Baljeet Oberoi shares their success mantra in handling virtual school experience

After pandemic, lives of many people have changed including kids. Virtual schooling is the new study mode for students across the globe. Students got stick to mobiles as everything is virtual now. The students join the teacher online and learn together through a series of tasks and activities using online tools. Learning has changed dramatically, whereby teaching has been undertaken remotely on digital platforms bringing about a significant transformation. 2020 - 2021 proved a seamless stretch of the wonderful learning process and Oakridge Bachupally has left no stone unturned.

Baljeet Oberoi, Principal of Oakridge International School, Bachupally and professional in the field of education for almost two decades explains how they handled VSE (virtual school experience) and got succeeded.

What are the tips you followed to bring out the creativity in students?

Asynchronous learning turned out to be a boon for students giving them access to all the resources and material at their fingertips. The curriculum proved itself holistic and robust along with music, drama, PE, and Yoga as added savor to the curriculum. The Visual & Performing Art departments have come up with evolved tasks- Oak Talent, Oak Spectrum, Music and Dance clubs that blossomed the creativity of the students. The PE department came up with a novel idea of organizing the Fitness gala, a quiz named Khel Gyan, Dangal Competition, and celebrating the International Yoga Day.

What are the instructions given to teachers and what mediums used?

The Shift to online classrooms has forced the teachers and facilitators to reconsider their goals and methods of teaching, Teaching methods that helped to develop and transfer specific skills that serve both the purposes of knowledge development and dissemination were incorporated. Cognitive approaches to learning, with a focus on comprehension, analysis, synthesis, decision-making, problem-solving and creative thinking were followed at Oakridge Bachupally. We used unified communication and collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Choice grids which allowed the teachers to create educational courses, training, and skill development programmes that keep classroom transactions more organized and easy to work.

The teaching and learning process was supported by the sharing of a variety of content like Word, PDF, Excel files, audio, videos, and many more. Creative and critical thinking skills were promoted among students, through the Technology Free learning initiative to boost the children's dormant skills without the use of the screen. The students exhibited their talents explicitly and presented their ideas in the form of models and experiments. Tracking of student learning and assessment was done by using quizzes and the rubric-based assessment of submitted assignments.

What are the steps taken to betterment the skills of the students?

Excellence is never an accident; it is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution, and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities. Online learning opened up vast craters of academic and emotional development of students. This year witnessed the launch of various virtual events where students participated in an endeavor to meet their emotional needs and work on their hobbies contributing to their social needs and working towards the betterment of their skills. Oakridge Affinity, Graduation Day, Virtual MUNs, Tedx, Student-led conference, Student council, Virtual Independence day, Literary carnivals, Science fests, World Children's Day, PYP Exhibition are some of many avenues that opened doors for students to present their skills and innate talents.

What is the main aim of Oakridge International Schools?

The role of education is not limited to creating students of academic excellence but also aims to motivate and empower the students to be lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and productive members of the global society.

Various opportunities and platforms like 'Share a dream' and 'Box of happiness' were provided to create awareness and give an assurance to the society that even students can bring about a great impact in various aspects. Being a part of these initiatives, a sense of responsibility and humility and employed research skills are developed while connecting with community partners and other schools on this platform. Teachers weaved social-emotional skills into academic instructions to help children swim through the complex emotions during the pandemic and evolve successfully.

The opportunities that were discussed above will lead us to introspection whether our children need a school that looks at the growth mindset of the child and builds them into entrepreneurs and leaders of the future technological

world or a school that offers rosy discounts on finances but not on the development of the child.

We affirm in faith that our students really look forward to being a part of all the tasks and events in our school and cherish them forever. The creative learning engagements leave a lasting impact on the mind of the child and bring about an overflowing entity of wisdom and knowledge that is appreciated at all standards of life.

"Excellence is not being the best, it is doing the best"- The school in which good training is most practiced, will, as a rule, turn out the best scholars.

The care we take at Oakridge schools in this pandemic

• Classes with your child's own teachers: continuity of care

• Live classes: ask and answer questions, join classes with your own classmates

• Full timetable: From 8.30 am till 3 pm: your child's learning continues

• Regular timetable: breaks, meals etc are at the time your child's mind and body are used to

• Fun activities: online learning has inspired our teachers

• Feedback: your child is not learning alone: our teachers encourage and feedback on their work

• Online schooling not just learning: our teachers offer the same emotional support and encouragement, including individual time with your child, as they do in when our buildings are open. We are here for you.