BECOME A STRONG EDUCATOR IN ONLINE SCHOOL
By
Martina Jemiman, S.Pd.
A.
Introduction
The world of
education is currently faced with challenges in carrying out learning
activities. The world of education is faced with unexpected problems, never
even thought. This situation requires that learning process is not carried out
properly. Between educators and students can no longer do face-to-face learning
in schools, while learning process is required to continue and be carried out
in a planned manner as before. Therefore, the world of education is required to
respond these conditions and situations, so that learning process continues to
run well.
Learning is one of
the most influential means in giving birth and forming students as qualified
human beings and ready to compete in the future in all areas of life, having
character, personality, integrity, and being able to keep up with technological
developments at the time. knowledge and skills for the provision of life skills
in the future.
In this context,
educators who are faced with these situations and conditions, do not mean that
their duties and obligations are reduced. Instead, an educator who is able to
provide services in the learning process is more creative, innovative, fun with
a variety of methods, media, and learning models even if it is done online or
virtual through the Zoom application, Google Meet, Google Classroom, Google
Form, and others. Educators must be more motivated to give their knowledge,
show their capability in teaching and educating also facilitating students in learning process. Moreover, educators
must increasingly realize to achieve the goals of national education. Educators
must be enthusiastic, faithful, innovated to continue to improve the skill of
the students, create an active generation who will ready to face the challenges
in life.
Strong educators
need to be grown during this pandemic to be able to maintain the learning
process according to their image. Educators must collaborate with parents or
guardians of students to be able to realize the goals of education itself. Even
though in reality the virtual learning atmosphere is like this, sometimes it
creates a sense of boredom from the various parties involved. Of course, the
toughness of educators is needed. Educators who are tough in carrying out their
duties must show high spirits. Whatever the circumstances, strong educators
continue to make new innovations in the learning process.
B.
Learning Challenge
The implementation
of the physical distancing policy which later became the basis for implementing
learning from home, with the sudden use of information technology, often
surprised educators and students, including parents and even everyone in the
house. Information technology learning has indeed been implemented in recent
years in the education system in Indonesia. However, online learning that took
place as a surprise from the Covid-19 pandemic, shocked almost all lines, from
districts/cities, provinces, centers and even the international community.
As the spearhead at
the lowest level of an educational institution, school principals are required
to make quick decisions in response to a circular letter from the Minister of
Education and Culture that requires schools to implement learning from home.
Educators were surprised because they had to change the system, syllabus and
learning process quickly. Students stammered because they got a pile of
assignments while studying from home. Meanwhile, parents of students feel
stressed when accompanying the learning process with assignments, in addition
to having to think about the survival of their respective lives and jobs in the
midst of a crisis.
So, these obstacles
are an important note for our education world, which must catch up with online
learning quickly. In fact, not all technically and systems are ready. So far,
online learning is only a concept, as a technical tool, not as a way of
thinking, as a learning paradigm. In fact, online learning is not a method to
change face-to-face learning with digital applications, nor does it burden
students with piles of assignments every day. Online learning should encourage
students to be creative, access as many sources of knowledge as possible,
produce works, hone insights and ultimately shape students into lifelong
learners.
From these
challenges, we must dare to take steps to make online learning an opportunity
to transform our education. There are several steps that can be considered
together in improving our education system, especially regarding online
learning:
First, all teachers
must be able to teach remotely. Increasing the competence of educators at all
levels to use distance learning applications is absolutely necessary.
Second, the use of
technology is not arbitrary. There is special knowledge so that the use of
technology can be a tool to realize the goals of education. Online learning
does not only move the face-to-face process using digital applications,
accompanied by piling up tasks. Educational technology design systems for
online learning to be effective, taking into account specific educational
goals.
Third, online
learning patterns must be part of all learning even if only as a complement.
The point is that teachers get used to teaching online. The sudden
implementation of the online learning system took most educators by surprise.
In the future, there must be a system change policy for the implementation of online
learning in every subject. Teachers must have implemented technology-based
learning according to the capacity and availability of technology.
Fourth, teachers
must have online learning equipment. The minimum ICT equipment that teachers
must have is a laptop and video conferencing support tools. The existence of a
minimum device that must be owned by teachers really needs to be considered
together, both the district/city, provincial and central governments including
parents for schools run by the community.
Fifth, the digital
infrastructure gap between big cities and regions must be bridged with
affirmative technology policies for underserved areas. Internet access must be
expanded and the speed capacity must also be increased.
The Covid-19
pandemic has been a shock to all of us. The world seemed to slow down and even
stopped for a moment. Large and modern countries have been hit hard by the
rapid spread of the Corona Virus, resulting in thousands of deaths spread
across various countries. Indonesia has faced many challenges from Covid-19,
which makes us all have to work together to take care of each other. In the
midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, our education system must be ready to make a
leap to transform online learning for all students and by all teachers. We are
entering a new era to build creativity, hone student skills, and improve
self-quality by changing systems, perspectives and patterns of our interaction
with technology.
C.
Role of Parent/Guardian
Since the
implementation of Distance Learning (PJJ) as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic,
there have been very significant changes in the teaching and learning process.
Face-to-face learning activities turned into distance learning activities
(online). There are so many duties and functions of educators that must be
replaced by parents/guardians of students. Parents/guardians replace the role
of teachers to educate and teach children directly when children learn from
home.
During this
distance learning period, there are four very important roles for parents in
helping their children, namely:
1. As a teacher at home. Parents are in charge of guiding and supervising
children during online learning.
2. As a facilitator. Parents provide the facilities and infrastructure
that children need during the online learning process at home.
3. As a motivator. Parents must be able to motivate children to be
enthusiastic about participating in the online learning process.
4. As a director. Parents play a role in directing children to want to
take part in the online learning process.
Based on the four
things above, it can be concluded that parents/guardians of students are the
main actors in the current online learning process. However, based on research
from LIPI researchers, there are several things that become challenges for
parents when accompanying their children. study. From the Tanoto Foundation
survey, it is stated that around 56 percent of parents are impatient in
assisting and handling their children's ability to concentrate while studying.
In addition, KPAI also mentioned that there was an increase in children
experiencing physical and psychological violence during the pandemic. In
addition to these problems, several other obstacles include:
1. Not all parents have time to accompany their children to study during a
pandemic due to other responsibilities such as work or household chores
2. Parents find it difficult to understand lessons and motivate children when learning.
The obstacles as
mentioned above can only be overcome if there is cooperation between the school
committee and the school. There must be synergy between educational
institutions and parents/guardians of students.