With recent school closures nationwide due to COVID-19, Garden International School Eastern Seaboard has taken to remote learning. Students, from Foundation to IB, now take lessons online through the school’s e-Learning programme. Teachers use Google Classroom, Hangouts and Zoom to connect with students on a daily basis to ensure a seamless transition between regular classroom learning and remote learning.
Classes still follow the regular school timetable, with teachers giving students new assignments every day. Teachers share PDF files, video and audio clips and conduct online presentations in real time along with online quizzes run through Kahoot! Students have access to a wide range of subject specific programmes too, such as MyiMaths to support independent study.
Teachers are keen to make sure students don’t spend too much time sitting at a screen, and are carefully blending online sessions with a range of other activities. PE lessons are a great example of this, with teachers producing exercise videos and asking students to record videos of themselves participating in this novel way of learning.
Student wellbeing is not forgotten, and all students are asked to check in with their homeroom teacher at least once a day, and our counsellors are available for chats whenever students feel this would be helpful.
Parents have been acclaiming the experience as a great success, and are delighted with teachers’ innovative approaches to engage and motivate their students in this unique situation. Uptake of the initiative has been very high amongst students, with almost 100% attendance at the beginning of each day for 7:50am registration.
The school’s e-Learning programme is envisaged to run until at least the end of April, 2020. While most students may look forward to being back in the regular classroom with their friends, they are making the most of this unique learning experience.
Garden International School is still accepting admissions during this time, and we already have new students joining us for Term 3 on 20 April, when learning recommences after the Songkran/Easter break. If you would like your child to experience the outstanding education on offer at GIS, please contact Mrs McGregor on [email protected] for further information.
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