Fast track into e-Learning The arrival of the pandemic has acted as an impetus to the advancement of e-learning in education overnight. You either familiarize yourself to it or be left behind. E-Learning is here to stay even after the pandemic is gone because it is a new convenient way of learning. Even for projects, whereas previously kids had to find ways and time to meet, now they can instantly meet via video conferencing. You can learn anything online too, not just academics, it includes music lessons, art, cooking, yoga, anything. Kids can also attend tuition and enrichment classes online. We may be under RMCO now and kids back in school but Online lessons are here to stay Your child will now have access to many lessons previously unavailable to him/her due to location. With online lessons, you can attend lessons from your home from any part of the world. For example, your child can now attend British Council Malaysia online English lessons from any part of Malaysia. Check out the current Malaysia Day offer for online English lessons for kids and teens. Video conferencing platforms like zoom, google meet, Microsoft meet, VooV Meeting and even Facebook has jumped into the bandwagon with Messenger Rooms. Have your prepared your child well for e-Learning in the form of virtual classes? Make sure you have the device, a stable internet connection. webcam and microphone. If you are using a desktop computer, you will need a webcam and microphone whereas laptops and mobiles have built in ones. However mobiles are not encouraged for lessons as the screens are small and there are limitations to the number of persons that can be seen in a video conference meeting.
Setting up and getting ready Help your child set-up the tools by testing all equipment before the class, then provide them with a quiet corner to do their lessons. It is also important to teach them the proper etiquette for virtual lessons. For example, they have to learn the proper way to conduct themselves in front of the camera and just as in a physical class setting, it is rude to chat during lessons. Muting and turning themselves back on again during lessons is also an important skill to teach them. Monitoring
After that, they are good to go and you should leave them to it. Do not hover but be nearby if they need your help. Safety is the priority since live videos can be captured on camera and recorded, so you should always make sure everything is in order. Younger kids may need more monitoring then older ones as they get restless and may lose their attention span. You should also make sure that your kids are not busy playing games during lessons, a problem that many parents face.
Scheduling
If you have several kids, you may need to draw up a schedule and make sure that each child has access to the video conferencing set up in your home during their individual lessons. Just like regular school, your child will need to follow their online school/class timetable so make sure you are well aware of it.
What is your experience with child's online lessons so far? What do you think of virtual lessons?
Parental support is crucial to make e-learning a success. Kids need to be reminded to have the discipline to attend lessons just like regular school.