Education is properly and formally defined as the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially in a school or an institution. From a more emotional standpoint, education can mean an enlightening experience. No matter how you define it, 2020 has redefined education and all that comes with it. This year has pushed the limits of educators and tested the patience and willpower of learners. 2020 will always and forever be the year that changed the face of education for all time.
Traditional classroom settings provide a face to face and wholesome experience which many believed to be irreplaceable. The ability to physically use your five senses in a classroom setting and clarify doubts spontaneously and immediately is what makes the school special and rooted. When a child steps into a school environment, the benefits are immense and deep. Friendships are forged, independence is built, learning is physical and real, and growth is inevitable. Therefore, in 2020, when it was announced all over the world, that the familiar school gates were to be shut indefinitely, every child’s world was rocked.
The birth of online learning actually occurred over a decade ago. However, it was always treated as the last resort. Who would have ever thought that in 2020, it would be the only way to learn? Who would have been able to fathom the idea that an entire curriculum would be taught and learnt entirely online? From Math to Physical Education to Art and to Music, any and every possible subject was learnt through a screen for months on end. Was it challenging? Yes. Was it painful and torturous? Definitely. Was it impossible? Not one bit. Online education not only happened this year, it thrived. Educators stepped up their game and found ways to engage and teach their learners in such a way that it mirrored closely what they would have learnt in school. Parents all over the world initially struggled, but eventually learnt and adapted as they worked alongside teachers and schools to help their children. Students became technology-wise as they rapidly and suddenly had to pick up and master digital skills they had never even heard of before.
2020 thus begs the question – Can online learning replace traditional learning? Is the world ready for an entire move into the online classroom? While only time and study can answer that question, one thing is for sure. It is possible. Online learning, even if it cannot exist independently at the moment, can definitely be a part of learning all over the world. Schools can and should incorporate online learning as part of their education and curriculum. The flexibility, digital skills, patience, critical thinking skills and practical knowledge that online learning can give to a child, cannot be ignored. If this year can be summarized in a word, that word would be adaptability. 2020 has pushed us beyond what we ever imagined possible. It has witnessed tears, pain, suffering and struggle. However, it has also given us will power, hope, unity, compassion, humanity and a very strong ability to adapt. As the face of education changes, let us adapt as well. Let us welcome change and all that it has to offer. For after all, change is the only constant.
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Santhya Eva
Explico Academic Tutor
It great to see such article.