With the escalating threat and disruption of Coronavirus (COVID-19) being felt worldwide, the impact has seen the temporary closure of our international schools in China and Hong Kong.
However, in the face of a continuing challenge, our teaching staff have adapted and continued to deliver lessons to pupils virtually. Malvern College Chengdu has expanded its existing online learning programme to allow pupils to continue learning in real time at home. Teachers have been utilising a variety of platforms in accordance to what they feel is the most appropriate tool to achieve the desired learning objectives.
Microsoft Teams has given teachers the ability to broadcast live lessons. The platform has been most effective at whole class teaching, as pupils are able to interact with the teacher and their peers.
Doddle Digital is a new platform to the school, which offers a wealth of resources to enhance online teaching and learning, including various interactive presentations that cover the majority of the school’s syllabus. Teachers are able to set work and quizzes, and the system is able to provide the pupil with instant feedback.
Jacqueline McNalty, Principal at Malvern College Pre-School Hong Kong, has been very proud of how her team have responded to the closure. Staff have worked to provide online teaching activities, supported by their well embedded systems, ‘Tapestry’ and ‘Class Dojo’, as well as hosting Skype calls with children and families to maintain contact with the youngest learners in our family of schools.
All of the schools have made significant efforts to ensure that pupil welfare and development are at the centre of all of the decisions and processes that have been put in place at this difficult time. Where teachers have been operating from outside of the region of the school, teachers have been ensuring that they are either teaching or fully available within the time zone of the school, even where that has meant working through the night.
The resilience, collaboration and open-minded approach shown by all management, teachers and pupils alike certainly carries and demonstrates many of the Malvern Qualities. As a family of schools, we support and commend the exceptional efforts and clear dedication shown by all.
Listen to Dr Robin Lister, Headmaster of Malvern College Hong Kong, explain the school's current online learning approach.