Although 2020, the lost year, is coming to a close, we may still be asked to stay home, chiefly because the vaccine rollout is expected to take time.
Sorry, Filipino students, but you might still have to deal with virtual classrooms and modules even when the rest of the world slowly opens up their schools.
[READ: Will students be forced to attend in-person classes. No, but here’s DepEd’s plan]But really, what’s so bad about virtual learning? Apart from the occasional messed up modules and accessibility issues, virtual learning, at its best, can make education more personalized for students.
Personalized education plays a crucial role in a child’s development, especially when times call for adaptability. How can the virtual school experience turn things around for learning?
Making virtual learning work
Nord Anglia International School Manila (NAIS Manila) is one of the few learning institutions that have managed to successfully transfer the learning process online without diminishing the quality of education and sacrificing the welfare of teachers, staff and students.
Recently, NAIS Manila was shortlisted for the International Schools Awards, a global recognition that celebrates learning, teaching, community, wellbeing, leadership and strategic initiatives in international schools. Out of 264 eligible schools from 62 countries, NAIS Manila was recognized for its initiatives to support inclusion and to promote strategic leadership.
Aside from global collaborations with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), New York conservatory The Juilliard School, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, NAIS Manila wants to tap more opportunities amid the pandemic by creating a Virtual School Experience.
Virtual classrooms optimized
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There are two major aspects: connected time for online platforms and guided time for independent learning through tasks. There has to be a line between online and offline learning to maximize students’ education while also prioritizing their well-being.
Using the Virtual School Experience, children can participate in real-time lessons through a safe and secure platform, and at the same time develop essential skills and nurture curiosity through independent learning.
Seamless transition from online to offline
Lessons and resources that are delivered in the classroom can be effectively fulfilled in a virtual setup so that when external scenarios change, students won’t experience a break in curriculum or a gap in knowledge. A global network of 69 schools with 9,000 teachers develop these materials continuously.
Aside from unlimited access to the Global Campus platform where students can engage in extracurricular activities and collaborate with their peers from around the world, NAIS Manila will be launching its new ed-tech platform soon for a flexible learning environment and improved clarity of virtual lessons.
Specific tracks customized for each individual student’s needs
Since a child’s learning process is non-linear and constantly changing, the right teaching approach is key to nurturing their potential. Programs that are specifically tailored to students’ needs exist—if one only knows how to carefully assess what an established institution can offer.
Whether virtual or on-ground, in-person learning, the best medium of education should be one that prioritizes the needs of students. Maybe in a year, we’ll see how slowly reopening our schools can impact learning, and if there really is a need to go back to old ways when new and innovative methods are working.
For more information on NAIS Manila, visit its website naismanila.edu.ph or email [email protected].
Writer: MARIAN SAN PEDRO
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NORD ANGLIA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL MANILA
