Smart Edge!
To keep up with the changing times and cater to the needs of today’s learners, pupils of Classes II to V have been allotted ‘smart’ classrooms that are equipped with multiple display systems such as computers, audiovisual aids, interactive boards and plasma display devices. This makes learning and teaching a highly enjoyable multi-sensory experience for both pupils and teachers.
‘Mission Technology’, launched by South Point School and South Point High School, has brought about great changes in the classrooms of the two schools. From using YouTube videos or relying upon ready-made educational and instructional videos, the ingenious ‘Tech Team’ is now making high-quality videos on the Canva platform on various topics, across all subjects. The trained faculty uses this digital content on a regular basis, thus making the topics of the curriculum vibrant with graphics, animations and video clips.
Little Pointers of Transition and Class I attend interesting audiovisual classes where PowerPoint presentations on topics from EVS, General Science and Arithmetic make the pages of their textbooks come alive. They enjoy every bit of it.
The MINDSPARK programme has been introduced in Classes II, III and IV to improve the pupils’ understanding of mathematical concepts. They have access to tablets through which trained teachers help them solve sums in a play way method.
virtual class
A Class Apart
The COVID-19 pandemic not only resulted in the closure of educational institutions worldwide but also changed the face of education. Teachers and students everywhere woke up to a new era of learning where classrooms were brought to their homes. Online or virtual classes came into existence as a new model in education. Always ready to face challenges head-on, teachers and students of South Point adapted themselves, without demur, to the digital mode of education. The teaching-learning process thus went on unhindered in a new sphere of virtual classes, engaging hands-on activities, audio-visual aids, lectures, worksheets, assignments, and evaluation. Like always before, they remained committed to providing quality education, while navigating a new reality.
South Point is now well-equipped to shift from the offline to online mode of learning whenever such a need arises. Teachers are fully trained to conduct classes on Microsoft Teams and our tech-smart students always rise to the occasion.
To make the leap to virtual teaching successful, South Point School teachers ensure that online classes turn out to be stimulating, lively and interactive for all the children from Nursery I to Class V. For Nursery I and II children, saying “Good Morning” and the School prayer as well as learning punctuality and sitting quietly during e-classes play a key role, as do storytelling with PPTs and videos with voiceovers by teachers, introduction to alphabet, numbers and new words, interactive comprehension sessions, and music, colouring and pattern writing assignment uploads. Audio visual aids, engaging storytelling and structured uploads of music, drawing and craft assignments appeal to all classes. Vernacular and EVS are introduced gradually to Transition children while time is set aside for interaction with teachers. Class I lessons integrate audio visual aids, life skill concepts, storytelling as well as written work. For Classes II to V, teachers supplement lessons with well-crafted teaching aids, interactive Q&A sessions, brain teasers, innovative PPTs and integrated exercises on language, grammar, comprehension, creative writing skills, General Science and Social Studies. Regular uploads of physical education lessons for Transition to Class IV and karate lessons for Classes II to V blend fitness with the daily routine. While home assignments for all classes are uploaded on the School app, parts of the content-to-be-taught are also uploaded for everyone in advance.
The South Point High School facultysees to it that the teaching-learning process goes on in full steam through virtual classes.Initially, lessons were uploaded on the School website and studentswere set weekly tasks. It was soon decided that virtual classes should be introduced to ensure a more comprehensive teaching-learning transaction. Teachers trained, enhanced their skills and adapted themselves to take on the challenge.Virtual classes commenced in April and are being conducted by a large section of the faculty across all departments. A total of 90 to 100 lessons are conducted for each class every week from Monday to Saturday. PPTs and slides are used to keep the students engaged during the e-lessons of one hour each. An interactive session at the end of each class is the norm andthe pupils are also permitted to place their queries using the chat option. Assignments and a gist of the week’s lessons are sent to them too. Teachers regularly and thoroughly evaluate all assignments received and give feedback through mail. There is a plan to augment the number of classes and use the School app to conduct quizzes to assess pupils’ performance.
The teacher-student connect in South Point has thus reached a new platform – strengthened by the admirable efforts from teachers and exceptional responses from students. They have proved that disruptive times cannot put their worlds on hold; what makes them a dynamic combination in School classrooms makes them even more so in the e-classrooms.
School App
To make communication among members of the South Point family easier and faster, the School has launched its app, “Skolaro”, that allows the administrators and teachers to share information with parents and students about upcoming assignments, homework, important notices, useful links, etc. Parents can download and view fee receipts and report cards and also make online fee payments through this app.
“Skolaro” can be downloaded from Google Play/Apple Store. The parent portal can be accessed by visiting www.skolaro.com and clicking on “Login”. The app can then be opened, using the log-in credentials provided by the School.
Microsoft Teams is another important app used by the School. Apart from helping to conduct online classes, this app also serves as an effective means of communication between parents and teachers. Students use this app to upload their project work for evaluation.
South Point on Facebook & Viva Engage
South Point has an impressively vibrant presence on Facebook. The South Point School and South Point High School pages serve as an additional channel of connecting with teachers, parents as well as pupils. The pages are rich in attractive and prompt updates, visuals, videos, interesting information, inputs, and feedback on School happenings. It also serves as an effective medium for networking with the alumni. South Point’s presence on Facebook forges stronger relationships among all stakeholders on a wider and more engaging platform.
Microsoft Viva Engage, with its ability to foster community building and facilitate real-time communication, and support internal events and campaigns, provides a space where the employees of South Point can connect, collaborate, and engage with each other.
We, at South Point, would like to reiterate what George Couros, the educator and author once said– “Technology will never replace great teachers, but technology in the hands of a great teacher can be transformational.”
