing. Yes, you see your classmates, but most of the time, their cameras are off, and their microphones are off. And it’s just the teacher. And usually, you don’t want to interrupt the teacher while she’s teaching because then, she’ll have to stop, or he’ll have to stop. And then, there’s gonna be technical difficulties if they try to continue. So, it’s created a disconnect, ironically, because you’re connecting people. So, it’s been quite difficult."

Reporter
"Has it been challenging practicing responsible time management, given that you are your own auditor for your productive time?"

Jaye Wagner
"Well, for me personally, time management has actually been quite easy because I’m the type of person that likes to wake up every day and be productive, essentially. I’ve seen a common theme between my peers, and a lot of people on Twitter, Tic Toc, and Snap Chat etc., where people don’t feel comfortable with the whole new schedule thing, and they can’t really - not to say - can’t take it seriously, but they don’t have that incentive to wake up early in the morning, to go to classes - well, ‘go to classes’ - and it’s been quite a difficult adjustment for them."




Fewer Fires Most Smoke

Nasa Satellites saw fewer fires today, reporting only 42 in the San Ignacio area, that’s a 77% reduction. But those stats could be due to the overcast. And if you ask San Ignacio residents it surely was. They say the smoke was the worst ever with many blaming Guatemalan farmers and Cattle ranchers operating in the Chiquibul. 

And in a Press release today the Friends for Conservation and Development say that a PACT supported overflight conducted today reported forest fires to be quote: "ominously visible throughout the landscape with a blanket smoke descending over and covering the towns and villages." 

The FCD recommends among other measures an exchange of notes with the Guatemalan Government about the impacts of their farmers and ranchers,  The Development of a bilateral full mapping of the extent and effects caused by the fires, The institution of a Binational Forest Fire Prevention Taskforce, The Imposition of heavy fines and imprisonment on anyone one found slash and burning the forest in the protected areas, and finally the building of local capabilities to combat forest fires.




CORRECTION ON CHETUMAL

Last night we told you that Mexico had entered what its government calls “Phase 3â€￾ of the spread of the coronavirus, the most serious stage, as transmission of the virus intensifies. 

We also provided numbers for Chetumal, which were unfortunately erroneous. What we provided were Quintana Roo’s statistics which stand at 426 confirmed cases with 63 cases under investigation.

Chetumal’s actual figures are much more conservative with 12 active cases, 4 deaths, and 3 patients recovered. 

Still, with the number of coronavirus cases in our northern neighbor surging it is expected that our shared border will remain closed for some time.




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