Impact of COVID – 19 on Education  “TRAGEDY CUM OPPORTUNITY”

The pleasant breeze of spring was spewing fragrance everywhere, making the weather happy, transforming every bud into a flower, bringing joy and gaiety with joy and gaiety to its peak. Like every year, the student in the school was ready to climb the next step of the new semester by crossing the evaluation of the education received in the entire academic session.

          Just then, a storm came that silence was lost in this laughing chaman. Now the same fragrant air was transformed into a balloon of dust and the floor started to appear away. The future turned bleak and that happy atmosphere of spring changed into fear. The name of that storm was covid 19. No one was able to predict when this storm was going to stop, how long the work of people would have been able to stand ahead of its velocity. Eventually, they too began to see the country abandon Pradesh.

       On this side, there was such peace in the school as if it had come after the storm. Many types of doubts began to arise in administration, teachers and students. What will happen next, how will the next session begin and when? How did the teacher come in contact with the students and the student teacher? How to start a new season? How to move on........

            The effect of this storm was going to last long.

   Only then did we remember our ancestors who brought the stream of knowledge to the ground by sewing the mountain and made impossible task possible. But it was not at all as easy as it appears today. The beginning of this task was also not easy ------

 One day of residential school, the heat in the principal room started growing rapidly. Teachers were rapidly moving towards the room, while the students were busy preparing for the exams, waiting for the completion of their annual exams and the excitement of going to a new class.

  All the teachers were shocked because till today, on the exam day, the principal never called in this way. Then the principal said - "Now the order has come from higher authority to  send the children home with the parents immediately and  not to  call till the next instruction". So far, the fear of Covid was less among the children, and the joy of going home was more visible. But it was doubtful when to come back, what will happen next. How will we get the result of the exams they have appeared for.

So the first problem that was confronted with how to reach the children. We had a solution for this and that was to bring all the students on one platform, social media was resorted to. Till now, children have been asked to stay away from social media because it was at risk of affecting education but now it was time to use it properly. Groups of different classes were formed and more and more parents were attached to it. This led them to reach their results first through the group. This began to bring technology into education.

After the declaration of examination results, there was talk about how to start a new semester, students were promoted to higher classes. Meanwhile one day in the principal room -

Principal - The students have just entered the next classes, how to continue their studies? What can we do ?

 (After vibrant discussions)

Principal - It would be right, you send the subject material to the children through the group you have created. (Everyone agreed)  So teachers started making the content and made it available to the students. It was a new beginning in the field of education. We went a step further in technology usage.

It was hoped that we would soon be able to emerge from covid and start classes, but it soon became known that it would be furious. As before, we be able to take classes. Now it was time to take the technology a step further. So we felt the need  of such social media so that we could talk to our students from face to face. The solution to this came out that till now we use  video calling that we have in taking classes and this won’t possible through Google Meet, zoom and Skype.

Started using these social media tools as a remedy, teachers who used to be afraid of this or hesitated to use it for started showing interest. Which helped in their technological development. Classes started and we went a step further in using technology in teaching.

  One day a student calls

Student: - Sir, we have only one mobile in our house, which the father takes away with him. We cannot even have enough money to get another mobile, due to which I am not able to take classes. Tell me what should i do ?

This question shook my mind. How can I do this for this child and other students like this or find a way to help the students who are not able to come to the live class so that they can see and hear my classes later. So now it was time to move one step further with the help of technology. I started recording my live class and watching videos of the lessons started getting ready. I uploaded it on a social media (you tube) by making it my channel (akashclasses4u). I shared the link in the group. With this, the students were also able to join the class, who were not coming to the on live class due to reason. With this activity I too noticed a new change in myself and I was also able to make another use of the technique. Luckily enough I was to get such a good response that even the Principal Sir encouraged me to move forward.

I decided to develop my technique. By doing so I made my podcast channel (Akash talks on social science). To make the subject material available for students in one place, also designed your google site. Also, the problem of black board was sorted out by using pen tablet. It was a wonderful achievement for me that my students also were benefitted.

 The Corona era had brought fear and confusion in the society on the one hand; on the other hand it contributed a lot to me in technology development in the educational field. Today my students have started also to use technology in education. It communicates positivity in this tragedy and tells us how pleasant spring is after a storm.

 

Akash Mohan Vashistha

J.N.V Faridabad (Haryana)