The Future Is Here: BBS Virtual Classroom

On  Thursday,  November  17th,  2016,  a  ground-breaking  event transpired.   That day, the Secondary  One classes were converted into virtual classrooms.

The Sec 1 students  interacted  and  engaged  themselves  with  the  learning  resources  that  the  Sec  1  teachers prepared for them in an online setting. Only a few books and stationery were brought to class, and the first period was focused on configuring their tablets and laptops to connect with the school’s Wi-Fi. They sat excitedly with their gadgets before them, logged onto a specific school site that would give them the study materials needed.

As soon as they were logged in, the students were treated to an immersive e-learning experience. It is a neat-looking website. It is divided into sections such as “HOMEWORK” and “CHATROOM” where each student  was  encouraged  to  navigate. The  different  Sec  1  subjects  required  different  materials  and resources. There was a scroll-down menu on the left-hand side of the screen on that site to navigate pages, grade by grade, subject by subject. Through e-learning, interacting and discussing is now possible outside the physical classroom.

In Maths, for example, students viewed questions from their screens but did their work on foolscap. In English class, however, students would write out compositions and essays in word document then attach them as a pdf file to be sent to the teacher. Specific deadlines automatically alerted the students for the submissions of assignment. There were also quizzes, albeit still developing, only multiple-choice quizzes could be conducted. The computer system automatically calculated the answers and sent the data to the teacher. The plan is that every teacher will have their own virtual class to operate and update on for every class to see.

When asked about this revolutionary experiment, the students responded in a majorly positive manner; Then we  decided to ask the Sec 1 teachers about their views:

BBS  SPECTRUM:  Do  you  prefer  teaching  students  using  technology  or  the  old traditional way?

Ms. Nerissa: I definitely prefer using tablets and laptops, because it is easier and faster, since we’re going through the age of technology, it is good that we’re starting it soon.

BBS SPECTRUM: How do you teach them using tablets and laptops?

Ms. Nerissa: We’ve been trained to teach them this way, we download resources, convert them to PDF, send it to the students, and currently they can only do their work on paper.

BBS SPECTRUM: Do you allow students to bring laptops instead of tablets?

Ms. Nerissa: For now yes, although it is better if it’s only tablet, as it would be much more portable and easy to carry.

BBS SPECTRUM: Do you enjoy teaching via e-Learning method?

Mr. Eduardo: Yes, it is tiring but very rewarding. e-Learning is very different but as teachers, we have to innovate and improve with the times.

BBS SPECTRUM: Speaking of traditional and modern teaching techniques, which do you prefer now that you have tried both?

Mr. Eduardo: Well, both have their own pros and cons; e-Learning is faster and organized, but the traditional method keeps a deeper, more sincere bond between  the  teacher  and  the  students.  Converting  to  an  entirely  virtual classroom may limit instructor interaction unlike the vibrant traditional face-to-face exchange.

Between the traditional and modern method, I guess we have  to  find  a  common  ground  because  like  it  or  not,  we  are  going nowhere but forward!

BBS SPECTRUM: Do you think it will be successful enough to spread to other classes?

Mr. Eduardo: That’s the next step though. I do think that it depends on what type of learners fill that class.

Some classes are visual learners and can work  better with computers,  whilst  others  are  auditory learners and would suit  the traditional method  better.  So  it  really  does depend on the students.

Having  heard all these, the  aim  is  to  gradually  get  every class into the e-Learning platform by the end of Term 3.

They can then start upgrading the school facilities to keep up with BBS_KJS’ virtual learning environment.

Students enjoying their 1st exposure to e-learWhen asked about this revolutionary experiment, the students responded in a majorly positive manner; Then we decided to ask the Sec 1 teachers about their views:

BBS  SPECTRUM:  Do  you  prefer  teaching  students  using  technology  or  the  old traditional way?