This spring is an unusual time for the city of Shanghai. We are in unprecedented times. We are experiencing an “anti-epidemic season”. Many extraordinary stories of team work and support have come to light during this time. Everyone is working hard! During this period every teacher at our school is doing their best to support parents, and escorting their children through exciting and new online learning journey experiences – including physical and mental health!
Cloud teaching and Research meetings:
gathering strength and growing together
During the epidemic, the whole of Shanghai pressed the ‘pause button’, however, our teachers didn’t dare to relax for a moment. Initiative was taken immediately to organize various online meetings to discuss the preparations for online courses and children’s home learning kits.These were immediately put into effect. Classes immediately went to an online learning platform.
In order to make our online courses orderly, effective and distinctive, all subject groups and grade groups carried out, and continue to carry out, research into various problems initially encountered in online learning and teaching. Suggestions were put forward by parents in the weekly feedback activities. Workshop discussions were made by grade groups to make timely responses and adjustments. Here are some examples of recent discussion points:
· how to prepare well before class,
· how to make the online class more interactive,
· how to give feedback to the class and,
· homework after class.
All of these discussion points were verified with best practice theory so that our online teaching could be comprehensively improved. Classroom observations were also initiated so that implementation could be well supported. The following points were also discussed in our research groups:
· home exercise actions and parent-child game videos,
· designing project-based activities with different themes to help children flexibly arrange learning time and enrich students’ after-school life.
We hope that through our efforts, parents can be less anxious and have confidence in our teachers being able to carry the space well.
Clever designs before, during and after class.
In order to make children more actively participate in the online classroom, teachers of all subject groups have carefully designed their learning experiences and entered the classroom 5-10 minutes in advance to make the virtual learning space ready for learning. They have prepared the blackboard and set reminders for online learning. They have reminded the students of behaviours to support good learning habits. Some teachers carefully selected relevant books and recommended them to students before class to stimulate children’s interest in learning. Some teachers assigned children to group cooperation projects before class and invited children to work together sharing their experiences with each other. Some teachers played different music before class to make the students close their eyes and improve their concentration through rhythm. When children entered the classroom, they immediately enter the state of learning!
Online tips for teachers and students to share.
In the online learning classes, teachers make full use of various online learning platform functions, such as random selection, responder, small blackboard, breakout rooms, multiple-choice tools, issuing trophies, etc., to mobilize the students’ learning engagement.
Children have engaged in experiencing, conceptualizing, critically viewing and creating in knowledge points. In the group work, this has looked the following: they have been exploring and learning how to take photos, draw blackboard writing with online tools, make videos or exquisite PowerPoints to share and discuss with their classmates. Students can listen attentively and give each other heartfelt praise and useful suggestions, which makes everyone more willing and enthusiastic to learn.
Differentiated tutoring: no worries about homework!
Homework assigned to children after class is closely related to the content of classroom learning, and various types of homework are used to test children’s learning in all aspects. Some teachers combine with coaches to help children digest the knowledge points they don’t understand during class. Other teachers use differentiation time to provide personalized guidance and help children solve problems. Still other teachers use group cooperation to foster peer tutoring in the explanation of exercises and deepen the understanding of knowledge points. Some teachers timely review and guide with photos and video works handed in by students.
At the same time, teachers pay great attention to the encouragement of children and often give timely feedback to children in the form of comments and pronunciation, which improves children’s learning enthusiasm.
Family and school work together to help grow
In this world we cannot escape hardship, however, the successes during this time have been worth waiting for. With the cooperation of teachers and parents, children can learn happily even if they stay at home. They have been a crucial part of supporting the country to win the “epidemic prevention” interdiction war with their own practical actions. I hope that in the near future, we can reunite again on campus with a full harvest!