by Anna Liza VB
***The writer is a former
full-time media practitioner prior to being a full-time mom and freelance
writer. She was also a former part-time teacher, and had a brief stint at a
private school in the Philippines, at the turn of the Y2K decade.
The article below is an opinion
on the challenges of current changes made in the education calendar and with
inputs on the other changes on what can be done to make education more liberal,
accepting, and democratic to all families enrolling their kids for basic
education in the country.
2nd of a series
In 2019, the country adopted an
education platform never tried before on such an intensive scale. Parents were compelled to jump in without
much preparation and prior knowledge on how online education would ensue in
times of pandemic.
General information was given and
an ordinary parent, wanting to continue the schooling for her/his child/ren
could only adjust to the new situation.
The first leap to ONLINE
EDUCATION is learning from the fragmented resources available that would guide
one through the essentials of a basic homeschool setup. Some of the resources
available regarding online schooling, specifically the methods and specifics of
instructions, may not be comprehensive, concise, or fully consistent with the
ones that were actually used and implemented. But for the basics, the common
ground was as follows:
THE ROAD TO HOMESCHOOL/ BLENDED
LEARNING (the equipment that had to be acquired to make online learning viable for Filipino parents
and students):
§
A camera meant for web learning that is
suggested with HD lenses to make the viewing clear and undimmed.
§
A professional quality headset. This must not be
an ordinary headset but one of heavy-duty quality to ensure the student and teacher has no background noise; and the
voice quality during the learning session would be audible enough to be heard
by either party.
§
A not-too-old
computer updated with software that can be used for lessons and with antivirus
preferably.
§
A homeschool desk that would be sufficient to
hold the student’s books and computer during the online session.
§ A study area devoid of clutter and preferably
with a clear or white backdrop.
Surveying on the initial
expenses, it could fetch an average of Php 20,000-Php 50,000
initially depending on the specifications of the equipment bought.
The thing with having a homeschooling
setup is, even if it makes easy a standardized learning environment for the
student, the equipment that must be sourced during the pandemic may not be
readily available. Considering the right specs and the budget availability at
the time of the pandemic, the homeschool setup may not be a fair expense to
have, and such costs could directly impact a usual family budget of a simple household.
Two years after the new approach
to education was affected, the following weaknesses could be felt in terms of,
learning effectiveness, method of instruction and homeschool vulnerabilities:
In terms of learning effectiveness,
a kid initially would have to learn in a very speedy manner the hows and the whys
of the keyboard and other computer paraphernalia== a skill that must be learned
in time, even by adults. Thankfully the current modern attitudes toward gadget
use proved to be beneficial in “adjusting” to the homeschool setup but not with
a few difficulties in place such as:
o THE
UNRELIABLE COMPUTER PARAPHERNALIA THAT CAN EASILY BREAK DOWN OR FAIL;
o THE
INTERNET CONNECTION THAT CAN HAVE A LOT OF LAGS AND DELAYS TO CONNECTION
DESPITE THE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE ONE AVAIL;
o THE
LENGTHY ONLINE LESSONS OR THE DURATION OF A SCHOOL DAY’S WORTH THAT CAN AFFECT
THE INTEREST OF THE CHILD; AND PRESENT SOME POSTURE PROBLEMS FOR THE KID SITTED
LONG IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER;
o THE
INTRODUCTION TO ADDITIONAL COMPUTER APPLICATIONS THAT PROVE TO BE DIFFICULT TO
LEARN BY A YOUNG LEARNER WITHOUT PROPER
PREPARATION.
SUFFICE IT TO SAY THE EARLY
MONTHS OF THE ONLINE LEARNING HAD A LOT OF ADJUSTMENTS TAKING IN THE HOUSEHOLD
OF THE LEARNER, AND EVEN A LEARNER HAD TO COPE WITH SUCH ADJUSTMENTS AT A VERY
YOUNG AGE.
The disparity in the
conveniences of such an online learning environment for the parent aside from
the one that it presents to a learner against that of the traditional learning
one has been accustomed to, includes: that of the spending requirements
necessitated by such school setup.
Also, to push such a schooling
path, the introduction of new software and computer applications that are not
usually used other than for work and creative use are almost obligatory
for the parent of the learner.
The unequal access to affordable and reliable computer equipment, accessories, and gadgets can result in inconsistent school performance; delay in the submission of requirements and assignments. Moreover, the lengthy school hours can further add to the inconveniences of the usual home chores and daily routine adjustments that had to be made in times of the pandemic for a simple household.
Bottomline a change in the schedule
of the opening of classes had a minimum bearing and was much more dispensible,
compared to the adjustments that had to be made in terms of spending essentials and
coping with the demands for computer proficiency. But the adjustments
nevertheless were a necessary struggle a normal parent would bite into to
make way for proper education in times of the pandemic.
To be continued…
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