By Austin Hoang

Social Media Project Manager

The new normal is not easy. The COVID-19 pandemic uprooted everyday lives all over the world, especially the student learning environment. Students face many challenges when learning remotely from home. These hurdles include, but are not limited to: technology issues, computer eye fatigue, and difficulty staying engaged in lessons. During these difficult times, it is important to be understanding and compassionate towards both students and teachers, who have to adapt their learning and teaching styles to an entirely virtual setting. Here are some tips from us to make the adjustment to remote learning a better experience for you:

• Following a consistent schedule. Now that you do not have to budget in time to dress for or commute to school, it is easy to be tempted into staying up late or pushing off assignments. However, having an unpredictable sleep schedule or not designating a specific time in your schedule to study can diminish your productivity and motivation to work. Sticking to a consistent schedule would help you overcome the distractions of remote learning. 
• Staying active. Before the pandemic, we would travel around our communities to school, part-time jobs, and other activities, walking at least a few thousand steps per day. Now, we are glued to our computer screens all day long, without a reason to step outside. Budget in 15 minute walks, jogs, or runs to keep yourself active and healthy.
• Keeping in touch with friends and family. In this time of social distancing, you might not find a reason to maintain contact with those closest to you or initiate new relationships. Catching up with a friend or relative over a call can brighten our day and remind us that we are all in this together.

Education is at the heart of our work at Global Lives Project. Fortunately, the first ten participants featured in our collection of 24 hour video experiences are already accessible here on our website. By capturing the diversity of human experience, we encourage discussion, reflection, and inquiry about the wide variety of cultures, ethnicities, languages, and religions on this planet.

The increase in acts of racism towards Asian people since the beginning of the pandemic and the recent focus on the Black Lives Matter movement prove that we need global empathy now more than ever. Despite the challenges of remote learning, we remain committed to providing enriching lessons addressing themes of globalization and cross-cultural awareness to educators. Strengthen your understanding of identity, life experiences, empathy, and tolerance with our curriculum Unheard Stories.

Unheard Stories is a 60-page educator guide created by our team of professionals in the fields of business development and education to teach the principles of empathy, compassion and global citizenship to middle and high school students. Each chapter offers lesson plans, discussion questions, enrichment activities and connects with Global Lives video clips from over 10 countries around the world. These engaging activities are designed to reshape students’ perceptions of people outside of their own communities and envision a world where all human lives have equal value. 

Order a copy of Unheard Stories for your classroom from Amazon.

There is still a lot of learning and growth before our world can become an inclusive community. Our online moments open up many eyes to be accepting of difference and offer an open space to learn more about the perspectives outside of our own communities.