We are living in a digital world. Technology is navigating and influencing the interest of the consumer thus innovations are happening in the tech world rampantly. It’s given that change is the only constant thus one should be open to embrace the innovation with open arms and explore that as an opportunity than considering it as an obstacle. In education, there has been a system, structure, and certain processes in place for a considerable time and have shown remarkable changes, which forms a perception and opinion in the mind of people who are of the firm believer of that era.


Coming back on the subject, it’s important to be neutral while thinking or hearing about anything new to get a sense of how that new intervention can bring positive or negative changes in someone’s life. When we see things differently, that’s when you could imagine the power of a tool which is available in front of you, though it also depends on the circumstances but turning the obstacle into opportunity is completely dependent on the perception and willingness to pursue something new.


All of us have witnessed the lockdown implemented by the Government due to the pandemic and that specific period has made everyone look for new ways of continuing their professions and businesses. This very moment was grabbed by technology and provided solutions to many sectors including education. In education, to continue the teaching and learning everyone started looking for new solutions that could be implemented directly. We always look for solutions outside of utilizing creatively the available one with us. Certain examples of the available solutions which have been used creatively during the lockdown in the field of education are:


Zoom (Video calling platform)
The video calling application zoom was available even before the lockdown however it was considered as an application which was used for conducting group meetings, talking with friends, etc. During the lockdown, it was seen from the perspective of an opportunity that could be beyond the meeting with friends. This was extensively used by the educators for conducting the online classes and continuing the teaching and learning. Since it was an unprecedented situation people had to look for new ways to stand out among others. The application was turned into an opportunity and was adequately used by the teachers and students for online classes. 


Google Form
The utility of google form was limited for creating surveys. It was never seen as a tool that could be utilized in teaching and learning. During the period of lockdown, the utility of the google form was dynamically changed and it was used for various purposes. Teachers have utilized it for conducting assessments, sharing the content, creating quizzes, and many more. This application was also available with the people but it was never used in the context of teaching and learning. 


WhatsApp
WhatsApp is a platform that was always used to chat with friends and share images or videos. Teachers had the phone numbers of students since the time of their admission but those numbers were mostly used for communication for any specific information which needs to be shared with parents. During the remote learning process, this platform was vital for sharing the content resources with students and connecting with them. Teachers created WhatsApp groups of their students and share the educational content with them. The platform was extensively utilized as it was seen in the context and utilized as demanded. 


YouTube
Youtube is a well-known platform as the repository of videos. It has been used for watching videos, listening to songs, or watching movies. During the pandemic, this platform was also utilized for education and various ways. Many teachers have started their YouTube channels and uploaded their lectures. The content videos were curated and shared with students. The platform was available for quite a long time and people having smartphones had Youtube in their phones but it was never seen as a tool that could be used for education as it is being utilized now. 


This lockdown has brought a new set of challenges for educators and students. It was difficult to think of continuing education in such a situation where you cannot meet your students and cannot provide them a classroom set-up but as time passed teachers came up with different innovative ideas to connect with the students. With all the hard work and creativity, teachers have tried to ensure that the lockdown should not impact the teaching-learning process, for this, teachers have also learned a lot of new things and acquired the knowledge of new technological tools to facilitate the teaching. This period has shown how the change of perspective can help you changing the obstacles into opportunities.