Amidst all the calamities humanity has faced, COVID -19 has been a driving force in writing a completely new chapter in the world of education. Both the lives of instructors and students have changed dramatically.
Sukhneet Kaur
The pandemic has brought a forced and quick transition in the education sector. During the onslaught of COVID-19, when the entire world was apprehensive about the forthcoming events, teachers and school administration were preparing for the next step. The new normal of online teaching is not a sudden shift, rather it has seen a lot of experiments, discussions and sharing of lot of success stories among our YPS team. Many online training courses were held to familiarize teachers with Word, Excel, Zoom, and other software. Teachers became enthusiastic learners and their efforts have definitely paid off.
However, this transition was not easy. Both teachers and students faced many technical challenges like poor connectivity and power cuts. In many cases, students faced difficulty in managing their time with online learning and lacked self- motivation. They felt the absence of classrooms, playgrounds, canteens and friends.
Although online education has a number of drawbacks, we cannot overlook its advantages. Some of the leverages of online classes are individual attention, flexibility, personalized feedback and innovative teaching techniques. The following line explains the situation precisely- ‘Conflict is inevitable but combat is optional.’ YPS team not only showed resilience to these challenges, but also succeeded in achieving the overall development of the students.
In the past year, we had a diverse range of study programmes (via virtual platforms), career alternatives for professional qualification and opportunities for growth in a variety of disciplines of education.
The students too are encouraged to think globally by creating a stimulating environment
with other international students. This has fostered interaction and hence instilled skills such as leadership and teamwork. Yoga and aerobics lessons are offered online on a regular basis to encourage students to participate in physical activities. E-content is shared with students to make online learning more successful. Online PTMs and personalized feedback have undoubtedly aided in the development of a strong bond between the teachers and the parents. The fruits of our collaborative efforts will be visible in the following years too. Online learning had come into our lives as an unexpected guest, but it will definitely stay back with us forever. E-learning has become the new normal. It has definitely paved its way into our regular classes in the form of blended and hybrid teaching.