I have attended a number of webinars in the last 7 weeks courtesy of the lockdown and one of the things I miss the most when compared to the physical conferences or webinars is the social interaction and networking – meeting and connecting with new people.
I see the same playing out with my kids’ online learning. There isn’t enough room for socialising, playing with your friends and classmates, being mischievous and naughty – simply being a child.
Schools and parents need to implement frequent hangout and chill sessions during online learning which is simply a time of social interaction amongst the children and even between teacher and children. For older kids, it is important to incorporate collaborative learning through joint homeworks and projects to promote social interaction.
Luckily its third term which means they have known their classmates for the past two terms. Imagine if it was the first term, a new class or even a new school?
As online learning continues, schools and parents need to devise creative ways to incorporate social interactions and bridge this gap.
