The coronavirus pandemic was a bolt from the blue taking educational institutions across the globe by surprise. Institutions and offices were locked down and people were forced to work from home. For students and teachers alike this was a unique situation. A batch of students was in the midst of their ICSE board exams. Realising that it was imperative to ensure continuity in the teaching-learning process despite the circumstances, St. Mary’s management and teaching staff set upon creating an innovative online learning programme that could offer the best substitute for a real classroom and a real teacher.”
– Fr.(Dr.) Francis Swamy S.J, principal of the CISCE affiliated St. Mary’s School, Mazgaon, Mumbai — top-ranked boys days school in Maharashtra.
The coronavirus pandemic was a bolt from the blue taking educational institutions across the globe by surprise. Institutions and offices were locked down and people were forced to work from home. For students and teachers alike this was a unique situation. A batch of students was in the midst of their ICSE board exams. Realising that it was imperative to ensure continuity in the teaching-learning process despite the circumstances, St. Mary’s management and teaching staff set upon creating an innovative online learning programme that could offer the best substitute for a real classroom and a real teacher.”Established in 1864 by members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the CISCE-affiliated all-boys St. Mary’s School, Mazgaon (SMS) has built an excellent national reputation for providing holistic and values-based education to its 1,422 students. In the latest EducationWorld India School Rankings 2019-20, St. Mary’s School is ranked among the country’s Top 5 boys day schools and #2 in Maharashtra.
Amid the ongoing nationwide lockdown triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, the school’s management and staff have been proactively leveraging digital technologies to curate an innovative and engaging virtual learning experience for all students from pre-primary through the secondary level.
Outlined below is the strategy adopted by the school to ensure uninterrupted learning in this time of crisis:
E-learning & online classes: At the outset, teachers imparted learning through PowerPoint presentations, study material, voice recording and YouTube for classes IX and X. Eventually, the school launched live online classes for all subjects according to a specific time-table. The live classes also enable teachers to address students’ doubts immediately.
The primary school teachers have enhanced their presentations using colourful and attractive slides, videos, images and animations to make them more interesting and engaging for younger students.
Non-academic virtual classes: The teachers of St. Mary’s School also conducted non-academic classes such as interactive pandemic-based game to engaged the students and lifted their spirits. The students also enjoy singing and jiving to their favourite tunes in the Zoom music classes.
Interactive and story-based learning: For the tiny tots of pre-primary classes, teachers have been making videos narrating stories on interesting topics and revising phonetics and cursive writing through the online classes. They also conduct chat sessions and play games with the tiny tots giving them a sense of a virtual classroom.
“Students and parents are relieved that the syllabus will not suffer because of the pandemic. Students are excited with the novelty of virtual learning and have demonstrated a high level of engagement in the online classes,” says Fr.(Dr.) Francis Swamy S.J.
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