5 Ways To Assist Children With Transition To Online Classes

Achin Bhattacharyya Dec 23, 2020

The current situation around the globe has changed our ways of life in every possible arena, Education has been one of the most affected areas with schools being shut for a long time. However, thanks to technology and the dedication of our teachers, schooling is on.

Since children cannot travel to seek education, education has come to their doorstep in a much bigger way.

Digital education which has been around for quite some time as a supplement to Chalk and Talk pedagogy has suddenly become the new normal.

Today when we are almost inching towards completing a year into the pandemic, and most offices have reopened with employees going to offices, at least on a rotational basis, schools by and large are still closed.

The pandemic has forced all of us to come out of our comfort zones and rethink and re-evaluate each and every comfort and convention that we are so used to.

It has acted as a catalyst and fast tracked technology adoption like never before, however it has not been easy for children to stay away from their friends, teachers and playgrounds for such a long period of time.

Studying from screen and meeting friends and teachers on zoom, is indeed taxing and honestly the possibility of a complete restoration of status quo in near future looks remote.

As and when physical brick and mortar schooling resumes, it is almost certain to be accompanied by online classes as well, in short it will most probably be a hybrid model which will optimise the outcome.

So, how do we facilitate this inevitable transition and make it seamless and enjoyable for children as well as empower our teachers.

Respect for individual learning curve

Digital content is edited sharply and helps in getting a very quick grip in terms of covering the topic from a macro perspective.

Also it gives students the flexibility of studying at their own pace as they may choose to go slow or speed up based on their level of understanding on a particular topic.

Thus allowing a child to study at his or her own pace, is absolutely essential for a smooth transition.

Teacher is irreplaceable

Curated content from digital learning portals can be used for initiating engaging and insightful discussions.

Also they ensure instant connection with a topic with features like storytelling format, beautiful handmade illustrations, background music etc.

Teachers can then use this as a basis and take the discussion forward with their students and help in understanding the topic even better, by answering their queries or moderating and facilitating various group activities online which promotes peer to peer learning.

Not letting monotony set in

It's important not to let monotony and boredom set in, shuffling between different subjects help as studying one subject continuously at times leads to dip in interest levels.

Also, whether it is classroom at school or digital lessons at home the basic ways of learning will never change, its important to pen down and focus on key takeaways from a particular lesson.

Being careful with open source content

Unless the content is mapped to syllabus, there is always a risk of it being for a separate age group of students.

A topic like Shakespear’s Julious Caesar may be taught at various levels starting from class ten to masters, naturally the level of in depth coverage and the intent of covering it in syllabus may vary considerably.

Thus parental or teachers supervision is absolutely necessary while studying from any open source platform where children have uncontrolled access to a variety of content which can be uploaded by anyone anywhere.

Going through customised and curated content which is specifically designed by a reliable edtech portal, is much safer as it takes into account various factors like age, degree of mental maturity,requirements of the syllabus etc.

Having Fun

Many of the lifestyle changes that the current situation has brought in are involuntary, however it is very important to keep a cheerful disposition and a positive attitude.

Interactive online education helps in identifying strengths and developmental needs so as to accordingly formulate the recipe for success.

Online digital platforms provide opportunity to practice in a faceless environment without being judged by anyone and with no perception baggage of past performances. You only compete with yourself for a better tomorrow.

Online self study is indeed an immersive experience, almost like meditating.