Students are often unable to attend class due to field trips, sickness, college visits, or other commitments.  Of course, they are responsible for making up all missed work, but it’s often difficult to have a complete understanding of the lesson without the teacher’s instruction.  Deadlines wait for no one and expectations are high, so it is by no means easy for students to catch up on missed lesson, especially if they have a limited number of off periods.  Therefore, it is in the students’ and teachers’ best interests for the teachers to record classes for students who are absent.

If students have the option to watch their lectures online, they will not have to seek one-on-one instruction during extra help.  They also get the same opportunities as students in class to master the material.  As a result, students will not find themselves struggling to not fall behind in class and can effectively complete homework as well as other assignments. Recordings can be beneficial even for students who are present in class and just need to revisit parts of the lesson.

“Students who get notes from other friends or students may not get the entire lecture or may have difficulty figuring out messy handwriting and information,” said sophomore Ashley O’Neill.  “Teachers can explain things better than notes often can.”

Furthermore, it would not be expensive for our district to support recording classes. Most classrooms already have SMART boards, which have the ability to record what is being taught on the board as well as tape exactly what is being debated during class discussions.

“Teachers should record classes for absent students because it gives students a chance to see and understand what went on in class that day instead of being blindsided when they get back to school,” said junior Rebecca Orlick.

What are the cons of recording lessons? There are hardly any. Students won’t miss out on valuable information and class discussions.

“Education is the most important thing, and it is much easier for students to learn from their teacher than from messy notes from another classmate,” said junior Emma Klein.

Moreover, the constant changes in curriculum, especially in STEM subjects, are very different than what was taught when our parents were growing up.  For example, most math problems are solved using methods unknown to parents or guardians.  Therefore, it is often difficult for them to help their children who are struggling with their homework if they are unfamiliar with process their child learned in class.  However, if classes were recorded and made accessible, parents or guardians could effectively help students with their homework.