Among so many new realities that the pandemic brought, home schooling is one of those that worries society the most: parents had to assume the role of teachers, children had to adapt to new ways of learning, and teachers had to reinvent their teaching models to remain relevant in the process.
Data from UNESCO indicate that, as of March 31, 2020, the closure of schools has affected millions of children and young people in 185 countries, affecting 89.4% of the planet's student population.
How have schools responded? Technology has been the main ally to face the crisis since various digital platforms have been implemented that have allowed them to continue with classes, tasks and group activities, without leaving home. This new situation, as normal, has brought both advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages for parents:
- You get involved in your children's learning: before you were not part of the learning process day by day, today you know the minute by minute of their routines and you can support them in the topics they need.
- You supervise their teaching: by accompanying in their virtual classes you confirm first-hand the quality of the education that your children are receiving.
- You learn to know more about them: you discover daily their level of commitment, attention, memory, discipline, responsibility, etc.
- You know their classmates: you see who their friends are, which classmates they don’t get along with very well; you can also avoid possible bullying situations.
Advantages for children:
- Take advantage of the space and school supplies available: By having more space at home, children can explore materials and books further.
- They increase their responsibility and autonomy: there are no longer such strict bells or schedules, which puts these qualities to the test in them.
- They learn at their own pace: learning progress is personalized and therefore of quality.
- They receive support from their siblings: if they are older, they will help the younger ones to do homework and learn topics they already know.
- They interact with all their classmates: by sharing a virtual space, children can make new friends and connections.
Disadvantages for all:
- Absenteeism: as there are no rules or physical space, some families may choose to absenteeism, an issue that will hinder teaching.
- Bad postures: not having adequate space can cause back and vision problems.
- Distraction: While at home, children can be distracted by pets, siblings, and noises made by other family members.
- Sedentary lifestyle: the lack of physical activity can be a constant in the day to day.
- Socialization: the lack of physical contact with other peers can generate episodes of shyness and isolation.
- Loss of content: many parents do not know how to use 100% of the new digital platforms that have been made available to children, which can cause some to miss part of the content of the classes.
With its pros and cons, the most important thing is that families find a daily balance between virtual classes and leisure time; It is also important that they use after-school activities such as games and quality time together.
And until we can return to the physical classrooms, let's bring in all the attitude to the education of our children. It is up to us that they advance on their schooling path.