The positive experience of conducting catch-up classes in 2022 inspired the NGO “Smart Osvita” to continue catch-up classes as part of an online project called “Now I Know”. Online lessons will be available for students in grades 4-10! Children will not only be able to “catch up” on topics missed due to the war but also learn subjects using modern teaching methods.
“Now I Know” is a free 5-week online course in Ukrainian language and mathematics for schoolchildren offered by the NGO “Smart Osvita”. The project is primarily aimed at children who have not had the opportunity to fully master the school curriculum and are facing difficulties with the subject. The course is based on the principles of a competency-based approach to learning, allowing children to explore and understand various topics through practical tasks and real-life situations. Register now at this link!
Here are a few more useful details: learning takes place online through live lessons with teachers on Zoom and the Moodle learning platform. All educational materials and assignments have been specially developed by a team of methodologists and teachers, led by Natalia Vinnytska for Ukrainian language and Yuriy Chop’yuk for mathematics. The first wave of the project is already underway and will end on July 25th, the second wave will run from July 17th to August 20th, and the third wave from August 3rd to August 25th.
The creators of “Now I Know” refer to it as a project about knowledge here and now – they want to provide information that students can integrate into their lives, rather than being limited to mere theory and dull explanations. The program is being developed by experienced methodologists: Natalia Vinnytska for Ukrainian language and Yuriy Chop’yuk for mathematics. The course follows the principles of a competency-based approach to learning, with students having two lessons per day for four days a week – on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
The first wave of the project is currently underway: from June 22nd to July 25th, fourth-grade graduates are undergoing training. The first 105 children, divided into 7 study groups, have already started learning Ukrainian language and mathematics. We will announce enrollments for this year’s 9th and 10th-grade graduates later – stay tuned for updates!
Here’s what Yuriy Chop’yuk, a mathematics methodologist, shared about working on the project:
“As part of the first wave of the ‘Now I Know’ project, we started working with students who completed the fourth grade this year. My colleagues and I decided to focus on certain topics to deepen the children’s knowledge and help them navigate through this mathematical world.
We also decided to pay attention to certain aspects that are not emphasized in the curriculum or are given only slight emphasis in certain classes. This includes the ability of children to read, analyze, and understand texts. I have often heard feedback that children do not understand word problems, and the problem arises not from their ability to work with numbers or formulas, but from their understanding of the conditions. We are expanding this aspect in the programs for all grades. We also decided to enhance the skills of analyzing tables and diagrams. Children should be able to read information presented in various forms – tables, diagrams, graphs, etc. In different classes, we provide different types of visualization. Developing these skills is important because without acquiring such skills, children will struggle with various types of data analysis, especially in higher grades.
It is also important to teach children how to work with algorithms. We provide mathematical tasks while simultaneously demonstrating the solving process. This competence helps children see if they can follow the algorithm, expand it, and continue, thus starting to think a little more broadly. We also aim to develop children’s ability to predict and analyze results. We adhere to the school standard, trying to present topics as interesting as possible, with more visualization and practical aspects.”
Here’s what Natalia Vinnytska, a Ukrainian language methodologist, says about working on the project:
“I should mention that projects by the NGO ‘Smart Osvita’ are always outstanding and relevant, so it was necessary to use materials that would not only help children fill gaps in knowledge on specific topics but also encourage them to refer to their own experiences and everyday life. Considering that we are surrounded by various forms of information every day, such as texts of different genres (excerpts from literary works, articles from newspapers and magazines, instructions, advertisements, geographical maps, etc.) with various forms of presentation (diagrams, drawings, graphs), the basis of each lesson was working with text. Post-text tasks prompt children to search for information, interpret and understand it, evaluate it, and apply it in real life. Reading information from a ticket and going to a show, using punctuation marks and changing the content of a message, reading news on social media and analyzing its reliability, as well as expressing their thoughts orally and in writing, are just a short list of what the Ukrainian language course covers. The learning format posed a significant challenge. It included both lessons with a teacher and the Moodle learning platform. It was necessary to design such integration so that the teacher not only accompanied the student on the course platform but also encouraged them to be active and, ultimately, taught them to learn effectively.
Undoubtedly, the project is important for both children who want to compensate for educational losses and teachers who are looking for a tool to overcome such losses. By the way, teachers participating in the project have the opportunity to add their own materials to the platform at their discretion, depending on the level of groups and the progress of each child. Academic freedom for teachers is another feature of the project.”
Now let’s remember how the catch-up classes of last year went. At that time, we received hundreds of positive reviews from participants.
In 2022, catch-up classes were designed for students in grades 5-11 and helped make up for the missed education due to the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine. Over the course of 5 weeks, children of different age groups deepened their knowledge in mathematics, English and Ukrainian languages, physics, biology, and chemistry through special schedules and programs. Teachers prepared interesting materials, various handouts, utilized multimedia technology, and, most importantly, did not assign homework! However, students requested it, and some even promptly submitted their work for evaluation.
Catch-up classes took place in two formats. In the online format, 2,000 Ukrainian children living in Ukraine or forced to move abroad participated. The classes were held for 5 weeks, 9 hours per week. Offline lessons took place in four schools in Lviv, attended by 1,000 students from different regions of Ukraine who were in Lviv at that time. In total, 1,479 online lessons and 1,465 offline lessons were conducted.
Here are a few testimonials from parents and children:
Olha Fitio, mother of a 7th-grade student: “I am very grateful for such a cool project for children. After all, our children have been studying in quarantine conditions for the past three years, and the quality of education is not quite as it should be. Moreover, they lack socialization and communication among themselves. So it’s great that there was a summer school project where children could not only regain knowledge, review and recall, but also communicate with each other, with teachers, and meet friends.”
Vira Seredyak, 9th-grade student: “I joined the summer school to improve my knowledge of chemistry based on the 8th-grade curriculum. The teacher is very friendly and explains everything in a clear and understandable way. We conducted many experiments, built genetic chains, solved problems and equations. It was very fun and interesting. I would be happy if such a school is organized next year.”
Alla Skvortsova, mother of Milena, who attended the Academic Gymnasium: “My daughter had no understanding of chemistry at all, but after completing the course, she said that she now fully understands the subject. I will be very grateful if such a summer school continues. Moreover, when my daughter returned to her school, she shared interesting facts from the summer program. Some of them were even new to the teachers.”
More testimonials can be found here.
The project is implemented by the NGO “Smart Osvita” with the support of the Educo Foundation.
We would like to remind you that summer is a great time to catch up on learning, and with catch-up classes from the NGO “Smart Education,” it is also a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and meet like-minded people. Join this year’s “Now I Know” project and have an interesting and vibrant summer!
You must be logged in to post a comment.