Remote Learning in the COVID-19 Crisis
What Our College is Doing to Prevent Disruptions in Learning
Allerton Polytechnic Times |Issue 1|April, 2021
As we move through some of the most unprecedented times in educational, and, indeed, global history, our minds have been pressed for solutions that will lead to some sort of normalcy. At Allerton, we recognise the concerns of all our stakeholders and in response to the Needs Assessment Survey which was earlier dispatched in our domain, we have moved towards a full state of readiness by preparing a plan for remote instruction for our students.
Google Workspace: G Suite Tool for Learning
The College’s decision to implement the Google Workspace, (more popularly known as G Suite Tool) as a mechanism for remote instruction was thoroughly researched and aligns considerably well with the intended outcomes of our e-learning platform. The video below summarises the opportunities that this suite of learner-centred applications will provide.
“In education, technology can be a life changer, a game changer, for kids who are both in school and out of school .” — Queen Rania of Jordan
Benefits of the Google Workspace/G Suite Tool
The Google Workspace package has been recognized for its capacity to enable “productivity, collaboration and communication” (para. 2) within the sphere of teaching and learning and the added convenience that the facilities all utilize cloud-based storage (Mitter, 2019). The College also welcomes the fact that this tool will not incur access costs for constituents!
Techs4Education Ltd (2018) sums up using the following reasons, why the Google Workspace/G Suite for Education products augurs well for education delivery:
- Google Workspace/G Suite for Education is free;
- Students are familiar with the Google platform;
- Google Workspace/G Suite for Education may be accessed anywhere and at any time;
- The Google Workspace/G Suite product maximizes efficiency;
- Students have access to 24 hr support from Google.
The revolutionizing of our online learning space with the Google Workspace/G-Suite digital tools has never been more opportune. We anticipate that as we move through the stages of integration of this new modality of learning, all of our stakeholders will see the immense benefit that this new learning arrangement will provide. See below how Mitter (2019) shares more benefits of using G Suite for Education!
How You can Partner with Allerton Polytechnic College?
As a stakeholder of the College community, it is anticipated that you will partner with our change management teams to make this transition to remote learning via the use of the G Suite for Education Tool, as seamless as possible. Further to the emails that have already been sent, training and trialing of the new platform will be done during the period April 27— May 11, 2021, to expedite the readiness of the platform for Semester 1 of the new school year. The ICT Team has synced the Google Calendar tool of all members of the school community with the dates as reminders. Finally, the official launch of the e-portal with the G Suite for Education Products will be May 17, 2021. We are thrilled that you will partner with us on our journey to support student learning despite the challenge of distance. Remember to watch the Allerton Polytechnic College Times News Blog for subsequent updates.
Allerton Polytechnic College Times is a bi-monthly Newsletter of the Allerton Polytechnic College.
References
LAT IT Trainer. (2016, November 4). Introduction to G Suite for Education. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFW-A-2-sM4
Mitter, K. A. (2019). Benefits of G Suite for Education. Infinite Flexibility. Retrieved from: https://www.infiflex.com/benefits-of-g-suite-for-education
Techs4Education Ltd. (2018, June 28). Five reasons why you should consider G Suite for Education. Techs4Education Ltd. Retrieved from: https://www.techs4education.co.uk/g-suite-for-education/