How to make the children/students
Stress Free during the Outbreak of Corona virus Disease
The
outbreak of corona virus disease 2020 (COVID-19) may be stressful for people
especially for Students/Children. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be
overwhelming and cause strong emotions. Coping with stress will make our community, the
people we care about, and us stronger. Students/children respond to stress
differently. Some common changes in their behavior are like irritation, worry
or sadness, unhealthy eating or sleeping habits, avoidance of activities
enjoyed in the past, headaches or body pain etc. This stress affects children
academic success as well as health.
ACADEMIC
Ø Curricular
As the COVID-19 continues to
spread, many school/colleges around the globe are shifting to online
learning in an effort to slowdown the spread of the disease. Students are
provided with e-contents, which is of two types i.e. Assembled e-contents and
Created e-contents. Assembled E-Contents means assembled from several resources
and books with due care. On the another
hand Created E-Content is that form which is developed by author based on
various sources, as well as his/her own work. Various forms of contents are
text, picture, sound, video, animation, simulation and presentations. It may
Video classroom, Virtual classroom, E-lessons, online discussion, Mobile learning.
Ø Non-curricular
To
cope with the problem of students stress, teachers may start some online
co-curricular practice/activities with students. For example
Fine Arts
·
Drawing
·
Collage
making
·
Poster
making
·
Card
making
·
Paint
on old Dias
General Knowledge
·
Brainstorming
·
Debate
·
Quiz
·
Poetry
|
Music
·
Audio
clip on topic
·
Dance
Video on topic
Fashion Designing
·
New
look from recycling clothes
·
Embroidery
on jeans
·
Dying
fabric
·
Sewing
from waste
·
Making
rugs
|
Environment
·
Plant
in useless bottles
·
Kitchen
gardening in ports
·
Model
building with waste
Beauty
·
Nail
art competition
·
Eyeliner
completion
·
Hair
style completion
|
There are some special things
which are required to consider while online learning as well as activities.
These ideas from educators from around the world, many of whom have already
been teaching during corona virus lock-down are
1.
Consider
digital reach and infrastructure unequal capacity-This is the major hurdle in preparation
for online learning. Many out of us do not have smart devices to use. Most
families don't have one computer per person. During the country lock-down,
parents may also be working from home, meaning several people could be
competing for one or two computers. Therefore, make sure all online apps work lock down on mobile devices in case a laptop is not
available. Non-availability of internet/network connectivity and its
regular recharge should also require considering.
2.
Practice- Teachers should train themselves
and their students on the apps and technology tools they may need to use in the
event of lock-down. Must consider many of the skills learned during the online
learning period will be equally beneficial in a regular classroom. Need is to
continue same after the breakout of this period.
3.
Provide
clear guidelines to staff and parents-During a lock-down, communication between
administrators, staff, parents and students is more important than ever. The
channels of communication need to be frequent and clear. There should be step
by step detailed information of how the college will operate during a lockdown
so staff and parents are on the same page/platform it may be a whats app group.
It also includes where to find the daily assignments; a list of sites and tools
the students will need, how to log in and what to do if the technology doesn’t
work etc. Next, prepare a step-by-step guide on how to access and use online
learning tools and curriculum. Make sure this information is in various formats
including video and text and include screenshots and screen-casting tutorials.
4.
Establish
daily schedules-Guidelines
should be clear about when teachers and students need to be logged on. A full
day in front of a screen is a lot for kids and teachers, especially for
families who may be sharing one device. Many schools are choosing two check-in
times – a morning meeting and an afternoon check-in – and then allowing
families flexibility about how they organize the schedule.
5.
Provide
robust learning-it is tempting
for teachers to upload Quality E-contents for students otherwise students will
suffer. Following things must consider:
o
It should
be as per objectives of curriculum,
o
Clear
expectation
o
Break learning into smaller chunks,
o
Immediate feedback through online knowledge checks,
o
Comments on collaborative documents
and
o
Chat to keep students motivated and
moving forward,
o
Include virtual meetings, live chats
or video tutorials to maintain a human connection.
o
Others.
6.
While it
may seem fun to work from home, it can be challenging to keep to a regular
schedule. Following things that can help include
o
Take regular breaks.
o
Making time to exercise.
o
Keep to a regular sleep schedule.
o
Limit distractions when possible
(turn off social media notifications, for example).
o
Set daily and weekly goals.
o
Make time to socialize, even if it’s
virtually.
7.
Choose the
right tools and stick with them-There is variety of technology tools, many free, are
available to help. With so much out there, it can be tempting to try to use
everything. Instead, limit the number of tools, apps and platforms so
students and their parents are not overwhelmed. Videoconferencing will take you
and your students into each other's homes so it's important to consider privacy.
Even consider the privacy issues of each and every technology tool.
NON-ACADEMIC
There
are strategies and methods that can be utilize our daily time. Some methods/strategies to cope up with this problem are:
FITNESS
·
Exercise
·
Healthy
food to eat
·
Yoga
·
Meditation
·
Practice
Dance
·
Rest
·
Walk on
Terrace
·
Play
Games
|
FAMILY
·
Recall
Memories
·
Play
Games with family
·
Watch
Music
·
Create
Music
·
Cook
·
Clean
and Organize
·
Re-arrange
household items
·
Share
knowledge and Experiences
·
Gardening
·
Pamper
Pets
|
SELF
·
Think about
your future
·
Create
new fashion look
·
Reconnect
with old friends
·
Explore
artistic in you
·
Create
(blogs)
·
Update
your online profile
·
Read
book
·
Online
study time
|
The protection
of students/children is very important. Precautions are necessary to prevent
the potential spread of COVID-19 in school/colleges. It is important to
remember that COVID-19 does not differentiate between borders, ethnicity,
disability status, age or gender. Education settings should continue to be
welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and supportive environments to all. It is
requested to follow following instructions/checklist to for healthy INDIA.
Checklist for parents
ü Monitor your
child’s health.
ü Teach and model
good hygiene practices.
a.
Wash
your hands with soap and safe water frequently.
b.
If
soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
with at least 60% alcohol.
c.
Ensure
that safe drinking water is available and toilets or latrines are clean.
d.
Ensure
waste is safely collected, stored and disposed of.
e.
Cough
and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow and avoid touching your face, eyes,
mouth, nose
ü Encourage your
children to ask questions and express their feelings with you and their
teachers.
ü Prevent stigma
by using facts and reminding students to be considerate of one another.
ü Coordinate with
the colleges/schools to receive information and ask how you can support them in
safety efforts (though parent-teacher committees etc.)
Checklist for students and children
ü In a situation, it
is normal to feel sad, worried, confused, scared or angry. Know that you are
not alone and talk to someone you trust, like your parent or teachers
ü Ask questions,
educate yourself and get information from reliable sources.
ü Protect yourself
and others. Wash your hands frequently
ü Tell your parents, another family member, or a caregiver if you feel sick, and ask to stay home.
ü Be a leader in
keeping yourself, your education institute, family and community healthy.
o
Share
what you learn about preventing disease with your family and friends,
especially with younger children.
o
Avoid
sharing fake news, whats app and facebook messages.
o
Model
good practices such as sneezing or coughing into your elbow and washing your
hands, especially for younger family members.