Neither rain, sleet, snow, or hail should keep AP students must not get behind on schoolwork.

Teachers emphasize the importance of checking Blackboard and e-mail in the event that school is canceled. Keeping this in mind during our extended weekend due to Hurricane Sandy, I dutifully logged onto Blackboard, entering my student number and password, navigating the labyrinth of courses and folders.  I found nothing, save for a few bleak words in the center of the screen: “Folder empty,” or, “No items found.”

I am fully prepared to do my work provided that my teachers update me on what is due. When school is canceled, I find that I have more time than I can fill up with work and I would much rather do the assignments if they are posted sooner rather than later. I am sure I am not alone when I say that I would rather do one extra assignment or read one extra chapter in my textbook than not be prepared for the impending AP exams this spring.

We are living in a world where everything we do is done electronically. Shouldn’t this be extended to school as well? We are already allowed to use cell phones between classes and during lunch and computer access is nearly universal. I have all the materials I need to complete my assignments at my fingertips. So when I actually seek extra work for a change, I am frustrated with my fruitless searches on inactive Blackboard sites and my empty e-mail inbox.

I am not condemning my teachers, nor am I criticizing them. I know that they are busy with multiple AP and honors classes to prepare for, endless stacks of tests to grade, and have their own daily lives to carry out. In fact, I am eternally grateful to my thoughtful and considerate teachers who already post all the materials on Blackboard and send e-mails out frequently.

It is so easy to keep students in the know, to keep them informed and ensure that they are keeping up with their work and are prepared for the AP exam. The last thing I want is to be unprepared come May and have only a mostly read textbook with a few chapters left at the end because of snow days that got class behind.

I don’t require or even demand that my teachers meticulously update Blackboard, I just ask that they send out quick e-mails at least to let students know what they need to do for the next class whenever class is cancelled.

The silence worries more than it relieves me and I want to open up more communication with teachers. Since we live in a digital age, it just makes sense.