Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), while necessary for the safety of everyone in Singapore, has also brought back many familiar and not altogether welcome memories from last year.
These include the return of home-based learning, an experience that many parents — working or otherwise — would have been happy never to repeat.
But dealing with home-based learning has become part of the reality of a post-COVID-19 world. Rather than to keep hoping that COVID-19 doesn’t touch our lives, the fact is that the sooner we adjust to capitalise on this new state of affairs, the better off we will be.
Our teachers and curriculum specialists have remained agile and adaptable from the start of the pandemic to ensure that our students' learning stays on track in any given situation.
“The truth is that we have been working out various approaches to this entire (COVID-19) situation for fifteen months and counting,” said The Learning Lab’s Chief Executive Officer, Hamilton Lau.
“Our teachers and staff have also shown incredible teamwork, commitment and dedication to our students, and that has really allowed us to implement some nimble and agile responses.”
Our commitment to you goes beyond just keeping our students and staff safe. We also want to ensure that our students’ education not only remains on track and goes from strength to strength during this new normal. This is why we have gone full steam ahead with bringing the classroom home to you.
It may take awhile for your child to readjust to digital learning, but once he or she adapts to the format, you and your child may realise that there are multiple benefits of online learning, some of which include:
- Flexible and self-paced learning
Sometimes your child may not feel very comfortable asking their teacher to explain a topic or concept repeatedly as they grapple to understand it. When your child learns online, they can revisit past material or stop the lesson video recording to take down additional notes or pause for a minute to soak in the information. Your child can also take the time to work through the topical content at their own pace to ensure that they master the material before moving on to the next section.
- Convenience and accessibility
Online learning is accessible for any child with an access to a computer and stable internet connection. It eliminates the travelling time that you would have to take into account if your child is enrolled in a physical enrichment programme, and it doesn’t matter what their schedules are like, they are able to login to a virtual classroom and start learning with the click of a button.
- Improved communication and collaboration
Virtual classrooms can allow your child to ask questions freely and build relationships with other children they share interests with. It is especially beneficial for shy children who might have anxiety when it comes to raising their hands in a real classroom and addressing the teacher directly, while other students look on. In online lessons, children can simply leave a question or an opinion in the chatbox for the teachers and their peers to reply to.
- Build computer savviness
By being on the computer during online lessons, children can pick up and discover new tech skills and become more proficient with the keyboard and applications. In addition to that, with more companies expanding their reach to other countries and shifting to virtual teams, having the knowledge of how to collaborate and learn remotely can be a definite bonus for your child's future career. prospects.
“I think online learning will be an increasingly important part in how we educate our children,” said Mr Lau. “It offers various benefits, such as how a student is more able to learn at his or her own pace. Also, the access to other resources means that students can really learn beyond the four corners of a homework assignment or the four walls of a classroom.”
For example, to enhance and streamline the way your child learns, our worksheets and past lesson recordings are readily available for download on our online learning platform, TLL.360 at any time of the day.
By leveraging the capabilities of our online teaching tool, we're able to conduct polls and quizzes to ensure that your child is consistently and happily engaged in the lesson.
Our online programmes also provide a safe virtual environment that can develop your child's knowledge, help him or her hone critical skills for both in and outside the classroom, and stimulate him or her academically and creatively.
With that said, you can also rest easy knowing that our digital offerings are built upon the combined expertise of our teachers and our many years nurturing the love of learning in our students, and that you and your child will still be getting the quintessential The Learning Lab experience.
“The traditional — for lack of a better word — way of educating kids continues to be quite effective. And therefore we think that in many cases, especially in Singapore, the change to an increasingly online form of education is probably going to be a bit more gradual,” said Mr Lau.
One thing that will remain the same for our online platform is our small class sizes that help our teachers focus on your child’s learning progress, while allowing your child the opportunity to collaborate and discuss with their classmates. We believe that classroom discussions are more important than ever when it comes to learning as it helps to increase your child's interest and engagement, develop their presentation and speaking skills and learn how to work amicably alongside others.
Through digital means, our teachers will also continue to give you valuable feedback about your child’s progress, and will further recommend additional steps you and your child can take to continue boosting his or her learning journey based on your child's unique learning preferences and strengths and weaknesses.
“But if you were to look at other parts of the world, where access to quality education is a little bit more of a question mark - say for example in a place like rural Indonesia - then perhaps there’s a way that online education could be a part of that solution,” Mr Lau added.
“And quite honestly, if The Learning Lab can be part of that solution, then that’s something we want to be working on as well.” Our journey to transform the way we teach and learn is just beginning, so stay tuned! We hope you’ll continue to trust us with your children’s education, whether that’s on-site at our centres or in the comfort of your own homes.
Helping You and Your Child Navigate the New Digital Normal
No one said home-based learning would be easy, but there is much that can be done in terms of preparation and adjustment that can make it easier. Our goal is to help you with that process as much as possible, so you do not have to worry about your child’s education.
At The Learning Lab, we believe that quality education should be readily available for everyone.
Part of that involves not letting a pandemic deny students access to the learning tools and academic guidance they need to thrive, by adapting to the new normal and pushing ahead with digital transformation. Whether it is one lesson, one worksheet or one magical learning moment, our teachers and curriculum specialists are happy to go the extra mile to make your child feel empowered, confident and ready.
Click here to find out more about how your child can derive joy from learning with our interactive and engaging online lessons.
Behind the Scenes of an Enrichment Centre
From teachers to curriculum specialists, meet the people who strive tirelessly to provide your child with the best learning experience.
Most of us will agree that educating boisterous young children is not easy. On top of that, preschool teacher, Cheryl Wong, is pursuing a fitness instructor license. How does she achieve these feats?
Teaching back-to-back classes and marking countless worksheets, while still finding hours in a day for her own me and family-time is all in a day’s work for our Maths teacher, Elizabeth Chin.
From planning for the next Science class to finding time to let loose and dance with his friends, how does Melvin Tan, our Secondary Science teacher, plan his routines around these hours?
The Learning Lab is now at 9 locations. Find a location that suits your needs.
If you have any questions about our range of programmes or class schedules, you may contact us at 6733 8711 or drop us an email at enquiry@thelearninglab.com.sg.
The Learning Lab is now at 9 locations. Find a location that suits your needs.
If you have any questions about our range of programmes or class schedules, you may fill in the form below or contact us at 6733 8711 / enquiry@thelearninglab.com.sg.