Ranjani Ramnath

Behind the Screens?

Impact of Family Engagement in Education during a Pandemic

During the crucial time of this pandemic, we have suddenly been forced to shift to a new lifestyle with more engagement digitally, through ‘modern technology’. This raises the question, if it is so difficult for an adult to adapt to this scenario, would such an adjustment be suitable for a child who is under the process of learning; new definitions, concepts and ideas? One must understand that their main source of engagement with technology is usually for entertainment, but asking them to go to school on a mobile device is a complete shift in their paradigm. What about millions of children who do not have access to such fast paced technology and related resources? EduTech markets is growing at light-speed. Is the society ready for this? Or are we knowingly creating more inequality?

As a researcher, I strongly feel we have not even understood the process of engagement within the classroom space and the sociological factors involved in the child’s upbringing with their interaction in a school environment. But, we have all been placed behind a glass screen, due to our own actions. So, where has it brought us?

Well, I am one of those people who is trying to involve herself in MOOCs. One such course I am a part of, revolves around the topic of family engagement. I hope to achieve more understanding into the idea and activities involved in family engagement as the term ‘Parental Involvement’ is no longer in use. As a researcher, my area of interest lies in the nature of resources that is involved in the teaching and learning processes utilised for better knowledge and educational experience for the child in school and at home.

Within just 15 years of a child’s life there are many people who are majorly involved directly or indirectly which may shape what person they may end up being. When we look at the term, ‘engagement’, I visualise it as a web connecting a variety stakeholders at different timelines, different lengths, different speeds of interaction, and so on, with the child placed at the centre. How is an innocent child to know how the environment affects them drastically when they have the least role to play within this web?

It is a very interesting process, the engagement is dependent on many other factors; the socio- economic status of the family and the school, the philosophy of the school, the other members of the society that are not even directly associated with the child affect his/her life. I have heard stories of hi-flyer students, whose parents are very economically poor or fall below the poverty line, are provided scholarships at very reputed schools by multiple CSR initiatives. Some of these parents/guardians are abusive, violent, alcoholics or even drug addicts that have no involvement or severely negative involvement in the child’s life once they return home. Being home could probably nothing short of horrific, creating a counter- balance in the motive of from-home-engagement of schools during a the pandemic where they are compelled to be at home even with the availability of material resources and technology. It is not the same lifestyle, experience or feeling that a child from comparatively well- off families encounter. It makes me wonder, whether a child who is academically brilliant and potential, can succumb and succeed under such pressurised circumstances, as these experiences shapes them to be the future of a global society we are all a part of.

Ranjani Ramnath

Snowflakes when it comes to Learning

An ongoing debate has always existed when it comes to teaching and learning, whether conceptual understanding of a topic is more important or understanding the procedure is. Let us first try to differentiate the two with the help of a very simple example.

“Which direction does water flow?”

A conceptual understanding gives us the ‘why?’ or the reason behind the direction in which the water flows. Whereas, procedural knowledge would present the ‘how?’. If you were to explain this to a child between 5-7 years, how would you do it? (Share it in the comments section below this article).

Howard Gardner in his book, ‘Frames of Mind’ written in 1983 described the various characteristics of learners. The combination of styles that each has individual varies from one another. For instance, when we talk about music, have you ever been asked if you are a ‘lyrics person’ or a ‘beat/tune person’? In the same manner, learning styles too differ between individuals. One individual may grasp a theory better when it is explained to them with a working model, another may just by reading a paragraph explaining it and another just needs to look at a diagram. Have you ever thought what your learning style is? You may end up saving a lot more time by recognizing that. But, if you are a parent or a teacher reading this, remember, that your learning need not be what your own child or student follows. Genes need not necessarily attribute to such cognitive functions.

School textbooks only provide a standardized curriculum, it is dependent on the teaching and learning process on how that can be initiated differently among students. Enabling this form of learning is important but one must agree that conceptual and procedural knowledge exist on a learning continuum and cannot be separated. The relations and intersections formed between learning styles can only strengthen this process of teaching and learning.