The Cornhusker Driving School made changes to their usual classroom when people began to self-quarantine. Instead of shutting down, they figured out a way to continue offering the class. Rather than having class in their classroom located on 108th and Maple street, they currently teach students, 14-18 years old, over Zoom. They also took each student out separately when it was time to do the driving portion of their test.
“I think parents are appreciative that we have stayed open and continued to keep things as normal as possible,” driving instructor Ms. Anna Venditte said. “This is new territory for us all, but at the end of the day, teens are still going to want their license so I hope things continue to get better. We have been cleaning the cars and accommodating as best as we can. We are very lucky that we have been able to stay open, I know some businesses didn’t have a choice and my heart goes out to them.”
Before quarantine, people did not have to do their drivers ed over Zoom. Instead, they would go to a classroom full of other students and be taught. These classes were usually over a longer period of time with shorter hours during the day. Using Zoom, it was three Saturdays in a row, but from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It also may be easier to do it over Zoom than in person because no one is monitoring the students to see if they are cheating or actually paying attention.
“I think it was every day for two weeks and two hours each day,” senior Chelsea Anderson said. “I think kids have to pay a lot more attention and they can’t be distracted on their phones in class like they can be while they’re on Zoom. I also think that you’d probably get a lot more out of it when you do it in class because they can give you tests and stuff and that you can’t cheat on, so you actually have to learn it.”
Although no one can say for sure if doing drivers ed through Zoom is easier or harder than doing it in a classroom, everyone has their own opinions about it. Some people think that it is less effective or students do not do their homework through Zoom and online classes, but others think that it is easier instead of having to go into an actual classroom each time.

“It is honestly about the same,” driving instructor Ms. Venditte said. “I am keeping the curriculum the same, the only difference is we aren’t in the classroom setting. However, I have found the Zoom classes are more work for me. It is more work because you have to keep the students on pace, and some students think deadlines on assignments don’t matter so I have to keep emailing and texting to make sure they are getting everything done on time. If we were in the classroom they have no choice but to work since they can’t procrastinate like they can at home.”
Even though students are no longer allowed in the classroom, Cornhusker Driving School still made arrangements to let students access their classes through Zoom. During the time that these students are learning, they must complete the homework online and do their driving portions one on one. Some think that doing classes online makes it easier to not get assignments done on time and pay less attention, but others think that teaching over Zoom is almost the same as being in a classroom setting.