The concept of traditional education has been through substantial changes in recent years, especially due to the spread of Coronavirus and the closure of schools.
The question arouse in different Countries: Will distance learning be the future of education?Teams of experts are reflecting upon the opportunities given by distance learning: classes offered worldwide (think about FutureLearn, a website hosting different Universities and schools from all over the world), the possibility of having a shared space with an archive of materials, a virtual space which is, past a doubt, less expensive (in terms of management too) and more challenging.
A list of educational applications and platforms have been investigated and promoted (see: https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/solutions ) as a possible continuum for supporting traditional learning. Online education is flexible, which means that teachers and students set their own teaching/learning pace. Using an online platform helps students to find a good work-study balance. Students can settle the materials they are required to study and can gain confidence before submitting their work.
Not to mention the fact that virtual education allows for a customized learning experience and you can integrate different materials (videos, photos, eBooks, webtools, apps, interactive modules) and teachers can integrate also forums of discussion to have an immediate feedback and to improve their lessons. All this material is saved and can be checked and will stay available for students anytime anywhere.
Yet the important reflection is to be made on the future of distance learning as an application of traditional Educational System.School is made up of different stages: the classroom and its emotional mechanism of relationship, the learning environment which opens to a wider scenario with different and more specific spaces, the lifelong learning applied to changing times and so on. It’s quite difficult that Educational System will move to 100% online, because the priority of Education is the human connection and the different relationships within the society microcosm which is School. Meanwhile we cannot lose the opportunities given by online platforms and tools, as a means of integrating and improving school system. So, let’s congratulate with ourselves on being so able to catch the opportunity, because distance learning must be seen as it is: a great opportunity, an opportunity to be the wingman of Education.
Angela Panzarella (02/08/1978), laureata in lingue e letterature straniere moderne (inglese e serbocroato) con indirizzo filologico letterario, un’ulteriore laurea in lettere (storia delle tradizioni popolari) presso La Sapienza di Roma, master in traduzione, abilitazione SSIS (A345/A346), master CeCLIL (Ca’ Foscari) e Metodologie CLIL nel XXI secolo (IUL Firenze), benemerenza in Filologia (Philology Sila Trophy, per il saggio “As You Like Her…”), expertise in bilingual education since primary years, dopo anni di docenza nella scuola secondaria di secondo grado, insegna inglese nella scuola primaria per la sperimentazione e il proseguimento dell’esperienza bilingue (IBI-BEI, istruzione bilingue, bilingual education, CLIL & technoCLIL) nella provincia di Milano. E’ formatrice riconosciuta dall’USR Lombardia (per corsi linguistici e metodologici CLIL, technoCLIL e webtools per la didattica) e certificatrice Cambridge Young Learners (International House) ed ESOL (Cambridge, International House, English Speaking Board). Referente per l’Internazionalizzazione, è anche esperta eTwinning, Erasmus+ ed Europrogettazione, con partecipazione a seminari multilaterali in Italia, Europa e Paesi del Mediterraneo. Attiva con pubblicazioni anche su Scientix e per Stem Discovery Week. Ha scritto per i suoi “gnomi” (come si diverte a chiamarli, e per i quali è Miss Angela), la collana completa di testi per la didattica bilingue 100% CLIL e technoCLIL per la scuola primaria. Last but not least, è una bassista con esperienze musicali in ambito nazionale e internazionale.