This is what thinking outside the box is all about: Alternatives to Learning During Out of School Periods - Mrs. Chichi Okereke, Mother/stakeholder in the educational sector. Our nation has not been the same since July 25th when the news broke about the arrival of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria. A concerted effort was made to contain it in the first port/city of arrival which is Lagos. We were about to start singing alleluia following the periodic updates from the government authorities when we heard about the Port Harcourt incident and its aftermath. The Federal Government has since announced that schools remain shut until October 13th and later followed up with the possibility of an extension beyond the 13th of October. The reality is that the world goes on, learning must continue and examinations would still be written. International examinations like Checkpoint, IGCSE, etc will still go on. The September/October 2014 GCE examination has not been cancelled. It is possible to argue that 2015 WAEC/SSCE though an international exam may be shifted due to the reality that the EVD has been somewhat tagged a “West African Disease” but the question is for how long? Even if shifted for a few weeks or months, students will still wake up to realize that the exams are upon them. It is therefore very necessary that learning continues until the schools are opened. Necessity is the mother of invention and is there a possibility that children in war torn nations still get to have a kind of education going on somewhere? I would believe so. With this in mind, we have to think or start thinking of what next. Personally, I would suggest the following alternatives to traditional learning in the formal school environment. 1, Homeschooling This is inevitably a key approach which the present situation calls for. It is about Daddy and Mummy making out time to do school work with their children. In addition, going beyond the daddy and mummy circle, is for older siblings to take on their younger ones, and all uncles and aunties that live in our numerous homes being enlisted too. 2, Home Tutoring This would involve engaging teachers in the home but the reality is that with EVD everybody is a suspect. Therefore, to effectively employ this method one must equip the home with temperature measuring instruments and make sure it is used to take the teacher’s temperature on arrival and also that hands are properly washed before gaining entrance to the home. The question however is who will take the teachers temperature? 3, 21st Century Learning I believe something good will come out of this experience. Technology is there, let us make use of it. 21st century learning goes beyond the walls of a classroom. Already, in some nations of the world, when children are weather confined (e.g. when “snowed-in”), school work are assigned through internet based learning platforms. I am aware that some schools have risen up to this and have started working out modalities on sending out school work through emails for the children to work on and send back. If your child’s school has not said anything along this line, this is time to suggest it to them. However, with children being out of school for 6 weeks and possibly beyond, it is important to think beyond sending in assignments and returning them. We have to start think of virtual classroom situations where the students will have to call in through Skype, face time, webcams or any other means so they can view their teachers, teaching from the class and ask questions directly. The questions that maybe going through our minds as parents is what if there is no power or electricity? Hmmm, we have been surviving that so we do what we have been doing; generate power for ourselves as much as practicable. Educational Toys and DVDs We need to make an extra investment on these electronic learning materials, especially for our Pre- Schoolers. Online Learning Sites Check out different learning sites on the web like, futurelearn, urbanenglish, Britishcouncil, openculture. Whatever site you visit ensure it is age appropriate and suitable to the children. 4, Other Associations Since public gatherings have not been out rightly banned and we still have the opportunity of going to churches, is there a possibility that our churches may dedicate an hour during Sunday school to do academic work with the children since they are already in church. Also, Estate Residents Associations could possibly think of organizing some classes for children within their neighborhood. However,’ it is important to mention that whether church, estate associations or any other group, every participant must be properly screened. 5, Library Whatever learning alternative we want to consider, it will also be good to visit the library, check out the books they have. If possible, get the children to do some reading in the library. This will also give them the opportunity to leave their homes because within this six weeks period, there will be the need for them not to be completely holed in their homes. A note of caution again, remember the EVD concerns. Find the nearest library to you. The closest to Lekki is the Public Library on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi. 6, International Schooling If this endures, (God forbid) we might have to start thinking of going beyond the shores of Nigeria especially for older kids with emphasis on those scheduled for international examinations. FunLearn represents TASIS -The American School in England, a boarding school for Grades 9 to 12 students; EF Academy for pre-University and foundation year programmes for ages 16 and above. Important Reminders 1, Collect the scheme of work from the children’s school 2, Borrow or Buy the textbooks either through the school or externally. We supply school books and can help source the books if you require our services. Dear parent, all these suggestions are for us to take precaution and at the same time sustain the learning process. In all these I think aloud first, as a mother, then as a stakeholder in the Education community. God is on our side. Chichi Okereke Director, FunLearn Center FunLearn Education* Life Enrichment*Career Development* Training & Resources* Research
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 09:28:41 +0000
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