Plans for reopening schools

Currently schools like ours are considering various scenarios for reopening that range from fully in-person to fully remote, with many hybrids in between designed to have fewer students in the building at any given time.

Under any of these scenarios we should be planning for distance learning for two key reasons: 

1) Models of the spread of COVID-19 show that the virus will certainly be present in the fall, although the impact of the virus will vary by locale, and 

2) Individual teachers and parents/students may opt for distance learning due to personal or family risk if exposed to the virus.

So, the first issue is to ensure that the benefits from reopening schools outweigh the potential health risks for students and teachers. The social spacing issue is a key element. It is social spacing that will, in most cases, require schools to open for some students but not all. This is where the 'hybrid', or blended learning approach will come in. We can anticipate that this is what most schools will do. It will require a more differentiated approach and the continuation of remote learning and there must be proper provisions for protective equipment, school sanitizing and many of the other items in the guidelines.

Another worst case scenario is the idea that schools may not get the clearance of opening at all. Instruction may have to continue exclusively online.

Vision:

To emerge as the best choice in the education, globally. To put the child at the heart of learning to become a transformational leader through understanding, knowledge and skills which can drive innovation to shape a better future for all.

Innovative pedagogy at MRIS, Mohali

The effective teachers at the school strive to motivate and engage all their students in learning rather than simply accepting that some students cannot be engaged and are destined to do poorly. They believe that every student is capable of achieving success at school and they all can find ways of making each student successful at learning.

At Manav Rachna International School, we engage students to advance them via audio-visual aids and experiential involvements. We focus on learning and lay stress on sound and strong academics through its concept and project-based learning. The teaching and learning is based on multi sensory and multiple intelligence approach.

Special handholding for underachievers

To help create lessons that engage and resonate with a diverse classroom, is the need of the hour, we have incorporated the following strategies to cater to the differentiated learning levels of our students:

Learning centres: To our kindergarteners we provide different types of content by setting up learning centres - divided sections of your classroom through which groups of students rotate. Each centre uses a unique method of teaching a skill or concept related to the theme or lesson.

• Playing videos
• Using infographics
• Providing audiobooks
• Role play
• Incorporating charts and illustrations within texts
• Giving both spoken and written directions to tasks
• Using relevant physical objects, such as hands-on activities when teaching math skills
• Allotting time for students to create artistic reflections and interpretations of lessons including power point presentations.
• Implementing reflection and goal-setting exercises
• Think-pair-share strategy
• Vocational-based Education:

Skill Lab

The life skills curriculum here is carefully designed to provide opportunities to children across grade levels to mainstream 21st century learner skills and content knowledge through the soft as well as technical skills curriculum. While the soft skills curriculum builds values, effective communication and thinking skills, the technical skills curriculum incorporates knowledge and application of computers as well as the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) skills in the Makershala.

Our skill lab houses is a project-based learning curriculum through which students explore fields like electronics, programming, carpentry, aero-modeling, architecture, design, and robotics. Children develop skills needed in 21st century.

In middle school, students have wider choice to pick from 3 broad skills:

1. IT skills (robotics, gaming, Artificial Intelligence), CORE

2. Engineering skills (aero-modeling, electronics, mechanical, carpentry), and

3. Audio-visual skills (photography, film-making, advertising and media, graphic designing, digital designing).

CREST

It is a unique programme developed to promote conceptual learning through reasoning, exploration, skilling & technology. It aims at instilling 21st century learner skills in children.