4 Powerful Tips for Effective Virtual Learning

COVID-19 has forced many schools to shut down and has disrupted the education of school-going children. Many schools have shifted their teaching process to virtual classes to educate children even while sitting at home. Virtual learning is an effective and the cheapest way to increase one’s knowledge and skills in a unique, flexible environment. There are few areas to consider while trying online classes for the first time to set yourself up for success and take full advantage of learning online.

 

The ICSE school in Dehradun, The Heritage School, is sharing four powerful tips and strategies for online learners that would help them succeed in the online learning journey.

 

Self-care

Self-care is crucial for successful online learning. For learning effectively, a healthy mind and body should work in sync. Take short breaks in between either by walking around or having a cup of tea or coffee, make sure that the screen is turned off during that period. Get good sleep, keep your body hydrated, and eat a healthy diet.

 

Time Management

The biggest benefit of virtual learning is the flexibility of time. Find out ways at which time you learn best or the brain’s peak level is high, and schedule your time for learning accordingly. Track your deadlines of learning material and minimize distractions such as closing unnecessary tabs open in the browser or switching to social media channels.

 

Community Learning

Virtual learning provides an opportunity to connect with world-class professors and a community of like-minded people working on the same project or learning a course. Make the best use of these communities by participating in forums or networking with peers.

 

Learning Strategies

Get the most out of virtual learning by sticking with the learning process and jotting down the main points you have learned in the video sessions. Repeatedly apply knowledge in different contexts, practice skills, and reinforce your learning outside of a class by connecting it to your everyday life.

 

The Heritage School is one of the best ICSE schools in Dehradun that thrives on making every student’s learning experience one of a kind. We hope that you would apply these tips to reap the best benefits of online learning at home during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Info Source: blog.edx.org

Importance of Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many of us to stay inside at home and sit down more than people usually do, which has impacted the regular physical activity or movement of the people. The Heritage School, which is the top school in Dehradun, believes that it is crucial to be active as much as possible, especially at a time like this. Take a short break in the middle of the day or after every 2 hours if you are sitting continuously for a more extended period. Do a light intensity physical activity or movement such as walking or stretching for better blood circulation and muscle activity. Doing regular physical activity improves bone and muscle strength, whereas, in the case of older people, regular exercise has proved to help in preventing falls and injuries.

Exercising reduces blood pressure, proves beneficial for type 2 diabetic patients, stroke, helps manage weight, and reduces the risk of heart disease – the conditions that can increase the susceptibility to COVID-19. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends physical activity for all the age groups as per the following specifics.

Infants Under One Year of Age: Infants should be physically active several times a day, and for those, not yet mobile, include at least 30 minutes in a prone position.

Children Under Five Years of Age: All young children should devote 180 minutes a day to exercise, and 3-4 years old children should spend at least 60 minutes of this time in moderate to high-intensity physical activity.

Children and Adolescents Aged 5-17 Years: The people in this age group should do at least 60 minutes a day of moderate to high-intensity physical activity for at least three days per week. Doing more than 60 minutes of physical activity per day provides additional health benefits.

Adults Aged Over 18 Years: People over 18 years of age should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-high intensity exercise or physical activity, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity throughout the week.

The Heritage School, ICSE school in Dehradun, recommends all the families to take care of their physical health by doing regular physical activity and encourage each other to do exercise as a part of daily routine.

Source: WHO.int

Talking about COVID-19

Your kids are hearing about COVID-19 more and more every day. The parents should be willing to talk and should make sure that they receive reliable information. The probability is that they must have already heard something. It’s essential to know that being silent and keeping secrets from your children about the current situation is not going to be good for them. So The Heritage School, ICSE school in Dehradun, shows you simple ways how to talk about it with your kids.

Be Open and Listen

Allow your child to express his views and statements on the subject without any interference. Then, ask them questions to check how much do they already know and whether the information they know is correct and reliable. 

Be Honest

Your child is growing and he is intrigued by every single thing happening around him, and will supposedly have a lot of questions. As parents, you need to sit down and answer the questions honestly. Always share information based on the age of your children and how much information can they possibly digest.

Be Supportive 

Build such a rapport with your kid which makes him/her comfortable talking to you when they are scared or frustrated or simply going through some stress. Always show support by giving them that much-needed space to share how are they coping with stuff happening around and let them know you are there for them.

Share Reliable Information

There are a lot of stories going around, and it is easy to get caught up in every piece of information you hear or see. Some might not even be true. Pick information from trustworthy sites like WHO and UNICEF.

Concentrate on the Positive

Rather than scaring off your children by telling them the current mortality rate, share with them the data of the people who are recovering from this pandemic. They will cause less stress as you shift their focus to the positive side of things.

End on a Good Note 

Check up on your kids if they are fine and coping with the situation well. Remind them that you are there to talk and motivate them to talk about whatever is putting them off emotionally. Engage your kid in fun activities like cooking, playing, gardening, etc.

It’s natural to feel intimidated by so much information flowing through TV, social media, newspapers, etc or even questions asked by your children. It’s okay to not know all the answers to questions your kids ask you. It’s fine to simply say, “We don’t know and we are working on it”. Use such opportunities to learn something new from your child. The Heritage School, the top school in Dehradun, encourages parents to seize this opportunity to get more connected with their children.

Source: who.int

How Will Technology Help in Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19 on Schools?

The last few weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak has witnessed a tremendous shift in the education system in India. As the virus spreads around the world, many countries are implementing measures from a ban on mass gatherings to the temporary closing down of schools. According to UNESCO monitoring, many countries have closed down the schools to minimize the transmission of coronavirus, which has impacted 1.5 billion students across the globe.

While schools are temporarily closed for the safety of the children, schooling continues as students are being educated remotely using technology. Online learning tutorials and massive open online courses are becoming the need of the hour. From an educational perspective, students could benefit from technology at home, provided that they are spending their time productively and using tech for good.

Delivering education to every student across the country would require the states to overcome the significant challenges such as providing digital learning resources in teaching, sound capabilities in distance education, or curriculum-linked online resources for teaching and learning, regardless of place and time. The Heritage School, ICSE School in Dehradun, is sharing a few ideas that countries should focus on.

1. Designing programs and policies to include the most vulnerable, or students belonging to the economically weaker sections with equipment and connectivity.

2. Providing internet connectivity to schools that need it the most.

3. Reimbursement in the finances of the digital curriculum and learning materials for students.

4. Improvements in digital communication technologies for schools to deliver education online effectively.

The Heritage School, the top school in Dehradun, sees this time of crisis as an opportunity for all educational institutions to look into the future and build their capacity to adjust and overcome the possible threats.

5 Ways to Help Children Cope with Anxiety during COVID-19 Outbreak

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has shaken the entire world by infecting lakhs of people across the globe and taking thousands of lives so far. This deadly disease has boggled everyone with stress and anxiety, which has led to people having mental health problems. This pandemic has created a stressful situation and it is the moral responsibility of every parent and family member to take care of the younger ones. The Heritage School, the top ICSE School in Dehradun, is discussing five ways to help children cope with anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak.

ü      During this time of confinement, children may respond to stress or anxiety in different ways, such as by getting angry, or anxious. As a parent, please respond to your child's reactions in a supportive way, and give them extra love and attention.

ü   Tell your children why it is not wise to go out of the house. If separation occurs due to hospitalization, contact them regularly via phone only.

ü      During difficult times, children need love and extra attention from the elder ones. So, please give them extra time and remember to listen to your children actively with interest. Also, speak to them kindly and make time for the child to play and relax.

ü      Try to make your children follow regular routines and schedules to keep them healthy and fit, and create new opportunities for them to learn at home for their overall growth and development.

ü     If necessary, share the facts and information related to COVID-19 depending on your child's age and understanding level. Scaring off the kids with too much information is not recommended.

The Heritage School, the top school in Dehradun, advises all the parents to take care of themselves and their children by following the guidelines provided by WHO, local health officials, and government during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Source - https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-emergencies/coronavirus-school-closures

Coronavirus Outbreak in 2020

We have all been hearing of Coronavirus and its outbreak a lot these days. But do you know what it is, and how this epidemic happened? Being one of the best ICSE schools in Dehradun, we believe everyone ought to know about this disease so read on to know more.

Coronaviruses are just like any other virus but very large in number, which can cause illness in humans and animals. The most recently discovered coronavirus is COVID-19. Like any other coronaviruses, it has come from animals.

COVID-19 virus’s outbreak first began in December 2019, in Wuhan, China. And now it has affected over 80,000 people globally.

Symptoms of COVID-19

The most common symptoms are dry cough, tiredness, fever, and breathing problems. It can even cause pneumonia. During the early stage, the symptoms are mild but intensify gradually. There have been a few cases where people were found infected, but they didn't experience any symptoms as such previously. People who already have medical issues and older people are more likely to develop critical illness from this virus.

Precautions

This deadly virus usually spreads from respiratory droplets expelled by someone who is coughing. So take care of the following things:

• Prefer wearing a mask if you are planning to travel especially if you are going out of the country.

• Get a full-body check-up if you have returned from a tourist place. There could be the slightest chance of getting infected.

• Wash your hands properly and use sanitizer regularly. 

• Maintain distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

• Make sure the people around you maintain respiratory hygiene by covering their mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing. 

• Stay at home if you feel unwell. And if you have any of the symptoms mentioned above, do consult a doctor. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

• Stay informed with the latest updates on COVID-19 and do follow the guidelines by the WHO. 

So here was the basic information about an epidemic that caused a lot of chaos worldwide, especially in China. The Heritage School, the leading ICSE school in Dehradun, hopes you stay safe and healthy. 

Importance of Sports in School

We stay in a generation where kids are more engrossed in computers, tabs, video games and in a virtual world which is gradually harming the physical and mental health of children. Sports and outdoor activities are slowly vanishing away and parents are quite worried about their kids being inactive. Heritage School, the top school in Dehradun encourages sports activities for students to perform and participate for the same. Conducting sports activities can benefits children in a variety of ways.

Maintenance of Good Health and Fitness

Indulged in sports activities, students can stay fit and fine at a young age. Reduce the risk of many health-related problems. Also, it helps the student to have good fitness and stay slim by burning the fats they intake. 

Engage Discipline

Inculcating quality of discipline is a lifelong asset. Engaging in sports activity builds discipline quality as they have to be on time in the field for practice, follow the rules and sports, lets the students set their own goals and achieve them.

Improved Sleep

While playing any sports in school, it requires a lot of energy, hard work and strength to play. It makes them tired and makes them sleep faster and deeper. Sleeping well will keep them healthy and active. 

Better Academics

While playing any sports, it has been observed that students have an enhancement in memory and cognitive function. Sports activities also make them sharper and excel at academics. 

Getting Socially Connected

Social connection is vital in today’s world for any growing individual. Participating in sports regularly helps you build social networks with people around as the students go for tournaments, whether district-level, state-level or national-level.

Enhance the Teamwork and Leadership Qualities

Making sports as part of a regular regime will help the students to amplify their teamwork and leadership skills. Additionally, it also helps in other group projects in school. Leading any team is a tough job to perform as the leader has to keep every team member together in unity.

Playing sports will make the students them initiators and leaders not just academically but also outside school.  Heritage School, listed as one of the best ICSE schools in Uttarakhand, incorporates sports in the daily academic schedule to make them physically and mentally fit.