For some, there's no place like school

I MISS my friends and teachers. That was the message I received from some students during our online conversation a few days ago. Compared to the feeling of being away from school during normal school holidays, this period under the movement control order is a whole different story.

It is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Schools may be temporarily closed but learning should continue. Not only will

it help students relax their mind from the depressing global crisis, but it is also one way to keep their learning interest high.

The pedagogical approaches recommended in the olden days by educational pioneers such as Jean Jacques Rousseau, Friedrich Froebel and Maria Montessori, as well as the implementation of 21st century learning in classrooms now prove that learning has been perceived and portrayed as a process that cheers up someone’s day and opens up one’s mind.

Assisted and facilitated by teachers, students could keep themselves academically engaged while staying home as they revise previous lessons, increase their understanding of various topics or explore new knowledge, thanks to the creators of social media, Google Classroom and ZOOM Cloud Meetings applications.

As every student deserves to be treated equally, lessons should be designed for all instead of focusing only on those sitting for public examinations this year.

By integrating creativity and innovation into teaching, teachers these days are expected to come up with lessons that cater to individual differences of the post-millenial generation. For this, teachers could consider preparing virtual rewards or special badges for students who score well.

Educational videos could also be recorded and uploaded by teachers who wish to provide clear explanation, especially when it comes to challenging topics. Students may leave comments, ask questions or share opinions to keep the session interactive, and teachers could prepare some assignments for students to complete as the post-lesson activity.

The active involvement of students during and after the online session is useful in making sure that the yesteryear’s teacher-centred approach of spoon-feeding is not applied in 2020.

However, nothing beats the joyful experience of attending school, and just like the students who said they miss their teachers, I miss them (students), too.

MUHAMAD SOLAHUDIN RAMLI ,Marang, Terrenganu