The Corona Virus 19 pandemic of 2020 brought changes to everybody, including the academe and other learning institutions. The prohibitions which are primarily due to safety reasons necessitates cancellation of classes and eventually altered to fit the need of times. Learning online and by modules were implemented for continuity of the school curriculum.
These learning process created an unavoidable distinction of learner’s social strata. Online classes are generally preferred by those families who can afford the gadgets and technology needed for the virtual classes, while those who belong to the lower echelon of the society have no choice but to enroll in the modular type of learning.
These two types of learning process have already created an unseen distinction between the two types of learners and brought challenges to teachers to narrow the gap of the division. Social strata notwithstanding, the efficacy of online teaching and modular learning is very apparent.
While online learning still retained the interaction between learners and teachers, the modular type has limited if no interaction at all during the actual learning process. Parents are encouraged to involve themselves with the learner’s modular lessons and this added or lessened the learner’s ability to grasp and understand the module, which now depends to the guardian’s way of guiding the learner.
Teachers are forced to immersed themselves more in modular type learners who by now are identified to be encountering more difficulties than the online learners. The difficulties even expand to family problems common to poor household which prioritize putting food on the table rather than spending time over modules.
The challenges are immense, but teachers are frontliners and are always ready for revolutionary approach to have better teaching techniques suited to the need in this time of pandemic. Since these learning and teaching process are new and innovative, educators should have immediate assessment of their learning curve and comprehension. Data should be collected and subjected to careful evaluation for adjustment and improvement.
Since nobody knew when this pandemic will end, a new normal of teaching and learning process may yet to be designed which will suit the need of everybody, regardless of social strata and of other distinctions in life. Yes, challenges will still be there, but teachers will tackle it head on, pandemic or not.
By: Maria Agnes P. Ramirez, MAT / Teacher III / Olongapo City National High School /
