Modern Challenges: Pandemic Acclimatized Children VS the Schools
The pandemic brought the world to its knees, and student body across the globe also suffered as massive school closures were reported around the world. Many schools and educations systems across the nation found composure by offering online classes and adapting to distance learning models.
However, this has deeply impacted students, and many are not sure about changes would be introduced in the future to facilitate the general loss and disdain which the education industry is witnessing at present.
According to a recent study by the Economic Policy Institute, during the first wave of the pandemic’s crisis, around 55 million US school children under the age of 18 years were asked to stay at homes.
Around the globe, that figure was around 1.4 billion students who were out of school and child care. Children lost not only their access to a safe learning environment but also demise in group activities, recreational options, and team sports, to name a few.
In light of this information, let’s take a quick look at the challenges which schools and children would face in the present and post-pandemic era.
Access to Digital Services and Tools
The coronavirus pandemic has taught us a lot of valuable and eye-opening lessons, and one of them is the fact that not all households are run equally. There are definitely inequalities in our society which makes for some getting access to digital services and tools fairly easy while, on the other hand, some find making such arrangements extremely difficult.
With the majority of schools opting for online classes to make education systems run in the present deplorable conditions, there is a definite need for students to have a fast speed internet connection to attend online learning sessions.
And also suitable smart devices that can make remote learning possible are required. While technology is considered one of the best restorative solutions, not everybody has equal access to it.
Educators & Their Problems
A lot of emphases is being made for students facing considerable distress by not visiting the school, meeting up with their friends, and being confined inside their homes.
However, seldom do people realize that educators, mentors, and teachers also have their own set of challenges to face. Their entire teaching procedure is now at stake due to COVID-19.
Some teachers are finding the change hard to adapt to since they may require additional training to handle and manage new technology that is used to deliver online classes.
Some of them require greater familiarity with tech and gadgets used to establish communications with students located in remote places and considerable distances. Hence school improvement planning must be followed through and deployed to address such concerns.
Introducing New Methodologies
Many teaching methodologies which were developed with the help of studying child psychology are now being thrown out of the window. Teachers are accustomed to building strong bonds and relationships with students through one on one and face to face communication.
With schools being closed, the teaching staff had no option but adopting and adapting to available technology, as well as does their best to retain qualities of learning environments.
This involves planning for the curriculum and syllabuses for each subject, making sure that students are able to grasp the ideas and fundamental aspects of learning for a particular subject, classroom participation and student performances.
Learning Approaches That Still Need Refinement
It has to be taken into account that while schools and education systems are doing their best and making the most effort to obtain normalcy, still we are experiencing unprecedented times.
This global impact which the pandemic has forced upon the education sector is also introducing new learning approaches. Overall schools and teachers find and observe a need to refine their approaches suited for such kinds of learning opportunities.
The hands-on learning experience has been thrown out of the window, which provided students with a terrific format to acquire new and practical knowledge about their subjects and topics.
Better alternatives have to be discovered and cultured, so that acquisition of knowledge becomes less tedious for students.
In short, we need inclusion facilitation to make students feel good and allow them to participate actively during learning sessions.
Monitoring Performances
One of the major concerns for students and teachers both is how well will performances be monitored, evaluated, assessed, and measured. While there are tons of employee monitoring software available which businesses around the world are utilizing for work from home workers, software for schools with similar options are lacking.
This means that there is a great opportunity for science and engineering institutes to develop their own software that can help administrations monitor performances of both teachers and students. A move like that can indefinitely improve the problem-solving process. This could also help in pointing out potential downfalls in the current deployment of sources as well as help to improve teaching and learning models.
Need for Online Self Study & Training
A lot of students also require self-training and self-study exercises. Schools and other educational institutions need to come up with viable means to support and facilitate students to provide them with access to additional learning materials that can gratify this need.
While students could have availed additional materials through access to a school library, with schools closed, this utility has been snatched away from them.
To compensate for this loss, educational institutions need to delve into technological advances and digital media to make sure that pupils who want to learn further and sharpen their skills can be satisfied.
Online resources like Inclusive Solutions’ Teachable can offer students and teachers both with tremendous help in this regard.
Protecting Children from Cyber Bullying
While online classes are considered to be a boon in the present times, we are living. However, access to the internet and the greater presence of students online could also open the doors to cyberbullying.
While students may feel good about interacting within a circle of friends online, the chances of managing challenging behaviour can become a nuisance. And if that’s not all, cyberbullying along with other forms of misconducts can especially impact a student’s life and make them feel miserable.
How schools will act towards this cause is important as we hardly know as yet will school fully reopen for good. So if we are to continue with this form of education, then we have to look at all the other variables which can affect the learning environment. One way to counter this situation is to provide educational psychological services and consultations.
Supporting the Community
Many students often get enlisted for merit-based scholarships programs. Considering the inequities in the society where income disparity may exist, a brand of new problems may complicate things than they already are in the present.
How will schools and educational institutions find a way to support such brilliant students while assisting them to find a way to make their dreams come true is also a challenge?
We know for a fact that people within a community support each other, which is why educational institutions may need to redefine their approach and look outside the parameters to reach out to kids and families who need their support.
Furthermore, how institutes would deal with students that have special educational needs is another huge concern.
Troubles with Ed-Tech
Education technology can pose troubles for those who are not familiar with it in the first place. This may require additional training not only for the teaching staff but also for the students. Understanding new software and tools necessitate that their users are provided with tutorials and guides.
This will help users to make the most these resources and avoid making mistakes which can hamper their progress. Many students who opt for an essay writing service also at times find it troubling dealing with Ed-tech provided by their academia.
Conclusion
There are numerous challenges in current times that both students and teachers are facing. The pandemic has taught us that there is still a lot to be done if we are truly going to recuperate from the present state of affairs which has left us feeling handicapped. If you any more queries about the topic, please feel free to leave a mention in the comment section below.
Author Bio
Samantha Kaylee currently works as an Assistant Editor at FreeEssayWriters. This is where higher education students can acquire help to write their essays online from experts specializing in their field of study. During her leisure time, she likes to practice mindful yoga for mental relaxation and rejuvenating her spirit.
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