Online PLC on knowledge mobilization and experience sharing
to overcome COVID-19 crisis
Online conferences that contain story sharing among schools will prepare them to adjust and alter their methods all the time – Assoc. Prof. Pairoj Keereerat, Prince of Songkla University.
Due to the spread of COVID-19 that has been prolonged since the beginning of 2020, schools undergo more or less learning and teaching difficulties. Teaching and learning cannot be maximally processed, although online learning has been brought into play. The reason is that teachers are not capable of constantly following up student records, forcing many related entities to find effective solutions.
Prior to the pandemic, Equitable Education Fund (EEF) has launched Teacher and School Quality Program (TSQP) in 2019, which emphasizes the adjustment of teaching and learning styles. Schools that joined in the first year and cooperative higher-education institutes are now capable of spreading their existing body of knowledge, collectively sharing efficient teaching and learning methods, and giving advice to schools that have never participated in the program.
How does TSQP spread knowledge?
Prince of Songkla University, a higher education institute and TSQP participant, signified the importance of knowledge and experience sharing, and online brainstorming for each school encountering various difficulties to be able to solve their own problems consecutively and systematically.
Assoc. Prof. Pairoj Keereerat stated that Prince of Songkla Unidersity’s TSQP team has conducted online PLC conference or ‘Professional Learning Community’ as a means to pass on knowledge, solve problems and share positive experiences among one another, including central coaching team of the university, teachers, and school administrators, to build teachers who have the courage to think and act and are filled with problem-solving skills in accordance with the occurrences in a particular area.
“TSQP center of Prince of Songkla University attempts to help teachers to stand on their own feet because environmental factors and problems of each school are not the same. Profound understanding and problem-solving skills resulting from learning and training are most vital as those experiences will be of use directly with the problems. By which, there will be a team of coaches who will mentor them through online sources. This method has been showing positive outcomes throughout, and as soon as COVID-19 takes place, we believe online PLC would be even more beneficial.”
Making the online PLC conference room available has thus been pushed to greater importance as it is a space where every sector can discuss problems that may occur owing to the COVID-19 situation. Subsequently, the coaching team will analyze those issues and suggest solutions for schools to adjust and keep on the learning and teaching.
Adjust the method in accordance with area suitability
PLC conferences are more than proposing neutral solutions by predicting each of which is applicable to all areas. Rather, the coaching team and teachers must precisely comprehend ‘spatial context,’ local problems, and the nature of students of an area to come up with solutions best suitable to a particular group of students.
Assoc. Prof. Pairoj explained, prior to figuring out solutions, it is essential that every sector reveal the circumstances of each area before considering the direction.
“We must not forget that it is not only the fact that schools and the necessity-based policy designed by school administrators are different, but with what has happened, the enforcement from the province level to the village level is also different. There are forms of problems that one solution cannot solve all. Instead, if we sort out from a smaller perspective, make sure everyone understands the overall image, and together discuss the way to solve a problem, possibilities become greater.
“We normally arrange online PLC once or twice a week, both in large groups and sub-groups depending on the educational stage. There will, furthermore, be other sub-groups where there is an issue or schools that need help with similar features. Some schools notice the connection of problems and suggest that they wish to specifically have online PLC between one school and the other.”
“In terms of solutions or educational management suitable to the area, we support online learning in any location accommodating it, or some places where children stay home, but without communication tools or television, we can have teachers send them worksheets and homework as well as check up on them. However, the plan must change in accordance with situations, meaning online PLC conferences on story sharing among schools will help make them always ready to adapt and adjust their methods.”
“Parents” are the key to sustainable education
Assoc. Prof. Pairoj claimed that this is a time of crisis where everyone must together share and learn. It even reflects that online learning arranged by teachers may not be sufficient. Students still need to be taken care of by those who are close to them for decent learning development, ‘family’ to be exact.
The lockdown in 2020 demonstrated that each family encountered various problems and preparations. To effectively manage education with a method, only with the help of parents, who would look after and give advice as an at-home teacher assistance, is possible.
“Parents of most households in remote areas still cannot help to manage education for children owing to a number of restrictions. For example, some parents do not have much time. Some children live with their grandparents who are incapable of understanding the learning-aid devices. Additionally, with the current economic condition, every family is in a depressed state, coordination and assignment delivery must then be elaborately planned to not overburden the parents.
“However, if we have to continue living in this condition, it is a must to make parents learn and understand that when the schools are forced to be closed, students’ learning and development will apparently decrease. So, parents play the important role of helping teachers take care of the children and make sure their learning meets the objectives. They must understand that even when we will build a tool that best helps learning, but we lack the help of parents, the learning cannot be effective. This is what every sector must come together to help make it happen until we can return to normal education.”
For future possibilities, the EEF viewed that PLC conferences will not be confined among educational institutes, because valuable learning must be spread to other groups of people. Educational institutes may use PLC on occasions such as parent-teacher conferences or communications with people of the school community to promote relations between each other and expand knowledge to other social units for they can support the future of the nation as a form of children.
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