During the pandemic, education presented itself with a new phenomenon. Distance learning is now a part of people's lives all over the world. As educators, we already knew how important the school-parent-student triangle is in education, but the role of parents has increased even more during this process. Ensuring that our children receive a good education and overcome this period with minimal deficiencies has become a very important issue for both us educators and parents. So, what should parents pay attention to in distance learning? How can we manage the process better for the student, the school, and ourselves? Here are the answers to these questions: School is now a live classroom for us. Therefore, students should first pay attention to the lesson schedules planned for them in distance learning and maximize their participation in classes. The way to do this is to wake up at certain times in the morning, just like going to school, and start the day with a healthy breakfast, maintaining our routine. For the sake of school discipline, it is essential that our children change their clothes and start a new day, getting out of their sleepy state and feeling ready for class. During this process, just as school environments are designed to be organized and conducive to learning, it is crucial that the environment where our children participate in live online classes is organized, clean, and suitable for listening to lessons. It is also important that students bring their own desks and chairs to class. This will help them feel at home in a school setting, allowing them to better understand the learning objectives. After each lesson, students should review the material and solve related problems to reinforce their understanding. Children should ask their teachers about any questions they couldn't answer or points they didn't understand to complete their learning. Homework is a crucial part of not only distance learning but also overall educational activities. Therefore, it is very important that students complete their homework regularly. Another concept that emerged in distance learning during the pandemic is online exams. Having our children take online practice exams at regular intervals is a valuable way to assess their academic performance and learning outcomes. Many publishing houses now offer online practice exams, both free and for a fee. As parents, we need to monitor these things and stay in contact with our schools regarding this matter. Students must fulfill their responsibilities regarding homework, class participation, review, and study hours with a sense of responsibility, ensuring their development in the best possible way. The most important point for parents is to instill a sense of responsibility in their children. A child with a sense of responsibility will know what they need to do and will continue their life accordingly. This is not only important for their education, but also for their future success and happiness, which is linked to the qualities we acquire at a young age. As parents, we can achieve this not by putting pressure on the student, but through proper control and avoiding comparisons.
At Denge Schools, recognizing the importance of the school-parent-student triangle during the distance learning process, we are implementing an educational program to help students navigate this period in the best way possible. With our planned school schedules, our students attend their routine classes just like they would in school. Above all, as a college, we place great importance on and implement an intensive program for world languages: English, Spanish, French, and German. Our classes, which include artistic activities such as painting, music, and drama, continue at every level, allowing students to experience a process immersed in art. Our physical education department routinely conducts daily physical exercises at every level, enabling students to develop a habit of regular exercise at home. Our guidance unit provides social, psychological, and academic support by meeting with students and parents during this process.
Our school plays a crucial role in the academic monitoring and success of our students during the LGS (High School Entrance Exam) process. Using our mobile smart application, we allow parents to track their children's education in real-time, including student participation in class, homework, homework checks, and parent communication. We are aware of the importance of assessment and evaluation in education and are implementing a plan accordingly. Therefore, our LGS student group participates in online mock exams every week, while other student groups participate every two weeks. Our lessons continue according to this plan, with question solving and learning outcome analysis based on these exams. Our greatest source of pride at Denge Schools is our valuable teaching staff. During the distance learning process, they maintain communication with parents, provide the best possible instruction, and, as we see in the online mock exams, are experiencing a successful period.
In this current situation, the health of our students is also very important. Our children's psychological, physical, and biological well-being significantly impacts their ability to understand the lessons. Therefore, even though going out in social activities is not possible during this period, mountain hikes and visits to places where we can connect with nature will be beneficial for both our health and the energy of our children. During the period we spent constantly at home, it was very important for our health to do daily physical exercises as a routine.
Although the pandemic caused us to feel uneasy and live in fear in many areas, it taught us something very important. We saw how many valuable things there are in our daily lives that we never paid attention to or thought about. Let's look at this process from the other side of the coin and live our future lives without forgetting how valuable the details in life are. I hope these days will be behind us as soon as possible and we will have a happy life in better days. On behalf of the whole world and the Republic of Turkey, I wish a life full of health, peace and awareness.
Family Counselor PD. Çağrı ÜN
Deputy Director of Denge Schools
