Interactivity, while an inherent part and parcel of the traditional early childhood classroom, need not be something that eludes the virtual classroom. In this section, our educators share some tips and techniques on how the online class can be made effective.
- To make sure things stay interactive and engaging, all children are coaxed to have their videos on and encouraged to be participative. This can be achieved by calling out names and intentionally having them included in the class activities. As teachers generally can’t see all the students on their screen, having each child participate also ensures the teacher can look at every child during the class.
- Both synchronous as well as asynchronous means are used to transact teaching-learning, and have different benefits and challenges. For example, dance/PE sessions are done asynchronously through recordings. A blend of both means, as in the case of asynchronous group activities which are later shared/presented online in class has also been successful.
- Parents are important stakeholders in their child’s learning, particularly so with young learners. Online teaching-learning, more than its traditional counterpart, has to be a two-way street so keeping communication going is key. We schedule regular interactions through Parent-Teacher Meetings, pastoral meetings with class teachers and counselors etc.
- Keeping communication going out to parents (as well as young learners) under a unified platform is a great way to simplify and streamline learning which can otherwise get chaotic.
- Parent partnership in student learning also lends itself to involvement in activities such as story-telling sessions, yoga and PE sessions.
- Clear expectations and class rules have been communicated (and reinforced) with both students and parents. Sharing not just the class schedule with the parents, but also the activities outlined/supplies needed for each class ahead of time is important.
- Regular circle time and mental well-being sessions for learners helps children share feelings and vent frustrations. It also helps forging an emotional bond between teachers and students, which was always an inherent part of the traditional classroom.
- Both whole and small, focused group activities are undertaken. One-on-one learning sessions are also conducted for children with learning gaps.
- To allow for gamification of concepts where possible has made learning very effective. Also using animations and interactive videos has helped our early years classes.
- For our early years children, celebrating important days, festivals and birthdays has helped keep things fresh and exciting for them. Performing activities related to these days (our young students celebrated mother’s day, father’s day, grandparents’ day and the mango festival in interesting ways!) as a part of learning has ensured children stay active, engaged and happy.
- Role play has been an important technique for our early years classes. Our teachers have very successfully played various characters (the more exaggerated the performance, the better!)
- For younger children, small but frequent breaks are recommended where students can be encouraged to do little physical stretches and exercises. Dancing, jumping and stretching are all common activities in our online classes for young children.
