Learning from a distance …… ??

Three police officers came to my door last week asking me a whole lot of personal questions. It is due to the pandemic fear of the coronavirus which is spreading fast throughout the world. I said to one of the fearful officers, “you know your government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak is like trying to kill a mosquito with a sledgehammer.” One officer then looked at me and nodded her head in agreement. I understand they are just doing their job and my job was to be polite and accommodating during this unusual situation. The coronavirus outbreak is beyond our control but how I respond to the situation is within my control and I am doing my best to maintain a positive attitude.

I have now been assigned two online courses to teach during my continued self-quarantine here, I am using the online platform ‘Zoom.’ So, I have no idea when the schools here in China will reopen and I do miss being in the classroom. Some of my students have speech contests that they have been preparing for, but the Government is now making them present their speeches online.

The last online class I had the students had to tell us about a rumor they heard that was untrue.

One student said to me, “I heard you died.”

I then told my students, “the rumor going around that I passed away is untrue because I checked and according to Google I’m still alive.”

One student then asked, “why didn’t you use Baidu?” (Baidu is China’s online search engine).

My reply, “because Google is in English and if I died it would know.”

Unfortunately, Google is banned in China but with a VPN (Virtual proxy Network) I can access everything online that China has banned. VPNs come in handy, especially when teaching in China.

I told my students here that it seems the future of education throughout the world is going in the direction of online learning. Today, millions of Chinese students are now taking courses from a distance via the internet. This type of learning can teach students vital time management skills, which makes finding a study balance easier. Having a common agenda between the student and teacher can also prompt both parties to accept new responsibilities and have more autonomy. This way, students can even get a high school diploma or a university degree without setting foot on a school campus.

As a teacher, there’s also a wide range of education levels to choose from. You can teach university undergraduates, high school students, and even primary school children. If you’re a teacher, you can choose the level that meets your qualifications.

Virtual classrooms can be available anywhere there’s an internet connection, and there are many ways to take advantage of this. For example, if you’re traveling abroad and want to get a job, online education is a great choice. There’s no reason to give up on working or studying while exploring new and exotic places.

Online learning can often access diverse materials such as videos, photos, and eBooks as well, and tutors can also integrate other formats like forums or discussions to improve their lessons. And this extra content is available at any moment from anywhere, which helps create a tailor-made education for both the student and the teacher. I often upload short YouTube videos that the students can watch on their own time. YouTube is banned in China so to get around this I must upload the videos onto platforms that the students have access too. I find that YouTube is a great educational tool with all sorts of learning material for all ages. It is also a great tool for English as a second language learner.

On the other hand, my students are constantly telling me that their online courses are not the same as being in a physical classroom. They prefer physically interacting with their teachers. I tell them that I feel the same way but, online learning is going to be the preferred method for the majority of Chinese students in the future.

Taking courses online can also save students money from commuting to school and on class materials, which are often available for free. In other words, the monetary investment is less, but the results can be better than other options.

Older middle-aged adults that want to better themselves by earning a higher degree or gaining professional certifications can also earn their education requirements online from the comfort of their home on their own time.

I, however, personally enjoy being in the classroom interacting with my students and from what my students are telling me that is what they prefer as well. Hopefully, this pandemic coronavirus fear will pass soon so that my life can get back to normal and that would be a great thing not just for me but for all of China.

I have included photos of deserted streets near my apartment because of the restrictions on our personal movement here in China.

Well, take care and I will stay in touch with future updates …….

Always with love, from Suzhou, China.

Thomas F O'Neill

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