As the novel coronavirus concerns ramped up, there was a big emphasis on working from home. But we soon heard, “What happens when you just can’t work remotely?”
For many office jobs, we found it was a possibility. As a graphic designer, that can be a preferred mode of working. After all, you just need a laptop and a speedy Internet connection, and you are in business. However, after two years, we’ve found there are aspects of remote work that just don’t work.
Also, there are many jobs where that just isn’t possible. Manufacturing requires workers to be at the machines and be productive. As a Graphics Manager at such a facility, I soon found I was needed at the plant. While we had some office workers off-site as a precaution, we still needed office workers there to keep the jobs moving.
While some schoolwork can be done remotely, someone has to be there to guide a child and keep him out of trouble. Someone has to be home to feed her. Sure, The parent can do that… while they are working remotely… and having their web conference with that important client… and keeping the dog quiet. What could go wrong?
We soon found out! Remote learning has been very hard for students. I feel for them. While remote employment has worked, remote learning has been very hard for kids.
Volunteers and Working Remotely
When I drew this cartoon, my wife was dealing with a few volunteers that would get flaky with her. They would be committed on Wednesday only to call from hours away on a Saturday night to say they were camping or on at their lake cabin.
We joked how fun it would be to somehow make them show up anyway with remote technology. How about a robot showing a screen of their video image? We imagined a virtual reality classroom where the absentee volunteer could still dole out snacks and tell the Bible story through a VR headset and haptic gloves. Somehow, we could never get that into the children’s ministry budget.
But when COVID came, churches were hit hard. For nearly two years, churches struggled with the question, “When is it safe to reopen?” Who would have thought it would take two years to answer that question?
There is some work and events that can be done remotely. Then there are those that lose a lot if they become remote work and events. Church and children’s workplaces and events lose a lot if they become virtual events.
Do you have a story where virtual reality worked in a classroom? How about a story where kids thought they had the day off from school only to find out they had school remotely? Share it in the comments below!
Editor’s Note: I originally published this blog on October 6, 2015. I revamped and updated it for timeliness and comprehensiveness.
