LEARNING DURING THE PANDEMIC
The Covid-19 pandemic, leading to the closure of schools initially, and their re-opening to limited numbers now, has changed the way in which schooling and learning is presented, probably forever.
New approaches are required, to prepare our students and teachers for these challenges and opportunities, not just with a tech-based approach but more importantly with a new mindset for the future of schooling and learning as a whole. Elkanah House introduced G Suite or Google for Education a number of years ago - long before the current situation was a reality for schools.
We have always believed that the future of education will evolve and requires an open mindset, not only by teaching beyond the curriculum but also by using new tech-driven tools and a shift towards online teaching, when appropriate to do so. We started this journey many years ago, but more intentionally in 2014 when we launched our 1:1 iPad programme (which has since been extended into the High school, up to Grade 12), with an emphasis on equipping the pupils with skills to use their devices creatively, use the internet effectively, and the etiquette and ethics of being online, promoting digital citizenship.
When the country went into lockdown, Elkanah House was in many respects ahead of the curve and was able to transition to online/distance learning with relative ease. Due to our familiarity with the Google Suite and continued staff training over the years, we were able to implement our online learning programme quickly and effectively. Google Classroom is a popular platform for teaching, and we have been giving tasks and collecting student work from Grade 4 up since the outset of our Google journey, with the younger grades being exposed to it in a more measured way during weekly IT lessons.
When we were required to go online at short notice, it was a fairly simple and smooth transition for staff and students alike and the fact that our students from Grade 4 to Grade 12 all had their own devices was particularly helpful. While the learning curve was steeper for some than others, our staff adapted quickly and worked hard to contribute towards the success of this programme. As a result, although we were in lockdown, all teaching and learning continued for our pupils. Google proved to be a stable platform during this intense lockdown time, which added to the success of the programme. The price of data, and the poor connectivity in many areas, presented challenges to some of the students but we adapted to this by making our videos as data-friendly as possible in terms of usage. Lessons are also asynchronous, which means they can be watched later, at times better suited to those who face data challenges.
The changeover to this new way of teaching and learning is a journey, not a destination. We can take lessons learned from online learning, along with the proven strengths of face to face teaching, and find ways to merge them in a way that will enhance the educational offering to each child.
The whole process worked, thanks to the amazing staff at Elkanah House and the efforts they have taken to make their lessons interesting and engaging, whilst online.
