Social
2020: A Retrospective
By
Sunaina Narang
Year 2020 was challenging both from a personal and professional standpoint. The way we went about our daily lives changed completely. What we took for granted had to be re-evaluated. It was a time when we had to reinvent ourselves in a myriad of ways.
We, at Pallavan Learning Systems, also had to take a fresh look at how we approached our various programmes. Just like the rest of the world, our office in Delhi had to close and we began working from home.
Meetings switched to Zoom and we were faced with the challenge of conducting our programmes online.
Here are the events we hosted in 2020:
Mental Well-being: PLS Webinar 12 December 2020
The sixth webinar by Pallavan Learning Systems was held on 12 December 2020. The webinar sought to elaborate on the understanding of mental well-being both from the perspectives of scienceand spirituality. The webinar was moderated by Dr. Saroj Thapa from Pallavan Learning Systems
. The speakers included Dr. Monisha Akhtar, a licensed child, adolescent, and adult psychologist/psychoanalyst and Geshe Lhakdor, a Tibetan Buddhist scholar and author who works closely with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.Read the full report Watch the video.
Online Facilitation – Difficulties and Opportunities: PLS Webinar 30 September 2020
The fifth webinar organized by Pallavan Learning Systems explored ‘Online Facilitation: Difficulties and Opportunities 
and took place on September 30, 2020. The rapid advancement of the use of technology in education and the pandemic have changed how learning is conducted. With new hybrid learning experiences gaining traction as an indispensable tool and technique of learning, the art of online facilitation has become very significant.Read the full report.
Coming Together in the Times of COVID-19 16 July 2020
The pandemic has changed the landscape of how we communicate and connect with one another. With social distancing as the prevaili
ng norm for the foreseeable future, we need to look for ways to reach out to people and form meaningful bonds. How are the youth navigating this new terrain? How has the pandemic affected them and what are their main concerns?.Read the full report.
Ensuring Wholistic Development of Learners – Challenges and Possibilities: PLS Webinar 29 July 2020
The fourth webinar hosted by Pallavan Learning Systems, ‘Ensuring Wholistic Development of Learners:
Challenges and Possibilities’ was held on 29th July 2020. The panellists included educators, students, a parent and a counsellor, to cater to all points of view on learning. They were from India, Bhutan, The United Kingdom and The Sultanate of Oman which provided a global perspective on the challenges and possibilities. The webinar comprised more than 60 active participants. Read the full report.
School Leaders’ Retreat 2020: Centre for Escalation of Peace 8 and 9 July 2020
The School Leaders’ Retreat is a biennial programme for school leaders to hold discussions and take part in common learning experiences. This helps to build a foundation of shared values and create a network of leaders in the Asia-Pacific co
mmunity. An integral part of the Asia Pacific Schools Initiative (APSI), the School Leaders’ Retreat brings together school leaders with the intent of inculcating an understanding of ‘Leadership through Serene Strength’ and inspiring them to support the students and teachers of their schools. We believe that if schools practice and promote ‘Leadership through Serene Strength’, it will have a multiplier effect and will spread in the community, country and region.Read the full report.
Developing a Sustainable Community Approach to Promote Learning & Creating a Framework for Reopening Schools: PLS Webinar 25 June 2020
Pallavan Learning System’s third webinar was on the topic Developing a Sustainable Community Approach to Promote Learning and Creating
a Framework for Reopening Schools. It was moderated by Kamal Ahuja, the Deputy Headmaster of the Doon School. The panellists were Debasish Chakrabarty from The Doon School, Dehradun, India; Habiba Mohammed Al-Hadi Jaballah from Paradise Valley Private School, Muscat, Oman; Tshering Nidup from The Royal Academy, Paro, Bhutan; and Ashish Arora from The Scindia School, Gwalior, India. In addition, two parents, Suhale Kapoor and Padhmalakshmi Iyengar were invited as panellists for the session. About 50 participants attended the webinar. Read the full report..
The Future of Learning: PLS Webinar 27 May 2020
The second webinar hosted by Pallavan Learning Systems aimed to continue to connect and draw on the expertise and ex
periences of practitioners to design learning experiences to help learners actualise their potential. The focus of this webinar was to explore ideas around the question ‘What is the future of learning?’ Read the full report.
Nurturing Our Learners in the Time of Covid-19 : PLS Webinar 24 April 2020
On April 24, 2020, Pallavan Learning Systems organised its first webinar on Nurturing Our Learners in the Time of Covid-19. In PLS we are concer
ned about how online education is conducted so that it meets the needs of our learners. What should we be doing to nurture our learners so that we continue to support their wholistic growth and not simply focus on transaction of academic content? Read the full report.
