Page 22 - EducationWorld June 2020

Education Briefs

and basic necessities for students and parents. Our teachers, too, are satisfied screen fatigue and eye strain. Moreover,
families experiencing financial down- with their professional development we are in constant touch with the par-
turn during the lockdown period. The and students’ learning outcomes. We ents to address their issues and incor-
school also conducts weekly webinars also mandate sufficient breaks between porate their feedback,” says Sarbari
to share valuable insights with all virtual classes so students don’t suffer Brahma, principal, GIS.
stakeholders.
“When the entire country went into
an abrupt lockdown due to the novel
coronavirus pandemic, our first prior- Covid-19 Education Warriors
ity was to safeguard the health of the
school community. By discerning op-
portunity in these lockdown challeng- K.V. Arjun Rao, principal, JBCN
es, we quickly adapted to new pedago- International, Oshiwara, Mumbai
gies to ensure continuous learning for
our students and smooth sailing for all nder the leadership of principal
our stakeholders,” says Usha Iyer, UK.V. Arjun Rao, the Cambridge
principal, TGSB. International (UK) and IB (Geneva)-
affiliated JBCN International School
Griffins International School, (JBCNIS), Oshiwara has designed in-
Kharagpur novative online teaching-learning so-
lutions by leveraging ICT and digital
n the wake of the novel coronavirus platforms to ensure learning continu-
Ipandemic outbreak and subsequent ity of its students during the Covid-19
national lockdown, the management of induced national lockdown.
Griffins International School (GIS) has “Our teachers have stepped up to
ensured learning continuity for all stu- challenges of the pandemic by putting
dents by designing innovative online students’ interests first. Within days,
teaching-learning solutions supported they tested multiple digital platforms
by proven digital learning platforms. to upload successful online teaching-
GIS conducted its first live virtual class learning pedagogies. Credit must also Enrichment Team regularly conducts
for class X students on March 26 and be given to our technical and admin- online optimism classes for students
soon provided online learning to all, istrative teams for facilitating our and parents. A weekly newsletter with
including primary school children. smooth transition to digital education. positive affirmations and exercises is
Highlights of GIS’ virtual learning They have been quickly fixing techni- also circulated to maintain the men-
programme include: cal glitches and working with service tal health and psychological balance
Faculty training. GIS teachers are providers to resolve issues immedi- of students. The school’s career coun-
periodically provided ICT skills training ately and effectively,” says K.V. Ar- seling department also publishes a
to enable them to conduct high quality jun Rao, an alum of Delhi University, monthly newsletter focusing on ca-
virtual classes and prepare learning re- IGNOU and University of St. Andrews reer relevant information for senior
sources and lectures. Webinars are also (Scotland) with close to two decades students.
conducted for teachers to hone their of teaching and admin experience in Class X learner initiatives. With
skills and keep them abreast of the lat- the country’s top ranked (The Doon cancellation of the global IGCSE exam
est trends in online teaching-learning. School, Dehradun, Oakridge Inter- of Cambridge International (UK),
Physical and extra-curricular ed- national, Bangalore and Hyderabad) class X students are encouraged to
ucation. Videos on physical exercise schools. ideate video tutorials for skills train-
for students to follow at home are also Synchronous virtual learning. ing in sports, art and design, music,
shared by teachers. Under their teach- Synchronous live classes for second- fitness and knowledge for the benefit
ers’ guidance, students also celebrated ary and IBDP students commenced on of younger learners.
Rabindra Jayanti and Mother’s Day the first day of the nationwide lock- Virtual PTM. A record 142 online
online. down and were gradually extended to parent teacher interactions were con-
“Despite the challenges of moving class VI-X students. Primary learners ducted over a span of six hours.
to online pedagogies, it has been an ex- also switched to live, synchronous “All our stakeholders have re-
cellent learning experience and we are classes within two weeks of the lock- sponded to the pandemic lockdown
overwhelmed with the positive feedback down. with great resilience. Our parent com-
we are receiving from students and Counseling support. The school’s munity has aided the school to ensure

22 EDUCATIONWORLD JUNE 2020