EDUCATION & LEARNING :
HOW DO YOU TEACH THROUGH A PANDEMIC ?
John Ridley , Director of Learning , Tanglin Trust School
Positives :
1 . Remote learning does not have to mean ‘ online learning ’. While online tools were the key enablers for communication between students and teachers , our teachers were able to ensure a balance between online and offline tasks and maintain curriculum breadth ( including art , music , PE etc .)
2 . Independence . Overall we have been really impressed with the maturity and independence shown by students . They stepped up to the challenge and this in itself has been a significant learning experience . The use of tools such as MS Onenote , MS Teams and Google Classroom to encourage independent learning and selfmanagement is something that will certainly persist whether we are teaching face-to-face or remotely .
3 . Strong relationships and parental support . With the circuit breaker in Singapore happening half way through our school year , we were lucky that teachers had already formed excellent relationships with their classes . This helped teachers to tailor activities appropriately for the class – and helped to motivate students .
4 . Technology that made live lessons possible . Zoom and MS Teams enabled us to quickly ramp up the number of live lessons available so all students were able to access at least two live sessions per day . Teaching from home through video conferencing was a brand new experience for our teachers but even as novices , these tools added a very important dimension to the remote learning provision . Having used them for the emergency remote learning we are continuing to develop our effective skills and lessons for this medium .
Challenges :
1 . Social interactions . Learning is largely a social activity and we still believe that the most effective lessons will be faceto-face , in class groups that encourage discussion and where teachers can pick up on non-verbal communication . Most students coped well with the challenge of being physically isolated from friends and teachers but some found it difficult . Zoom and MS Teams enabled class teachers to check in with their classes – and our School Counsellors were also able to ‘ Zoom ’ with those that needed extra support . However , this will always be a challenge when the campus is closed .
2 . Monitoring and feedback . Online tools are great enablers in sharing work and getting feedback , but it ’ s impossible to replicate a teacher walking around the classroom , giving instant feedback and encouragement . On the other hand , this is what forces the greater independence , which is no bad thing .