Staying connected with Remote Learning

BY: Amanda Johnson

Remote Learning used to be associated with Higher Education, it was our go to method once we had finished schooling, had more time on our hands and could effectively choose which subject matter we wanted to study in order to further our education or our careers. However, as the current crisis continues across the world and we are thrown into chaos in our battle with an invisible enemy that has entered our lives, schools everywhere are turning to remote learning to bridge the gap created by distance to ensure no student is left behind in their education.

Moving from the reassuring familiarity of a traditional classroom to an online classroom can obviously raise a lot of concerns for both parents and educators alike. Distractions, connectivity issues, prolonged screen time, lack of emotional interaction and not having the desired course materials to hand are just some of the genuine challenges being faced within this modality of education.

Developing a routine at home is imperative for remote schooling to be advantageous. Parents are having to adjust their own work-home-life balance to now incorporate appropriate time for their child’s education which, before the closure of schools, probably wasn’t an issue that needed too much consideration. Areas such as study time allocation, technological assistance and management of home education has unwittingly been firmly placed back in the hands of parents, or possibly even house-keepers…the coin has been flipped.

Little by little, drip by drip, the COVID-19 drama is nudging us to re-evaluate and re-organise ourselves in how we continue to live our lives and we all need to rise to the challenge in order to not derail or deprive our children of the education they deserve. Remote learning is the inevitable solution, the new normal and is here to stay for the foreseeable future in a world that has changed overnight. In which manner we make it a success is down to us, as parents and educators…collectively.

Education is not just about what is taught in a classroom, it is about life itself and in how we deal with the curve ball we are unconsciously thrown from time to time.