Last week 50% of the Grade 12 cohort returned to campus for half a school day in line with the local authority guidelines. With half our students on campus and the other half learning virtually, the Tech team utilised state-of-the-art technology to ensure classes could continue seamlessly. 

In Ms Bechard’s Chemistry class for example, webcams were angled in such a way that students learning online could watch everything that was happening in class. They were able to observe how catalysts speed up the reactions and were able to imagine how digital probes could be used to monitor reaction rates. With the focus on the Individual Investigation for Internal Assessment, students were reminded of equipment that could allow them to demonstrate their practical skills in Chemistry. Students who were learning online benefited by being able to contribute in real-time with the assistance of their friends and teacher. 

In Ms Louvet’s English class, a 360 degree owl camera allowed students to be heard and to participate in robust discussions. What’s more, students were able to workshop and share their magical realism creative writing pieces which were inspired by photographs they took.

As part of the lesson, learners were required to remark on paintings by Kehinde Wiley. Thanks to the new camera technology, all students, whether they were online or in person, were able to go on a gallery walk around the classroom to observe these paintings. The group of face-to-face learners wrote their impressions on sticky notes and stuck them on the paintings, while  Distance Learning students did the same activity using a jamboard that featured the same paintings. 

Ms Louvet added, “We ended with a whole class discussion about the themes we see surfacing in the paintings, the creative choices the artist made, and what connections we saw with the magical realism text Chronicles of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Students also enjoyed listening to jazz music throughout the lesson.”

As hybrid learning becomes the new normal, the Tech team will continue to utilize a wide range of technologies at UNIS Hanoi.