WhatsApp, YouTube being used to impart lessons to students.
New Delhi: In view of the recent outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic across the globe, leading to a 21-day lockdown in India, many schools in Delhi have started taking the help of technology to teach students while they stay at their homes.
Schools in Delhi have taken the help of internet-based messaging application WhatsApp and video streaming application YouTube to impart lessons to students, especially students from class IX, X, XI and XII.
Some schools in Delhi that have taken such initiatives includes Queen Mary’s Tis Hazari, Springdales School Pusa Road, Montford Senior Secondary school Ashok Vihar, Delhi Public School (DPS) Mathura Road, Convent of Jesus and Mary’s, St. Columbus, among many others.
These schools are reaching out to their students regularly on WhatsApp where the respective teachers have created a class group on the internet-based messaging application. The respective subject teachers have been tasked to regularly upload course materials, PDF files of some of the chapters or lessons from respective subjects, including explanations and notes.
Teachers are also recording videos of the coursework in a simulated classroom from their homes and uploading them on YouTube for students to watch them and have a better understanding of the subjects. Some schools have also developed an interactive application for students and teachers’ interaction which works like a simulated classroom.
Some other schools have created websites and video links for students to explain more technical subjects like Physics and Chemistry for senior school students.
According to the schools, teachers are also taking care of the fact that many would not be having high speed internet for which separate voice notes with explanations of the subject and course works are being regularly uploaded and sent to students on WhatsApp.
The schools say that they have started with the course of the senior classes as of now owing to the fact that their syllabus are lengthy and that, particularly, the board appearing classes of X and XII need to finish their course work by January.
The principal of a school in north Delhi, who did not wish to be named, told The Sunday Guardian, “We have started with the coursework for our senior classes through the online medium because as you know, Classes 10 and 12 will be appearing for board examinations and the total teaching time period is short for these classes and this crucial time cannot be wasted by these students sitting at home idle. Our teachers have devised innovative methods of recording and uploading videos of each subject on the class WhatsApp group every week so that the students, while they are at home, go through them and later assignments are given to the students to complete them.”
“Each section has its own WhatsApp group where their respective subject teachers are also there and any student who has any problem in understanding anything can directly call up the teacher and the teacher would be available on call to help and explain to the students,” the principal of the school added.
The schools are also taking this time of the students to assign them with practical and project work, which was otherwise assigned to them during the summer breaks.
“Classes X and XII have to submit assignments and project work as part of the CBSE curriculum which contains significant marks so the teachers also assign them to do these works while they are at home,” the principal of the school in north Delhi, who did not wish to be named, added.
Springdales School Pusa Road is another such school that pioneered the using of technology to reach out to its students during this time.
The school has not only used technology to upload coursework for its students, but also has devised various innovative means to keep its junior classes and other students engaged during this time.
Dr Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Principal of Springdales School Pusa Road, told The Sunday Guardian, “The most important aspect of the challenge we are facing is strengthening families emotionally. I have sent out personal video talks to support families so that they know that an entire institution is behind them. We have used audio recording features, arranged discussions in small groups and recorded lectures, podcasts, and generated video links. We are using WhatsApp as a teaching-learning tool. We have created broadcast groups and are sending out material from classes preparatory to 12 in a phased manner, keeping in mind the amount of course students would ordinarily cover by 15 April.”
“Other than teaching material, there are a lot of creative story telling videos, recreational games, puzzles, family together work model ideas for journaling; diary keeping seniors have been given projects they can do indoors. Essentially keeping the young educationally emotionally and socially engaged has truly become a parent-school partnership,” Dr Wattal added.