Learning as a process always brings a different feeling of enthusiasm, not only to school students, but also to their parents and teachers. This is very normal indeed, as everyone understands the importance of being motivated to learn, especially students.
Parents are happy that their children are going back to school after the long holiday. Teachers, on the other hand, are missing their students, school environment and teaching spirit.
While it is possible to get students learn by rewarding them, the most powerful learning occurs when students take ownership of the learning process. Besides, it is very insightful for them to link what they are taught to a set of goals that they need to achieve or direct their efforts towards it. When students have a vision of what they want their future to be and their learning moves them towards that vision, they are powerfully motivated to bring about their best.
Furthermore, this will inspire students to engage more in the learning process. Now more than
ever, such kind of learning experience must not only allow students
to acquire academic content, but it must also be more intentional about fostering critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity and other skills that students need to navigate this complex and rapidly changing world.
Touching on the current local learning experience, everyone went on emergency mood as the schools’ doors have already opened. As all are waiting for the new academic year, parents, teachers and students were on a gray area on how the learning process will be. It is all because of the global health pandemic, which affected everyone’s interest towards welcoming the new learning approach.
Unlike before, this year’s back to school experience was not as exciting as it used to be. In the past, students, for instance, were very much longing to return to school after the summer break. However, this year, their feelings were mixed with passion and fear for the would be different learning approach.
The coronavirus pandemic made it even frightening and risky too, mostly for parents who were not willing to send their children to school. However, the scenario of learning was in some way clear with online learning through educational portals. Though almost one month is over since the start of the semester, the learning process is still limping with the unstable functionality of the portals.
Teachers are unable to manage their log in and out of these portals, some students are successfully enrolled and parents are struggling to cope with online sessions and guide their children. There are cases when teachers and students are unable to log in to any of these portals. This is just to name a few examples of the common issues experienced by students, teachers and parents. Possibly, something is not going well with these portals and the learning process is being affected by the inadequacy of portals.
Accordingly, teachers, students and parents are seeing days of stress and pressure. As a point of fact, parents are getting more headache and tension than children. They are worried about their children’s education. In contrast, teachers spare no effort to help students in their learning process through online teaching sessions. They start their day by opening multiple tabs and apps, switching between them for the sake of bringing a better learning experience for students.
People are just wondering why it took all the time to resume the online learning approach and the outcome is not as expected.
One is questioning whether there was a real trial and fail period to test the suitability and efficacy of these educational portals! Regardless of all these, the Ministry of Education is still doing its best to deliver a unique rewarding educational experience; no doubt about it! All should support in making this journey a success!
Abdulaziz Al Jahdhami
aljahdhami22@gmail.com
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