Rajendra Prasad Baral

With the outbreak of COVID-19, we are definitely passing through an abnormal period of a worldwide crisis, probably the biggest one for the present generation. The pandemic has adversely affected formal education system worldwide leading to the near total closures of schools, colleges and universities until a concrete way out is ascertained.
It is certain that the coronavirus will be around for sometime. At some point, however, the current storm will surely cease to be and the humankind will surely survive this storm. However, we will be leaving behind a different world for the coming generation. It is important that we keep our children and students safe and ensure institutions remain closed for safeguarding health, well being, safety of our students and our own.
Ideally, they should return to institutions after the pandemic is over and institutions are safe to resume classes. The closure of schools and colleges means a number of students and their families have had to self-isolate. Over 20 per cent of the world’s student population is badly affected. School closures affect not only students, teachers and families but also socio- economy, politics, culture, lifestyle, tourism, jobs and health care efforts like public pressures for health cure, social distancing, self-isolation etc. At present, strict measures are imposed such as public gatherings are banned; borders are sealed; arrivals and departures of people by plane are avoided; outdoor events are banned or postponed and many schools and exams are cancelled.
Due to pandemic, businesses are halted; world economy is badly battered and students are left scared and confused. Some private schools and colleges are already on the brink as corona threatens their existence. Many people are self-quarantined or stuck at home being humbled and self-disciplined by corona. Massive health services are extended.

Pitfalls
Of course, natural disasters and pandemics occur without warnings. Preventive measures and safe mitigating plans are made only when they create havoc and massive casualties. Conclusions drawn from a large body of research indicate that the protective action that people may take ultimately depends on their perception of what is thought to be appropriate. At present, e-devices have impact in all aspects of life; so in the modern world of computer, the internet and other e-forms become integral part in education system. Technology plays an important role in creating innovations and motivation for the learners and teachers.
However, some pitfalls can be obviously existed in a technology-integrated classroom. There can have infrastructural problems, matters of accessibility and affordability of internet and power supply in the access of all the teachers and students and even institutional support. Of course, there are series of webinars and online discussions taking place worldwide regarding what kind of pedagogy we can practice now and in the future.
All countries have become ‘guinea pigs’ for the large scale use of social medias, digital tools and virtual classes depending on the reliability of local power supplies, internet connectivity and digital skills of teachers and students. There is a big transformation in teaching methods, modes and practices. Sometimes, we wonder what if everyone started working from home and communicating at a distance, as it is now and what if all the schools and universities started running through the internet. Surely, it is a high time to redefine our time and rethink about our position and profession.
We have started virtually sharing our ideas, experiences and observations to each other. Teachers’ talking (barking?) time in the classes, travel time, gossiping and gospel ling time and lecture method are reduced. Nevertheless, the target groups are not teachers only. There are students, parents, guardians and community as a whole behind. The hidden victims are students in particular. We have no real life teaching and learning indulgences.
We have no full on -school or university experience. For the teachers, not for the large bulk of students, conducting Zoom, Google meetings etc, reading and writing books, journals, research articles and whatever comes up naturally has been only the antidote during such a socially or physically distanced or home quarantined life. Home has been the metaphor of teaching and learning activities. We are going through a kind of pandemic pedagogy. In response to school closures, UNESCO (2020) recommends the use of distance learning programs and open educational applications and platforms that schools and teachers can use to reach learners remotely and limit the disruption of education.

Misconceptions And Debates
We are passing through a very difficult time with transnational existential challenges of climate change and COVID-19. Frustration and uncertainty loom large in world economy, tourism and education due to the mysterious veil of global crisis of corona. The pandemic has taken away the right to education from our children and students. Therefore, they are the real hidden victims. Parents and stakeholders of education sectors are already in a critical juncture. We are bound to teach and learn with time reshaping the modality. Global village, the climate change, virtual world, COVID pandemic, digitality, digital divides, digital unity, eco-pedagogy, pandemic pedagogy, zoom meetings, Microsoft teams etc. have become buzzwords in the market.
Face to face mode of teaching and learning experience is gradually being replaced by virtual or online classes and discussions. Of course, it is a journey or migration from classroom situation to internet and digital tools. Education and technology have to merge in together. But still, the big question is, is it even possible? In the changed context, digital tools are taken not as supplement but complement to face to face mode, not as replacement or substitution but as alternative sources of pedagogy and teaching methodology. Curtis Chan, RELO officer of American Embassy to South Asia claims that e-pedagogy is innovative and alternative to face-to-face teaching, which means that it is not a replacement or substitution.
‘Yesterday’s Orthodoxy Is Today’s Heresy’
Though technology is a buzzword, nowadays, yet there is a big difference between reality and practicality. We are not in a comfort zone but in crisis and conflict zone of off-line pedagogy and e-pedagogy. Many of students and teachers are not adequately used to technology.
Online classes can/may create gap, discrimination and inequality between Digital Haves and Digital –Have-nots. There is a high chance of Fear of Being Alone (FoBA) and Fear of Missing out (FoMO) in both teachers and students. It is also a matter of time management, teachers’ learning habit and teachers’ learning outcome, students’ and teachers’ interest and motivation to learn and change. Techno-marginalized should be provided with skill based trainings to effectively use the digital tools We have still many ‘Digital Haves’ and ‘Digital Have-nots’ or in another words ‘Digital Natives’ and ‘Digital Emigrants’ or say users and non-users of technology in academia.
These catch words were popularized in the US in mid 1990s by Bentley. Though we are in the age of information, communication and technology (ICT), we have still humanistic values such as real communication and collaboration face to face. Some of us have jumped into the current of the flood while some are swimming and some are just acting swimming. There is still a doubt whether we can empower every voice of the rural and disadvantaged students and even teachers to come to the mainstream of technology.
Still ideally, accessibility, affordability, equity and even interest and active participation matter much. The other challenge can be whether the parents, institutions and government go for restructuring, implementation, practice, continuity and continuous assessment. There is no denying of the fact that face to face mode has its own charms. Face to face contents and activities are more realistic and practical than remote or online mode. VAK (Visual, Audial and Kinesthetic) model has been taken as the best model for the students to teach in which the same content is dealt with in different ways and it is also known as differentiated teaching. We can realize the realness of real classroom teaching and learning activities for a long time in our minds. However, we are bound to welcome a new paradigm shift.

Opportunities
On the surface, corona pandemic appears as an invisible enemy, yet it is an opportunity and a blessing in disguise to integrate ICT in education and promote homeschooling. We are bound to rethink about our position, life style and attitude towards life and nature, education and economy. A paradigm shift from conventional mode to e-mode has been a sine qua non. No matter who from where, virtual classes have been a blessed relief for many students and teachers, parents and care takers to maximize learning opportunities and engagements. We are changed and different now and familiar with some digital tools such as Zoom meetings, Microsoft Teams, blogs, Google Meet etc. for both personal and professional growth. Though the world situation is not good, yet we can take advantage of it. It means that we can learn different things and do things that we have not done before or got time to explore or excavate more.

Post Pandemic Pedagogy
In the world today, COVID-19 is the de-facto master, by which the world population is captivated and humbled, self-reliant and self-disciplined. Although nobody has seriously thought about educational resources for and psychology of parents and guardians to support their kids at home in such a crisis, yet home has been a metaphor for offices, schools, colleges and universities as a safer place of learning and sharing ideas together. We are travelling from classroom to internet slowly and gradually with time. Perhaps we will be more innovative and more used to online teaching and learning. There will be hybrid or blended learning in which content and technology will go side by side. We will be more used to “new normal” that covers many things such as virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, extended reality, work from home, home based fitness, networked social interconnectivity, etc. The future pedagogy will be either e-pedagogy or eco-pedagogy taking value based education, life skills education and nature friendly education into account. Still what is important is adaptability- whether we can go with technology and eco-pedagogy in a new context with interface of both local and global issues and context side by side.

Conclusions
Although the rural and disadvantaged students are still not in the mainstream, yet it is a high time that we should reflect, rethink and reformulate the curriculum, textbook and pedagogy to the access of all concerned. We are bound to unlock technology in teaching and learning and to enhance collaborative practices. It is the need of present hour to plan to introduce innovative education system fit to the nation and global context, which we call glocalisation.
Accordingly, local government in collaboration with the central government can/ should redesign the curriculum and textbooks suitable to both online and face to face mode of teaching and learning. We know that both students and teachers are not in a comfort zone as before in teaching and learning practices. We are in a conflict zone and still doubt whether the invisible classes like online classes continue in practice even after pandemic. But we should realise a bitter fact that most of the teachers and students will have to go through adaptability struggle with new technology. We need to explore, integrate and embrace to the online tools and resources for language practices, teaching and learning and so on as far as possible.
Whether killer or healer, the pandemic has taught us to be more focused and grounded. We are bound to think out of the box, out of the conventional hegemony. Perhaps, we can/should combine both online(synchronous) and off- line(asynchronous) models together as has been practiced in Access program by US Embassy in some districts of the country. Digital Divides may exist in our academia and society. However, we can minimize or slow down the gap by empowering the students and teachers through short-term technical training, personal practices and effort and institutional support. We can always enhance the brighter side of the coin. Though the road ahead is not a bed of roses for some more time, yet the pain will certainly drive us to change ourselves and change our life style. Though apocalypse everywhere around the globe, let us hope that phoenix bird will certainly come out of ashes!

(Baral is a teacher /educator, NELTA chair Ilam and focal person to US Embassy's Access Programme in Ilam)