Learning never stops at the Yew Chung International School of Beijing!

Week two of our virtual learning just ended and our academic staff and parents have been working tirelessly to provide students with high quality interactive class experience. Everyone displayed admirable flexibility considering that many of families and staff were offering or receiving lessons from multiple time-zones around the world.

In the forthcoming weeks, with the help of our experienced teachers, school counselor and School Leadership Team we will be sharing a series of e-learning articles with our community with the aim of supporting for students, parents and teachers during the school closure due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

To roll out a successful home learning programme, the help of e-Learning experts like Anna Zikou, Secondary School EAL (English as an Additional Language) teacher, is essential. Miss Zikou, also a seasoned online tutor with five years’ know-how in the area, she talked with us about how students can make the most of online learning and the benefits of such approach for students.

Please tell us about your experience teaching online.Online teaching can only be described as magical! You connect with bright students from all over the globe who are eager to learn and this enthusiasm is conveyed through the screen. The reward is when students make remarkable progress, of course.

How can teachers make the best out of online teaching?When you teach in person, you’re with students explaining, guiding, asking, illustrating and answering questions. Those exact same teaching methods can be communicated through the screen. Teachers don’t have change their teaching style just because they are online. Yes, they can’t pace up and down the room or point to students to answer questions but you can still be YOURSELF. Just remember to stay organized, have all the materials uploaded for immediate use, familiarize yourself with the online platform and most importantly, put yourself in your students’ shoes by assessing the challenges students might face during an online lesson before you deliver your classes.

How can ECE students benefit from online learning?Studies have shown that children at this age learn by using their senses. It is assumed that the sense of sight and hearing are the most important senses in the learning process. Through e-learning children develop better hand-eye coordination and motor skills. These skills help them to form clearer images and improve their capabilities to solve problems. Also, it can help children to develop emotional and social skills. Bright colors and images can increase the engagement of learners. In practice, children are more motivated to learn when they see an interactive and colorful screen in comparison to a black and white map on paper.

How can Primary and Secondary students benefit from online learning?Students are given the time to learn and digest the newly acquired knowledge at their own pace as they have all the materials (visuals, audio, written and videos) at their disposal and can revisit those resources as many times as they think they should to optimize their understanding. Students doing online classes enjoy the benefits of the learning environment from the comfort of their homes. They feel more at ease in their own space and have less distractions as they concentrate better on their studies. Last but not least, parents are more involved in their children’s education. They provide direct support and encouragement for their children, becoming partners in their education, a very important aspect which boosts the students’ confidence and productivity.

What strategies do you have for students on how they can optimize learning?

1. Be online 5 minutes before the start of each class. You minimize the stress of having to log in on time!2. Know your stuff. Familiarize yourself with the online platform and try out as many features of the platform as possible!3. Ask questions. Your teachers are here to help you understand the things you can’t quite catch. Use them! Post questions on the Chat, arrange for a short online meeting with them.4. Explore, explore, explore! Use your electronic device to enhance your knowledge. Don’t spend your time browsing on useless information. Focus on the topic you are being taught and learn more things about it.5. Perfect your skills in writing and presenting. This is the perfect time for you to show off your computer skills. Create meaningful presentations using visuals, tables, charts, videos to impress your teacher – also use MS Word for your writing tasks.

To keep abreast with strategies from our teachers, stay connected with us through our online platforms.