Photo illustration: Mukti Mulyana
This article is part of the Teachers' Notes series on lessons learned from one year of teaching.
Learning is given for a teacher because we are required to always keep up with the latest development in technology and culture. For the past year, I had the opportunity to learn, among others, from the teachers working group and online training.
Within the teachers working group forum at the sub-district level, I learned to create learning tools. Teachers have to be flexible during this pandemic and able to adjust the existing curriculum. Adjusting the curriculum would mean changing learning materials and teaching methods. The lesson plan, syllabus, annual programme, and semester programme must be adapted to the distance learning currently taking place.
I also learned to maximize technology, particularly for distance learning, by signing up for online training. I took a training on how to make questions, assessments, and arrange learning activities using Microsoft Teams. The training involved many people, including fellow teachers, school principals, and experts in their fields.
The pandemic is not always bad. Thanks to this pandemic, I have to keep learning and keep abreast of technological developments.
I am expected to be able to deliver learning materials using electronic devices. Sometimes I recorded the learning materials in videos and then uploaded them to YouTube. Also, I think doing assessments using applications such as Microsoft Teams or Google Drive is convenient as it is effective and efficient.
On the other hand, there are problems such as uneven internet signals and the economic condition of students' parents which does not allow them to have smartphones.
*This Note was written by WA, a primary school teacher in Central Java.
**All articles published in the Teachers' Notes are the views of the authors. They have been edited for popular writing purposes and do not represent the views of RISE Programme in Indonesia or RISE's funders.
