How might we strengthen school communities, as sites reopen, by highlighting solutions that reconnect people and enhance collective wellbeing, teaching, and learning?
The Education (Re)Open is an opportunity to help strengthen school communities with solutions that reconnect people and enhance their wellbeing, teaching, and learning as they return to in-person learning.
Project Sitara Foundation's Accessible EdTech series has been featured on their Solution Exchange repository:
Mathematics in Regional Language through Accessible Ed-Tech
With the onset of Covid-19 students across the country (India) faced severe consequences due to lack of classes, and teacher availability. Moving to online models proved to be extremely challenging especially for students from under-served communities who had little to no means of learning once schools shut down in the pandemic. With this as the backdrop, we decided the best solution would be to start a local YouTube series where we upload videos for students in our regional language. (We found several videos in English and Hindi but no good quality videos in our local language) Majority of the children we cater to study in Kannada (regional language) medium schools or in English medium schools with very poor grasp over the English language.
Key Components:
1. Free Platform - YouTube
2. Accessible approach - Nearly every family in the state has access to at least one smart phone. Hosting videos on a free platform like YouTube, which requires only a device with an active internet connection, enables students to use content in a low friction set up.
3. Personalized Learning - Students can watch videos as and when they have access to a device and can adjust the pace of their learning as per their requirement. The students can also pick the videos that they are interested in, giving them the independence to choose what they wish to learn.
4. Doubt Clarification Mechanism - A WhatsApp number has been provided along with the videos to ensure a feedback loop is in place. Students can always reach out to the number with doubts, questions, requests or feedback. This also develops a sense of community, where in students get to interact with their online educators and build a safe space.
5. Learning Resources - Every video has formula sheets, work sheets, and other resource material attached in the YouTube description. We also hope to provides students with additional self learning material to instigate a sense of curiosity regarding the topic.
6. In case of shortage of teaching faculty/ lack of quality education, the videos serve as an alternative mechanism to facilitate classroom learning. The videos can be played in schools, with or without teacher facilitation, as per the school's requirement. Doubts can be sent across to the linked WhatsApp number.