After about two years of pandemic my school has changed a lot. On the negative side, I could mention issues related to performance, but mainly the socialization of students.
The students have struggled with social isolation from their peers and it seems that it has affected their social behavior. There is also difficulty in school work and study, specifically, among the students who were admitted to our school this year from Primary School.
Some students find it difficult to follow the rules against covid-19 and, especially, wearing the mask.
On the positive side, teachers and students have made significant progress with new technologies and various digital distance-learning tools.
Our school has developed and maintains our own distance learning platform, which is used by students and teachers simultaneously with teaching and learning in school. The pandemic seems to have affected human relationships and school life positively and negatively.
What was the biggest challenge at your school in moving to distance learning?
The biggest challenge for our school was finding a way to keep students interested in teaching and learning and motivating them to participate in the learning process.
Did the Remote Schools project help you to develop distance learning at your school?
The Remote Schools project has helped me to consider all the different aspects of distance education. In particular, it has helped me to communicate and exchange views and experiences with colleagues from different countries. This is how I realized the pandemic has affected schools around the world in a similar way. I shared these experiences with the teachers in my school.
What did you find particularly interesting about this project? What else would you like to have?
What I find particularly interesting about this project is the information it provides about the education systems of other countries, the good distance-learning practices presented and information we have exchanged on how schools can cope with the pandemic and the challenge of teaching and learning all over the world.
What else would you like to have?
I would like to learn more about innovative ways to assess student progress by applying different criteria for different grades and using a variety of teaching materials instead of a single textbook.
I would also like to learn more about good practices and innovation pertaining to school management, leadership and mentoring for school principals.
What still needs to be done to make digital teaching at your school successful?
I think that teachers and students need more time to adapt to thinking, teaching and learning the digital way. Getting all students involved and assessing digital teaching and learning efficiently would make a significant difference in our distance-learning practices.
How would you describe the potential for your school / country to continue integrating forms of digital teaching?
I think that my school has the potential to continue integrating forms of digital teaching using a blended model and, actually, we are currently trying to do just that as an experimental secondary school that is allowed a level of autonomy to promote innovative practices.
I also believe that my country has the potential to continue integrating forms of digital teaching but progress will inadvertently be achieved at different rates in different areas. However, things have already changed radically as digital literacy has spread widely over the past two years.
How do you see your school in about 10 years? What will have changed?
I hope that it will change a lot. I expect students to form grades based on their skills instead of their age and I believe that teaching and learning will meet the requirements of the 21st century and the digital society that is rapidly arising.
