Covid-19: Challenge & Response

The silver lining of the Covid-19 crisis and the susbequent lockdown of all education institutions from KG to Ph D is that it has stimulated innovative ICT solutions to ensure continuity of teaching-learning. Here’s how several randomly selected education companies and institutional managements are responding to the Covid-19 Challenge & Response. Covid-19 Challenge & Response: Shemford Futuristic School, Burdwan Shemford Futuristic School (SFS), Burdwan (West Bengal) in collaboration with its strategy and communications partner Rite Angles, has confronted the Covid-19 pandemic challenge by introducing an innovative School at Home programme to sustain uninterrupted learning of students. The features of the School at Home online learning programme are: Teacher training. Teachers are trained by ICT experts through interactive and informative training sessions to enhance online teaching on Zoom and other apps. Structured learning. Live classes are conducted for every class through Zoom and WhatsApp platforms according to weekly time-tables. Students post their homework on WhatsApp groups for periodic assessment. Online assessment. Google Forms is leveraged for online assessment of students. Teachers also provide regular assignments and worksheets as part of the school’s continuous learning system. Student-teacher connect. Students interact with teachers in dedicated WhatsApp groups to clarify doubts and coordinate daily assignments and homework. Class teachers note absentees, their reasons of absence, and send study material to them. Sports & co-curricular education. Given SFS’ strong focus on sports and co-curricular education, online health and fitness, yoga, music and dance classes are also being conducted online on a regular basis. Management motivation. Teachers are provided with eBooks and all the requisite resources to provide high-quality online education. “Witnessing the transformation of our teachers and students into digital savvy online learners is a very satisfying experience. Our path-breaking online teaching-learning initiative has transformed my attitude and outlook towards digital learning. I am looking forward to ideating more innovative ways to respond to changing times,” says A. Stephan Raj, principal, SFS. Covid-19 Challenge & Response: First in Math India Pvt. Ltd Mumbai-based First in Math India Pvt. Ltd (FIMI, estb.2014), a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania (USA)-based Suntex International Inc (estb.1988), has launched its Global No Cost Programme to ensure students continue to learn maths during the prolonged lockdown of schools following outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since mid-March, 12.3 million worksheets have been uploaded online in 80 days and students around the world have solved over 25 million problems on the First in Math platform from the comfort of their homes. Moreover, 63,000 new classrooms in India have enrolled with FIMI. The features of the Global No Cost programme are: interactive guided maths practice, embedded assessment and remediation learning cycles aligned to learning outcomes, and immersive maths learning and self-assessment in real-time. “Ed-leaders have talked about moving away from lectures and standardised assessments, but the leap was too far to take. By default, Covid-19 pushed all schools and parents to adapt to flipped/blended learning. Each day, I see schools mounting the steepest learning curve that education has seen,” says Monica Patel, CEO, FIMI. Covid-19…