A QF school that holds workshops for parents to help them in their children’s E-learning

“E-learning is no longer a surprise, but a reality for which we have prepared since the beginning of the pandemic; we have adapted to it, and developed creative educational plans that suit both students and parents,” says Hamda Al-Subaey, an Arabic-speaking teacher at Tariq Bin Ziad School.

Enabling parents to engage in the E-learning process of their children is one of the priorities at Tariq Bin Ziad School (TBZ), a school under the Qatar Foundation’s umbrella of Pre-University Education, to achieve high academic results. “As teachers of Preschool which include children who are between 3 and 5 years, we impart E-learning through videos that can be watched at any time. This is because we believe that it is pointless for a child, in this age group, to sit in front of a computer screen for long hours and absorb lessons – something that also requires the support of parents,” the teacher says. For many parents, it may be hard to closely follow the E-learning lessons of their children daily, due to their jobs or family responsibilities, and to support parents cope better, TBZ has developed plans aimed at involving all parents in the education of their children.

“We have started holding some weekly meetings with parents to explain the purpose of blended education that we send to them on a weekly basis; and we also offer training workshops on how to use educational platforms such as Seesaw, which is the main platform used in our school,” Al-Subaey says.

The E-learning at TBZ is not limited to students watching videos and doing homework only, it also requires constant monitoring of how the child’s academic and language skills are developing outside of class.

“It is not enough for us to be informed by the parent that the task is done, rather, we need to monitor the development of the child in a number of skills such as listening, thinking and communication. So, we ask to be provided with pictures and videos where we can see how the child has completed their assignment, even if these videos are spontaneous, or include members of the child’s family,” Al-Subaey says.

The videos used for E-learning at TBZ are not presented in a routine and boring way, rather teachers record these videos in interesting and interactive ways.

“E-learning has not prevented us from preserving the interaction element that is essential in education. Rather, many educational and entertainment methods have been developed to attract and influence the student. The child needs to interact and feel a sense of belonging to his school and his teachers – which is what is done at the school – and it is imperative that we continue to provide these elements even through E-learning,” Al-Subaey says.

In doing so, TBZ also continues to raise citizens who are proud of their heritage, identity, language, and religion. “Even during these times, we do not exclude heritage events, as we photograph tools and heritage items, train children on the names of these items and how to use them, and we motivate them to find such items at home and explore their traditional stories. We also encourage all family members, even the older generation, to participate in these traditional story-telling sessions at home.”

Al-Subaey hopes that his students will be able to return to their classrooms next year. she says there is nothing that compares to their presence, and their interactions with their friends and teachers.