With the world on lockdown and dealing with a global pandemic caused by COVID 19 and nearly all the nation’s schools closed, it has not stopped any of us from working round clock to arrange social services and stand up to some kind of distance learning program. In the light of this scenario, CT Public School has taken a holistic approach by shouldering the responsibility of empowering the students with knowledge and keeping them abreast with the latest syllabus by providing them a platform where they can be in touch with their teachers and mentors through online learning.
CTPS believes that during a closure, communication between administrators, staff, parents and students is more important than ever as everyone’s anxiety is high and channels of communication need to be frequent and clear. Therefore educators are strenuously working to identify more and more key practices for successful online learning by reorganizing the school schedule. Teachers are sending online learning material, notes, worksheets and practice assignments to the students in the morning whereby they have the afternoons to work independently and interact with their teachers.
In extreme circumstances like an impromptu closure, it’s tempting for the teachers to upload worksheets for students to complete and return. Efforts are being made to make these online classes as engaging as the classroom experience (if not more) so that the students do not suffer.
This online learning is planned in such a way that it should never be an excuse to assign busy work, but rather to address clear engaging learning objectives.
The children need time to adjust and cope up with the emergency caused due to this deadly virus. Therefore they are provided with manageable and achievable goals to work on each week. Teachers take their feedback and communicate with them frequently.
Keeping in mind that parents might either be working from home and unable to help much, lesson plans are designed in a manner that does not require a lot of support from parents. In fact, parents are also provided with guidance on how they can support their kids in online learning.
It’s similar to homeschooling, however, the biggest challenge is parents supervising what their kids are supposed to be doing and at what time. In this regard, parents are also guided.
One of the best things that CTPS has done to support parents is streamlining information by creating broadcast groups for all the assignments, schedules and expectations.
It may be a little harder for students to follow classroom assignments when you are not there face to face. So online instructions are kept short, simple and clear. Students and parents are urged to prepare testimonials. The staff is encouraged to work effectively from home and therefore teachers are also creating blogs and writing articles on various issues.
Children are encouraged to read books and newspapers and listen to the news. Helping our children become a reader is the most important thing that we can do to help the child to succeed in school-and in life. The importance of reading simply can’t be overstated. Reading helps children in all school subjects. More important, it is the key to lifelong learning.
CT Public School will not leave any stone unturned to bridge the gap and the adverse effects of coronavirus on education.
(Daljeet Singh, Principal, CT Public School, Jalandhar, Punjab)
