Since the global Coronavirus pandemic, the “New Normal” tagline has become very popular. As a result of the epidemic, every sector, including education, has adjusted its working approach. The Covid-19 pandemic shifted the focus of the worldwide education system to homeschooling. Due to lockdowns, traditional schools were closed, and online homeschooling became the new standard. Despite the pandemic, it allowed students to continue their schooling and learn new skills.
Homeschooling in India has helped kids continue their education despite the pandemic. It has given them more flexibility, accessibility, and cost-effective learning opportunities.
This article will explore various advantages of online homeschooling and five easy ways to make homeschooling interactive and fun for students.
What is online homeschooling?
Homeschooling is a more advanced form of education in which students learn through virtual classrooms. Students can use online learning to access resources supplied by people worldwide with just an active internet connection. It lets teachers employ several interactive technologies such as videos, audio, photos, animation, virtual conference rooms, etc., to enhance the learning process.
Students can access study material from the convenience of their own homes via online homeschooling. It is especially beneficial for kids who cannot attend physical classes for various reasons, including physical constraints, distance, and so on. Furthermore, online learning assists students in developing self-discipline and time management skills. Self-paced learning is another advantage of homeschooling.
Advantages Of Online Homeschooling
Homeschooling has various advantages that make it better than offline learning. Here are a few of them:
- Accessibility
One of the most enticing aspects of online homeschooling is that it can be accessed anywhere. Children in traditional schools must travel to the institution to study. Students can access study materials from the comfort of their own homes by signing in to the system from any location. Students can attend lectures from the convenience of their own homes thanks to online schools like 21K Schools. Students also save money on commuting when they learn online.
- Flexibility
The biggest advantage of online learning is flexibility. Students can attend classes whenever it is convenient for them since they have access to online reading materials and recorded lectures. Online schools like 21K Schools also allow students to take their time to digest the online material and complete their work. However, there is an element of rigidity in traditional schools.
- Interactive Sessions
One of the best advantages of online homeschooling is that it allows students to learn in interactive and fun ways. Homeschooling enables teachers to teach concepts using videos, images, animations, games and activities. While offline learning can sometimes become tedious, online learning can be made fun using extracurricular activities and games.
Five Interactive Extracurricular Activities For Homeschooling In India
- Online Quiz
Quizzes are a great way to keep students engaged in virtual classes. There are various types of quizzes, but the ‘Top 5’ question is one that children particularly love. Each question in a Top 5 quiz contains numerous alternative responses. ‘Name countries beginning with the letter A,’ for example. Students must then write down their answers. Then, the students can use their webcams to show their answers to the entire class. Another option is to employ online interactive quizzes, in which students are given a unique class code that allows them to answer questions directly on a platform through their devices.
- Liar Game
This is one of the best icebreaker activities for online homeschooling that will help children know more about fellow students. In this game, students must share three statements about themselves, out of which two have to be true, while one should be a lie. Other students must guess the lie in the chat. The activity is entertaining and can help you find out various hilarious stories.
- Word Game
Word games are simple and require little to no preparation in a homeschool classroom. The teacher chooses a word and then asks students to share the first word that comes to mind connected to the teacher’s word. Giving students a specific topic is a terrific approach to do this in an online classroom. The first student who is unable to think of a word must forfeit. Then, other students could give them a task that the student must do. This makes the activity more fun.
- Drawing Activity
It is another interactive activity where students must download an online drawing application and log in with their class code. Students must draw an image for each term that the teacher mentions. Students will be able to see what the others have created, and this activity will serve as a good icebreaker. For example, if the teacher says, “Draw the image of the king of the jungle,” the students should do so. The winner will be the student who draws a lion.
- Scavenger Hunt
This is a fun game to play during online homeschooling. Students must be tasked with finding objects that match the description given by the teacher. For example, if the teacher instructs students to find a blue thing at home and then show it on the webcam, students must first hunt for a blue object at home. This is an excellent approach to making homeschooling interactive.
Conclusion
Online homeschooling must be fun and interactive, or students may not find it interesting. A fun class is always an excellent way to introduce new concepts and make students interact with their classmates. So, use these five easy homeschooling activities to make your lessons interactive. Drawing games and online quizzes are two games to introduce new concepts in the class. Liar Game, word games and scavenger hunts will help break the ice in class.