TIO
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of educational sector.As the educational institutes are shut down in most parts of the world, the education community is forced to venture into academic cyberspace. Virtual education has become a necessity now. “Every faculty member is going to be delivering education online. Every student is going to be receiving education online. And the resistance to online education is going to go away as a practical matter,” James N. Bradley, chief information officer at Texas’s Trinity University, wrote in a LinkedIn post.
Fortunately, many teachers have found ways to alleviate students’ lockdown fears—and even to turn drills into positive experiences that enhance students’ sense of safety.“They feel a sense of competence. They know that the teachers have a plan, and the whole thing can make them feel quite safe,” explains Dr. Jamie Howard, a clinical psychologist and trauma specialist at the Child Mind Institute.
Earlier, digital learning was one of the tools of mainstream education. But today, it has become the only viable solution to replace classroom teaching. It offers convenient access to knowledge for students. Technological advancements of digital learning management systems, communication tools and e-learning platforms has aided to this solution. According to a recent survey, educationalists have praised this recent shift to virtual education. Platforms like Microsoft team, Zoom etc., allows them for real time feedback and provide individual attention to students.
To contain the spread of this pandemic amongst the masses, India has been under a lockdown since 24th March 2020 which has been extended till 17th May 2020. Even though this approach has been appreciated and applauded by nations all over the world, it has made vast impact on certain pillars of education. Online education has certainly extended the role of an educator. It is not only limited to developing an interest for the subject through its content. Instead, an educator must find ways to deliver the subject to its students without any physical interaction. Furthermore, online learning can sometimes make a learner feel lonely and impersonal. Thus, an educator must now serve as a great party host, felicitating interaction with and amongst students. To add on, online courses can be overwhelming for the learners with its rich and vast content. It is now the responsibility of the teacher to act as a valve for students to ease their burden.
One of the Indian educational boards, namely, The National Council of Educational Research and Training has developed an alternative academic calendar for classes XI and X, which was released by Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on 2nd May 2020. This calendar is developed to impart knowledge to students at all levels meaningfully.
The minister said, “calendar provides guidelines to teachers on the use of various technological tools and social media tools available for imparting education in fun-filled, interesting ways, which can be used by learner, parents and teachers even while at home. However, it has taken into account, the varying levels of access to such tools-Mobile, Radio, Television, SMS and various social media.”
He also added, “The fact that many of us may not have internet facility in our mobiles, or may not be able to use different social media tools- such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter and Google, the calendar advises teachers to further guide parents and students through SMS on mobile phones or mobile call. Parents are expected to help elementary-stage students to implement this calendar.”
“The calendar contains week-wise plan consisting of interesting and challenging activities, with reference to theme or chapter taken from syllabus or textbook. Most importantly, it maps the themes with the learning outcomes.The purpose of mapping of themeswith learning outcomes is to facilitate teachers/parents to assess the progress in the learning of children and also to go beyond textbooks,” emphasized Nishank.
“This calendar also gives space to the strategies of reducing stress and anxiety among teachers,students and parents. Calendar includes link for Chapter wise e-content available on the e-pathshala, NROER and DIKSHA portal of GoI.All the given activities are suggestive in nature, not prescriptive, nor is the sequence mandatory. Teachers and parents may opt to contextualize the activities and do those activities that the student shows interest in, irrespective of the sequence.”
“This will empower our students, teachers, school principals and parents to find out positive ways to deal with Covid-19 using on-line teaching-learning resources at home and in enhancing their learning outcomes,” he said.
I, myself, am an educationalist and a parent. Playing the role of a teacher and a psychologist at the same time is a need of the hour. This situation is overwhelming not only for us as educators, but also for students and their parents. Hence, listed are the few suggestions for my fellow colleagues and parents:
- Positivity is the key to success. Spreading positivity will not only boost the morale of your students but will encourage them to learn and adapt better.
- Child psychology is delicate. By patiently hearing them will help them find a confidant in you. Giving them your personal attention as a teacher or a parent will significantly improve their mental health.
- Encourage participation, collaboration, and creativity in your virtual classroom.
- Spread awareness about post corona period. Prepare them for the future by imparting the knowledge of economic depression and poverty. They need to understand the extra effort every citizen at every level will have to put in to overcome the damage caused by the pandemic and act in solidarity for betterment of human society.
This time of “lockdown” is a golden opportunity for both students and teachers. On one hand, a student can develop his/her interests and skills apart from book learning, inhibit new habits in themselves, a teacher can specialize in the field of on-line teaching, e-content, self-creation of videos, lesson plans and assignments as one day, virtual education could be the mainstream education.
-Dr. Shafali Gupta
(PhD. Political Science, Educationist)
