Digital classes to ease teacher shortage in HCMC

Nguyen Bao Quoc, deputy director of the city’s Department of Education and Training, said the city piloted the digital class model at Thanh An Primary School in Can Gio district and at Trung Lap Thuong Primary School in Cu Chi district in the 2022-23 school year.

It offered a total of 104 English classes and 62 Informatics classes.

"The digital classroom model is one of the city’s solutions to enhance the application of information technology and digital transformation in education and training, while bringing excitement and joy to students," he said.

It has initially met the requirements of teaching and developing student qualities and abilities according to the 2018 general education curriculum.

In order to organize digital classes at the above-mentioned two schools, the teachers in charge of the classes were selected and trained by the Department of Education and Training.

They met the requirements of having good working skills in a digital environment, and being able to apply many teaching methods to create more excitement for students.

The digital classes have teaching assistants who directly guide students during the lessons.

Le Ngoc Gia Vy, a fourth-grade student of Class 4/1 at Thanh An Primary School, said the music lesson was opened online with the introduction of new classmates and teachers.

Vy said that she studies with her friends at Trung Lap Thuong Primary School, so she’s both happy and nervous.

"Every time my classmate answers correctly, friends of the other school also clap so I’m very excited," she said.

This is one of the classes under the digital classroom model piloted by the Department of Education and Training in coordination with the city’s Digital Transformation Consulting and Support Centre from December 2022.

To create a joyful atmosphere for the classroom, the teachers asked students at Thanh An Primary School to simulate the swimming movements of dolphins with their hands, and students at Trung Lap Thuong Primary School to make the sound of sea waves.

Although the dolphins, ocean waves and the teacher only saw each other through screens, the two classes interacted very smoothly, and the classroom atmosphere became lively with applause and comments from the students.

Principal of the Thanh An Primary School Le Huu Binh said the school has a staff of music teachers, but teaching lessons in an online and face-to-face format under the presence of an assistant teacher helps promote student initiative.

"That helps enhance the effectiveness of innovating teaching methods for teachers in the school," he said.

With the participation of good and experienced teachers in online teaching, the digital classroom model helps to solve the lack of gifted teachers in schools in suburban districts, especially in English and IT subjects, Principal of Trung Lap Thuong Primary School Nguyen Van Toi said.

Students in many other places can participate in online lessons taking place at the same time, helping schools resolve the teacher shortage, and close the education gaps between urban and suburban districts.

In the second semester of the 2023-24 school year, the digital classroom model will be expanded to many schools in the city, while more students in the country can also participate in the classes, including students in the Muong Khuong and Si Ma Cai districts in the northern province of Lao Cai.