Changes— this is the word that is considered the most constant thing in the world; especially in the past months when the world experienced and continuously experiencing drastic changes in the way it revolves. Not in the aspect of its rotation like some sort of physics related matters but in the way earthlings live and exist here. Before, communication and interaction are said to be indispensable traits that became the foundation of existence of human beings but right now, these foundations were shattered by the pandemic.
People are held in lockdowns in almost every corner of the world. People are obliged to wear masks which prevent them from communicating. People maintain distance to one another. These are the new realities which were forced to us by the pandemic. How can education continue and survive during these times?
Based on studies, the virus is transmitted through human to human contact through their respiratory droplets that carry the virus. So the traditional face to face interaction of a teacher and a student inside a traditional classroom will not be possible in education right now. In this sense, distance learning became the number one candidate to still deliver education. And all these distance learning modalities can only be successful through the indispensable tool called reading.
Reading is the oldest form of distance learning if we will think it critically. Once you hold a book, sit anywhere and anytime without interaction to others you can still learn. It only requires an individual, a reading material and the skill to read — learning will continue. Education should not stop only because of this pandemic. What we need to do is to recognize the importance of reading and self-productivity. There has been an urgent call for educational institutions to value the help that reading can give for the survival of learning today; learners should engage themselves more in reading and learn how to have self- paced education. From online classes to modules and webinars—reading plays a vital role. Every piece of knowledge that our students must know was engraved in papers, books, virtual journals or videos to be delivered safely to our learners.
Today more than ever, reading is not a choice but rather it became a way of survival. Reading must be given the recognition it deserves and the importance it has in the self- paced education forced to us by this pandemic. Through reading we can open new worlds, discover new things, continue education and survive in the midst of the pandemic safely. With all the new normal of the world especially in the field of education, the importance of reading will always be the old normal we must continue recognizing and supporting. For safe and worry free delivery of the highest form of art and the most vital human development called education.
By: Charito S. Miguel |LSB- School Clerk| BEPZ Elementary School| Mariveles, Bataan
