16 Tips To Improve Your Child’s Virtual Learning ExperiencesSeptember 13, 2020 2023-08-17 5:02
16 Tips To Improve Your Child’s Virtual Learning Experiences
Gulnaz Ahsan is the Founder and Editor of Halal Parenting Magazine, a quarterly publication of articles written by parenting experts, psychologists and physicians through the Islamic lens to help Muslim families through practical strategies that are rooted in the Sunnah and backed up by modern psychology. Gulnaz is also a Studio Arabiya parent, with all four of her children enrolled in Quran classes. In this exclusive article, she brings in her expertise and hands-on experience as a parent guiding her children through the new normal of virtual learning and offers other parents 16 tips and best practices to make the most out of their child’s virtual learning experiences.
Virtual learning: navigating a new normal
Many children will experience virtual learning at some point in their educational journey, whether they are participating in Quranic and Islamic studies online classes because they live far away from the local mosque, or they are adjusting to mainstream secular school moving online due to a global pandemic. When compared to face-to-face learning, virtual classes are a very different experience and things can become overwhelming very quickly – both for children and their parents. It is still very possible to make the most out of your child’s virtual learning experiences. The best way to smooth the path to an easy learning journey is preparation – it is essential to not only physically prepare your children for what they need to be successful, but to also have meaningful discussions with your children about what it means to learn and what it takes to do well.
How to prepare your child for virtual learning
There are several things that you can do to prepare your child for virtual learning:
- Establish a designated work space
Provide a comfortable chair and desk space that is quiet and free from distraction. Consider giving your child headphones with a microphone so their attention is focused on their teacher and classwork.
- Keep supplies nearby
Keep textbooks, workbooks, pencils and paper nearby so they don’t have to go searching in the middle of class.
- Set up a good routine
To help your kids get into the learning mindset, establish a routine that includes bedtime, shower and meals and stick to it. Routines give children comfort because they know what to expect and when they anticipate that it is time for their class, they will be less likely to resist it.
- Teach them how to organize their work
Keep their notebooks and homework in a designated spot so they can pull it out when needed. Show your kids how to make notes and highlight homework and assignments in a planner to help them keep track and not fall behind.
- Ensure their technology is working and up to date
Be sure that computers/laptops/tablets are charged and ready to use. Connect the webcam and microphone before class. Be sure that the webcam is clean and shows your child in good lighting with a neutral background, and test them before class starts to be sure they work.
- Make sure they are dressed appropriately
It is important for your child to be both comfortable and in a learning mindset when they attend an online class. Make sure that what they are wearing will tick both boxes, and avoid leaving them in their pajamas even for an early morning class so that they can mentally transition into a learning mode.
- Make sure their basic needs are fulfilled
Children who are tired, thirsty, hungry or need to use the bathroom will not be able to focus during class. Ensure those needs are taken care of prior to the class to avoid any disruption during class.
- Be calm
Kids who are stressed out, upset or agitated won’t do well in class. Be proactive and make time for exercise during the day to counteract negativity. It’s good physical and mental relief, and will help ensure your child won’t have the wiggles throughout their online class.
Other important best practices
In addition, there are some additional considerations such as:
- Online safety
Kids stuck at home with virtual learning are spending a lot of time on the internet, which puts them at even greater risk than usual for all kinds of online problems, including cyber bullying, harassment, getting hacked and more. As parents, you should have access to all their different online accounts, meaning you have their login credentials and can periodically go in and actively monitor who they’re connected with and what kinds of interactions they are having online. Talk to them about why this is important and how they should always immediately come to you if anything inappropriate is happening.
- Monitor their learning
Observe your children in class. See how engaged they are. Are they taking notes? Are they asking questions? Are they just zoning out? Is there adequate interaction and stimulation by the teacher? Identify the hang-ups and challenges and then think about what you can do to help them through those. Reach out to your child’s teacher if you feel that there’s not enough interaction and it’s having an adverse effect on your child. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the teacher and let them know what struggles or concerns you or your child have about the class. Teachers often appreciate the feedback because it helps them better tailor the class to your child’s needs.
Talking points to address with your child
For children to succeed in anything, they have to understand that they are making a commitment to learn and they need to fulfill that. You can help facilitate this by talking regularly with them and discussing the challenges they may face and how to overcome them. Some discussion points to touch on with your child include:
- Being self-motivated
Distance learning can be isolating at times. Reassure your child if they lack motivation and reward their commitment rather than their results.
- Staying focused
Being at home means children are even more susceptible to distractions and losing focus. You can help your child maintain engagement during online learning hours by making a few simple adjustments such as putting cell phones and toys away during learning time.
- Knowing when to ask for help
Explain to your child that asking for help is a strength not a weakness. Successful students try to solve a problem themselves first but aren’t afraid to ask for help so they can deepen their understanding and make progress.
- Learning how to study independently
Encourage your child to take initiative by seeking help from other resources, other students and teachers when needed, and make sure your child knows where or how to access those resources.
- Connect and engage with their studies
Staying engaged is key to success and motivation. Encourage your child to participate in online discussions and activities, ask questions and speak up in online class.
- Be able to persevere and not give up when things get hard
Show empathy to your child by acknowledging that learning is not always going to be smooth sailing. There will be challenges and difficulties that they will face and they will make mistakes. It’s okay to step back for a moment – the important thing is to not give up.
No matter what your child’s situation might be, whether virtual learning is a choice or something that they have to go through due to their school’s decisions around COVID-19, you can make the most out of this experience with them. In fact, there are great benefits to studying online, for children and also for adults. Stay tuned for an upcoming article on this topic for our new Virtual Learning Series!
Do you have other tips to share to help children make the most of virtual learning? Comment below! 👇
"Kama ""Mwanzo wa Uzoefu wa Virtual"" na ""Mwanzo wa Uzoefu wa Virtual"" na ""Mwanzo wa Uzoefu wa Virtual"" na ""Mwanzo wa Uzoefu wa Virtual"" na ""Mwanzo wa Uzoefu wa Virtual"" na ""Mwanzo wa Uzoefu wa Virtual"" na ""Mwanzo wa Uzoefu wa Virtual"" na ""Mwanzo wa Uzoefu wa Virtual"" na ""Mwanzo wa Uzoefu wa Virtual"" na ""Mwanzo wa Uzoefu wa Halal"" na ""Mwanzo wa Uzoefu wa Halal.""" Gulnaz pia ni mzazi wa Studio Arabiya, na watoto wake wote wanne wamejiandikisha katika madarasa ya Qur'ani. Katika makala hii ya kipekee, yeye huleta utaalam wake na uzoefu wa mikono kama mzazi anayewaongoza watoto wake kupitia kawaida mpya ya kujifunza kwa kawaida na anawapa wazazi wengine vidokezo 16 na mazoea bora ya kufanya zaidi ya uzoefu wa kujifunza wa mtoto wao. "Kutumia mtandao wa kijamii, watoto wengi watapata uzoefu wa kujifunza kwa njia ya mtandao wakati fulani katika safari yao ya elimu, iwe wanashiriki katika madarasa ya mtandaoni ya masomo ya Qur'ani na Kiislamu kwa sababu wanaishi mbali na msikiti wa eneo lao au wanajipatanisha na shule kuu ya kidunia inayohamia mtandaoni kwa sababu ya janga la ulimwengu. """ Ikilinganishwa na kujifunza uso kwa uso, madarasa ya virtual ni uzoefu tofauti sana na mambo yanaweza kuwa makubwa haraka sana <unk> kwa watoto na wazazi wao. Bado inawezekana sana kufanya zaidi nje ya uzoefu wa kujifunza virtual ya mtoto wako. Njia bora ya kusafisha njia ya safari rahisi ya kujifunza ni maandalizi - ni muhimu sio tu kuandaa watoto wako kimwili kwa kile wanachohitaji kufanikiwa, lakini pia kuwa na majadiliano yenye maana na watoto wako juu ya nini inamaanisha kujifunza na nini inachukua kufanya vizuri. Jinsi ya kuandaa mtoto wako kwa ajili ya kujifunza virtual Kuna mambo kadhaa ambayo unaweza kufanya ili kuandaa mtoto wako kwa ajili ya kujifunza virtual: - Kuanzisha nafasi ya kazi maalum, kutoa kiti vizuri na nafasi ya dawati kwamba ni utulivu na bure kutoka distraction. Kwa mfano, unaweza kumpa mtoto wako kiwambo cha sauti na kipaza sauti ili aweze kumsikiliza mwalimu wake na kazi yake. - Weka vifaa karibu Weka vitabu vya masomo, vitabu vya kazi, penseli na karatasi karibu ili wasilazimike kwenda kutafuta katikati ya darasa. Ili kuwasaidia watoto wako kuingia katika mawazo ya kujifunza, kuanzisha utaratibu ambao ni pamoja na wakati wa kulala, kuoga na chakula na kushikamana nayo. Mazoea ya kawaida huwapa watoto faraja kwa sababu wanajua wanatarajia nini na wanapojua kwamba ni wakati wa darasa lao, watakuwa na uwezekano mdogo wa kukinza. - Wafundishe jinsi ya kupanga kazi yao Weka vitabu vyao vya kumbukumbu na kazi za nyumbani mahali palipowekwa ili waweze kuvitoka wanapohitaji. Waonyeshe watoto wako jinsi ya kuandika maelezo na kuangazia kazi za nyumbani na kazi za shule katika mpangilio ili kuwasaidia waendelee na kazi zao na wasichelewe. - Hakikisha teknolojia yao inafanya kazi na ni ya kisasa Hakikisha kwamba kompyuta/laptops/tablets zimejazwa na ziko tayari kutumiwa. Kuunganisha webcam na kipaza sauti kabla ya darasa. Hakikisha kwamba kamera yako ya wavuti ni safi na inaonyesha mtoto wako katika mwangaza mzuri na mandhari ya neutral, na jaribu kabla ya darasa kuanza kuwa na uhakika kwamba wanafanya kazi. Ni muhimu kwa mtoto wako kuwa na starehe na katika mtazamo wa kujifunza wakati wanahudhuria darasa la mtandaoni. Hakikisha kwamba kile wanachovaa kitafikia vifungo vyote viwili, na uepuke kuwaacha katika pajamas zao hata kwa darasa la asubuhi ili waweze kubadilisha akili katika hali ya kujifunza. - Hakikisha mahitaji yao ya msingi yanatimizwa Watoto ambao wamechoka, wana kiu, wana njaa au wanahitaji kutumia bafuni hawataweza kuzingatia wakati wa darasa. Hakikisha mahitaji hayo yanatunzwa kabla ya darasa ili kuepuka usumbufu wowote wakati wa darasa. - Kuwa mtulivu Watoto ambao ni alisisitiza nje, kuchanganyikiwa au msisimko si kufanya vizuri katika darasa. Kuwa mwenye bidii na kufanya mazoezi wakati wa mchana ili kukabiliana na hisia mbaya. Ni nzuri kimwili na kiakili misaada, na itasaidia kuhakikisha mtoto wako si kuwa na wiggles katika darasa yao online. "Kulingana na ripoti ya utafiti wa hivi karibuni, ""Watoto wanaotumia mtandao wa kijamii kwa muda mrefu zaidi wanapata hatari kubwa kuliko kawaida ya matatizo ya mtandaoni, ikiwa ni pamoja na unyanyasaji wa mtandao, unyanyasaji, kuingiliwa na zaidi.""" Kama wazazi, unapaswa kuwa na upatikanaji wa akaunti zao zote tofauti za mtandaoni, ikimaanisha una sifa zao za kuingia na unaweza kuingia mara kwa mara na kufuatilia kwa bidii ni nani wana uhusiano na ni aina gani za mwingiliano wanao online. Weka wazi kwa nini ni muhimu na jinsi ya kuwa na haraka mara moja kwako ikiwa kuna kitu chochote kisichofaa. - Angalia kujifunza kwao Angalia watoto wako darasani. Ona jinsi wanavyojihusisha. Je, wanaandika mambo? Je, wanauliza maswali? Je, wao ni tu zoning nje? Je, kuna mwingiliano na kichocheo cha kutosha kutoka kwa mwalimu? Tambua matatizo na magumu na kisha ufikirie jinsi unavyoweza kuwasaidia. Wasiliana na mwalimu wa mtoto wako ikiwa unahisi kwamba hakuna mwingiliano wa kutosha na una athari mbaya kwa mtoto wako. Usiogope kuwasiliana na mwalimu na kumjulisha mapambano au wasiwasi ambao wewe au mtoto wako una kuhusu darasa. Mara nyingi walimu huthamini maoni hayo kwa sababu yanawasaidia kurekebisha darasa kwa mahitaji ya mtoto wako. Kujifunza na Mtoto Wako: Ili watoto wafanikiwe katika chochote, wanapaswa kuelewa kwamba wanajitolea kujifunza na wanahitaji kutimiza hilo. Unaweza kusaidia kufanya hivyo kwa kuzungumza nao kwa ukawaida na kuzungumzia magumu wanayokabili na jinsi ya kuyashinda. Baadhi ya mambo ya kuzungumzia pamoja na mtoto wako yanatia ndani: - Kuwa mwenye kujitahidi Kujifunza kwa umbali kunaweza kuwa yenye kutenganisha nyakati nyingine. Mfariji mtoto wako kama hana kichocheo na umpa thawabu kwa kujitolea kwake badala ya matokeo yake. - Kukaa akizingatia Kuwa nyumbani humaanisha watoto ni hata zaidi nyeti kwa distractions na kupoteza lengo. Unaweza kumsaidia mtoto wako kudumisha ushiriki wakati wa masomo ya mtandaoni kwa kufanya marekebisho machache rahisi kama vile kuweka simu za mkononi na vitu vya kuchezea mbali wakati wa masomo. - Kujua wakati wa kuomba msaada Mweleze mtoto wako kwamba kuomba msaada ni nguvu si udhaifu. Wanafunzi wenye mafanikio hujaribu kutatua tatizo wenyewe kwanza lakini hawaogopi kuomba msaada ili waweze kuimarisha uelewa wao na kufanya maendeleo. - Kujifunza jinsi ya kujifunza kwa kujitegemea: Mhimiza mtoto wako kuchukua hatua kwa kutafuta msaada kutoka kwa rasilimali nyingine, wanafunzi wengine na walimu wakati inahitajika, na hakikisha mtoto wako anajua wapi au jinsi ya kupata rasilimali hizo. - Kuunganisha na kushiriki na masomo yao Kubaki kushiriki ni ufunguo wa mafanikio na motisha. Msaidie mtoto wako kushiriki katika mazungumzo na shughuli za mtandaoni, kuuliza maswali na kuzungumza katika darasa la mtandaoni. - Kuwa na uwezo wa kuvumilia na kutokata tamaa wakati mambo yanapokuwa magumu Onyesha hisia-mwenzi kwa mtoto wako kwa kutambua kwamba kujifunza si daima kwenda kuwa laini kusafiri. Watakabiliwa na changamoto na matatizo na watafanya makosa. Ni sawa kurudi nyuma kwa muda mfupi jambo muhimu ni kutokata tamaa. Haijalishi hali ya mtoto wako inaweza kuwa, ikiwa kujifunza kwa njia ya kawaida ni chaguo au kitu ambacho wanahitaji kupitia kwa sababu ya maamuzi ya shule yao kuhusu COVID-19, unaweza kufanya zaidi ya uzoefu huu pamoja nao. Kwa kweli, kuna faida kubwa za kujifunza mtandaoni, kwa watoto na pia kwa watu wazima. Kukaa tuned kwa ajili ya makala inakuja juu ya mada hii kwa ajili ya mpya yetu Virtual Learning Series! Je, una vidokezo vingine vya kushiriki ili kuwasaidia watoto kupata zaidi ya kujifunza virtual? Tafadhali andika hapa chini! 