Minimizing Learning Loss with Technology

"I feel nostalgic whenever I recall my first posting as a Science Teacher in Panchayat Samiti High school, Durgi (Established in 1969), Bissamcuttack block, Rayagada District on 7th July 2007. I felt blessed for getting an opportunity to contribute to the development of society through this esteemed school.” shares Rabindranath Tamarapu sir.

After a few years, Rabindranath sir got an opportunity to assume the school charges on 1st March 2013 of the same school. At the same time, he met with 2 major challenges:

1. The sudden increase in enrolment due to the opening of two 100-seated girls’ hostels in the locality,
2. Shortage of both Teaching and non-teaching staff.

However, with the cooperation & teamwork of fellow teachers, they were able to execute all the work as planned for the improvement of the school in all aspects. Thanks to their arduous work, the school was taking major strides for the all-around development of its students.?

Durgi is a remote tribal area. Taking the low Student Learning Outcome into consideration, the school started extra classes for fundamentals like Math Tables and English word dictation to strengthen the Learning Outcomes of class 9th and 10th students. Extra care was given to the students who needed support. As a result,?Panchayat Samiti High School, Durgi got the Best School Award in 2019 for its performance based on its A.H.S.C Result.

All things were moving smoothly but then COVID-19 knocked on the doors. Schools had to close for safety purposes. The biggest challenge for the teachers now was to assure minimum learning loss for the students. The school teachers along with SMC members arranged a meeting to discuss the same. Different WhatsApp groups were created for each subject for both class 9th and 10th students. A group of 3-4 students was created for smooth online classes. However, still, around 200 students could not attend classes due to pre-occupancy of smartphones by elder members during LIVE Online Classes. Students in the nearby villages were reached physically, maintaining safety measures for support.

To overcome this Barrier, the school planned to make a YouTube channel for their students by which each student could watch the recorded class at his/ her convenient time/place. A few days later, Govt of Odisha started to provide LIVE online YouTube classes for all students. However, there was a challenge?to organize the huge playlist systematically for which Rabindranath sir decided to create a Blog.?He was not technically aware of it, but still, he learned from YouTube. He named it?By Learn.?This Blog is made in such a user-friendly way that even a person with limited[proficiency in English/Odia language could use it. All the LIVE classes links were arranged systematically as per the classes, subject, date & time. This simple step made it easy for my students to access digital education at ease.

As per the students' needs, he also uploaded the hyperlinks for study materials & their textbooks. As a school,?By Learn?also became a platform for regular assessment of the students. The teachers checked their students’ achievements regularly and helped the students who needed support virtually.

Reflecting on this innovation, Rabindranath sir shares,?“Not only these steps helped us to ensure minimum learning loss for my students, but it also digitally empowered me and our teachers with modern online tools.?Truly, when there is a will, there is a way.”