ONLINE-LEARNING ANTICS

 

“Online learning is not the next-big thing;

it is the now-big thing.”

Donna J. Abernathy

 

I just checked the meaning of the word – ‘Antics’. Yes, I did it through several online dictionaries… Cambridge, Merriam-Webster and others. According to them, the word means:

Amusing, silly or  strange behaviour;

Foolish, outrageous or amusing behaviour;

Funny, silly or strange behaviour;

Attention-drawing, often, wildly playful or funny act or action.

Two days ago, Glen*, who is a ninth-standard student in one of the prestigious Catholic institutions, sent a message to me:

“Uncle, I am selected for English  elocution in our school and I am supposed to make a good speech. We have been given seven topics to choose from… I am thinking of speaking on the topic – ‘ONLINE LEARNING ANTICS’… (Bring out the wit and humour in your writing/speech without being offensive). Can you please guide me.”

“Perfect choice!” I thought in my mind, “All concerned – the school, teachers, students and parents – can perfectly relate to it… I mean, to the ‘antics’!”

Glen is the son of one of our family friends. He is well-groomed, articulate and an all-rounder. He has been taking part in his school writing and speech competitions for many years. He will do well in this one, too. As far as my guidance goes – I seriously think, it will be limited to some finetuning in crafting the script/plot and delivery… About the ‘rich content’ – yes, antics – I am one of the four ‘concerned parties’ in this ‘online show’.  By now, the antics are out in the open… and they are countless, and very creative, too!

So, I have asked Glen to write them down from his own first-hand experience. I have promised to just finetune it and help him in his delivery…

I had no plan to write on this topic. Today, my ‘online show’ started at 9 in the morning. This twelfth-standard group had only girls. I had started a new chapter – ‘Dissolution of a Partnership Firm’-  a couple of days ago and asked, repeatedly, to learn my notes (After explaining to them very, very  nicely), write them down in their notebooks and send to me… Only one girl did. Others stayed chilled. While teaching today, I was going nowhere, getting irritated and angry for their casual approach… and, fifteen minutes into the teaching, I, abruptly, did this, bursting out: “Learn my notes very well; write them down and send to me before the Sun goes down this evening. Or, I will ‘dissolve’ the class!”

The Sun has long gone down… Again, only one girl has responded to my fireworks!

Another young fellow – let me name him Pranay – who knows he has twelfth-standard Board exams, this year – has gone to Bengaluru to chill out at his uncle’s place. As most of his contemporaries do, he, too, gives his attendance – by logging in – and chills out. He can’t do that with me, he knows. But, he has been testing my patience by not sending me any of my homework – not a single one. He is a bright kid. So, I tried to overlook it for quite a long time. But, it became bad… The casual attitude got into my nerves… and I gave the ultimatum… “Young man, if you do not learn and write down my notes and send to me by tomorrow, I will not allow you to continue.” I gave the ultimatum yesterday… This day is long gone… I have received only two shoddily-written pages, out of eight pages!

Ultimatum! My foot!

My last online show was scheduled for 7 p.m. today. This group had only two eleventh-standard kids. Both are smart kids… I love them. One of them – let me call him Nisarg – is a little laidback. A couple of times, he tried to reschedule the time, and it’s mutually agreed. He tried to do that in our last session, the day before yesterday. I firmly let them know, that they should not keep rescheduling… “From next week, there will be three more in this group… and, I do not want things to go out of my hand. Stick to the time we have agreed upon,” I asserted.

This evening, I was out on some urgent work. I hurried back home so that I could log in at the scheduled time… As I had strictly told them about time, I had this extra pressure on my head to practice what I preached… I was there - bang on time… my two bachhas, too...

“Open your text books," I said… "Page number 65.”

Silence…

“Did you hear me?” I asked.

“Sorry Sir, I have come to my aunt’s place… I have left the text at home,” said  Mithun, Nisarg’s partner-in-crime!

“What about you, Nisarg?” I asked.

“Sorry Sir, I am also out at my grandma’s place… Not brought the text,” Nisarg admitted.

“Okay, do you guys have a notebook and a pen?” I enquired, my irritation slowly showing up.

“Let me check Sir, give me two minutes,” said Mithun.

“What about you Nisarg?” I asked.

“Sorry Sir… I was out with my cousins… Just entering the lift of my grandma’s building… I will check about the notebook and pen once I reach home.” Nisarg had brought me to the dead-end of my patience…

I did not want a drama inside the lift… So, I gently said, “Ok beta… Let’s disconnect… You reach home, settle down and we can start afresh.”

Every day is a new day… A day of new antics… Many of them are very creative, out-of-the-box!

Meanwhile, as they say, the show must go on… And, it does!

I am, now, waiting for Glen’s Pandora Box to open!

*All names changed

 

GERLAD D’CUNHA

Pic’s: pixabay

Video: Gujju Milo