Schools following Central Board of Secondary Education pattern have started engaging students in online mode to make productive use of their indoor confinement due to the lockdown.
An elaborate circular was sent to principals by CBSE Chairperson Anita Karwal earlier this month describing the way forward in embracing technology for online interface between teachers and students. However, school heads are, by and large, not certain about how things would work out in real time situation.
The purpose is well understood. But we find ourselves in a blind alley. Implementation of suggestions do not seem practical, a senior principal said. Citing the loss of academic days, the circular stressed the role of principals in reinventing educational processes and devising creative methods. The mandate is to develop creative and innovative teaching and learning materials such as activity-based worksheets, projects that can be done at home; activities that can generate a flood of curiosity; art, sport and music integrated learning modules; and online classes to build capacities of teachers to open up their minds to creativity.
The CBSE sought to remind the principals through the circular that this is the time to build a synergy between home environment and school environment, by working alongside parents to understand the unique attributes of each child: temperament, interests, habits, mindset and inclinations. The CBSE expects parents to guide students to do projects on human-human, human-nature and nature-nature interface by simple observations from daily lives. The circular advocates a role for children in the kitchen work as well.
Alongside cooking, they can learn STEM (a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines: science, technology, engineering and mathematics, in an interdisciplinary and applied approach) through classification, organisation, quantities, proportions, thermal conductivity, chemical reactions, audits, optimisation, hygiene, timing, nutrition, and many more. They will also learn about interdependence, collaboration and joy in community work, the circular states.
‘We are asked to coordinate the activities of teachers. But teachers cannot sync online classes with the routine timetable. We are advised to be mindful of physical and emotional needs of students while introducing online classes. But, it is simply impossible for teachers to adopt different approaches for every individual student,’ another principal said.
Nevertheless, school heads are making use of Internet and social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook groups, and emails for daily guidance and assignments. Schools have been encouraged to promote peer learning through formation of WhatsApp groups of similarly inclined students.
‘We are waiting for the alternative academic calendar being developed by National Council of Educational Research and Training,’ the school head said.
The calendar promises to enable teachers to attain learning outcomes in a joyful manner and suggest ways and means to use technology to aid and facilitate the process of learning.