Learning on a whole new level

Welcome to my new library classes designed to help you develop the skills necessary to excel while you are learning at home. Each week we will examine a topic about reading, writing, research, learning or important current events. We will explore skills you need for academic success and skills to enrich your life and address your personal needs.

SCHOOL never looked so good. This time last year many of us grumbled about the amount of schoolwork students faced in an academic year. We debated the relevance of education in TT, condemned overcrowded classrooms and became increasingly horrified about indiscipline and bullying in schools. Many of us complained constantly about the state of education.

What a difference a year has made, when students have been forced to sit at home. Now we all wish for the good old days.

But these are the good days. I predict that some day you will look back on these times and realise how covid19 forced you to look at school in a whole new light. There are endless possibilities to develop reading, writing, analytical sand research skills at home in these next few months.

I get that it was difficult for students to explore these possibilities when they were involved in long commutes, long school days and endless homework in the evenings.

But now just cutting out commute time affords students the time and the energy to explore their own personal educational needs. I think of you, students, as pioneers. You are exploring uncharted territory by immersing yourself in education outside the classroom. You are dealing with the challenges of being home during a worldwide health crisis.

The world is at your fingertips through the internet – but how do you use it safely and effectively?

This is what we are going to find out over the next few months.

You will learn to sharpen academic skills and make learning enjoyable and more meaningful. This is the time to explore what education is really supposed to be about: turning students into lifelong learners.

As lifelong learners, you search for the information necessary to analyse the news and prepare for elections. Through reading and research you develop social skills. We will be exploring a variety of topics including internet safety and digital citizenship.

We’ll examine plagiarism and how to avoid it and copyright violation. Did you know that one famous singer, George Harrison of the Beatles, got slapped with a multi-million-dollar copyright violation lawsuit for just three notes in a song?

Reading is the foundation of all learning, so we will look at ways to tap into your interests and develop a reading programme that suits your tastes, interests and needs?

Together, you and I will answer many interesting and important questions. Why is it important to build your vocabulary and your reading skills? What is the best way to do research online?

Should I get a flu shot every year or take a vaccine for covid19 when it is available? How do I make an informed decision about these choices? What about masks vs face shields to fight the coronavirus? What does the research show? How do you know what to believe?

You might not always realise that you’re building academic skills, because we will be focusing on skill development rather than content. So we might not be tackling your science lesson for the day, but you will learn how to choose the best books to supplement your science lessons and develop the skills you need to analyse science. The time that you invest in these exercises will save you time when you tackle your schoolwork.

We’ll look at reading lists for science, history and English and tackle how to write a review of the best books in those fields. We’ll look at what books you need to read now to do well in university.

This is not the time to sit and wait for school to reopen. This is the time to realise what you should have always known: as students: you are responsible for your own education. Your teachers guide you in certain directions that you need to take to develop your mind and be prepared for every step of your education, but your education has never been confined to the classroom. Some of the most valuable lessons you will learn in life occur around you – not in your classroom.

By the time you return to school, you will be better informed students and pioneers in the field of education. So join me, your new librarian, and explore the world of education that makes sense to you.

Forget about stressful learning. This is an opportunity to take your time to explore learning on a whole new level.

Debbie Jacob has a master’s degree in international education from Framingham State University in Massachusetts and a postgraduate library certificate from Indiana State University. She has been an English teacher and librarian for

26 years.