Opinions of the participants about technology, methods, benefits, weaknesses, strengths
of the digital and traditional learning
During the pandemic we were forced to stay isolated at home, practically one day to the next. But education couldn't stop... studying at home was very complicated and required a lot of adaptation from everybody. It was difficult, but it was also good. We were able to notice the evolution of technologies and their importance.. After all, without them, we would have been two years without any connection not only to school but also to friends and family. During that time I became more independent as I was forced to organise my days to be productive. Not having a teacher by my side to explain and help me was the most challenging part of working online.
Alexandra Bandarrinha, Student 9.ºD, Portugal
Gabriel Vilas Boas, Teacher, Portugal
Studying online has improved our technological and even personal performance.One of the most difficult parts of distance learning is the interaction between student and teachers. In the beginning it was strange not to feel the pressure from the teachers... but I think that over time we adapted.However, I don't think I could stand this kind of teaching for much longer because, although it may not seem like it, human beings need contact. Without it, we may lose ourselves.Concluding, even though digital education helped us during the time we were at home, after a while, I was able to throw the computer out of the window.
Leonor Silva, Student 9.º D, Portugal
I think digital education, in classrooms, is important because it keeps the students motivated to learn and helps them to get more attention at classes.
The distant education was very important at the COVID start, because it was the best way to protect all the students, but studying at the same time.
However, I don't think that is a good option to adopt in the future, I prefer presential classes, but using digital tools.
I learnt a lot about "being digital in the school" along this project and I'm sure that it will be very helpful for me in the future!
Ricardo Ribeiro,
Student 9.º D, Portugal
Afonso Cardoso, Student 9.º D, Portugal
I think that all students worldwide have experienced digital and distant learning due to the pandemic that we experienced intensely in 2020 and 2021. For me it was a different experience because I had to learn to use technology better, although I improved my learning skills at a digital level and also I became more responsible because I had to apply myself more, without having a teacher around me.
It was a big challenge for me to study online and at home, but now I feel fulfilled for having successfully overcome this phase. This experience also helped me to understand that it
depends only on ourselves if we want to be successful at school.
Beatriz Pinto, Student 9.º A, Portugal
'During these pandemic years, we were forced to take online classes, which has its positives and negatives. Many families did not have computers or even the internet, which made it difficult for their children to attend classes, making their learning difficult, also due to the fact that we did not have a teacher next to us, it made us more easily distracted, sometimes it was difficult to clear doubts , among other problems. But on the other hand, it made us develop new skills, work with new digital tools, made us more responsible and autonomous.
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Betina Lopes, Student 9.º D, Portugal
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Ana Baptista, Teacher, Portugal
'During these pandemic years, we were forced to take online classes, which has its positives and negatives. Many families did not have computers or even the internet, which made it difficult for their children to attend classes, making their learning difficult, also due to the fact that we did not have a teacher next to us, it made us more easily distracted, sometimes it was difficult to clear doubts , among other problems. But on the other hand, it made us develop new skills, work with new digital tools, made us more responsible and autonomous.
Leonor Sampaio, Student 9.º B, Portugal
Teaching online was a tremendous opportunity to develop our skills in the field of technology and a means of inserting ourselves even more in the digital society in which we live.
There were technical constraints because the Internet is imperfect and not everyone dominates the different applications or programs we use with the same efficiency. However, the advantages far outweighed the disadvantages: greater ease in holding work meetings, a greater variety of teaching strategies and, of course, more resources to communicate, teach and learn. Of course, for a teacher to teach in a classroom, face to face with his students, is always more stimulating and the interactions always seem more “true”, but modern times impose a technological form of communication and learning on us and we have to know how to live with it and take advantage of it. And I don’t think that’s what happened.
Learning and studing online was a little hard and discouraging, because I think the contact with teacheds and students is a essencial factor in education. However, I also had to be responsible ans study by myself, demanding from me a great focus, in a comfortable environment.
With the pandemic, education had to, in a short time, adapt, reinvent, adopt new strategies and respond to the challenges that were being posed by schools, students, parents, in order to that the digital world would allow for the realization of the planned learning and the educational success of the students. It was necessary to select and implement, in a comprehensive and systematic way, educational platforms, communication tools (including videoconferencing systems), adapt pedagogical methodologies and dynamics and enhance learning using digital, in a model that we can call emergency remote teaching.
While digital learning requires students to have self-discipline, time-management, and technical skills to succeed in an online environment, traditional learning requires students to have attendance, participation, and adaptability to follow a structured curriculum and schedule.
Online teaching was a great challenge, a bless and a curse at the same time!
We had just a few hours to transfer from face-to-face communication to digital. It was quite a stressful for both students and teachers and not to name parents!
Some of the disadvantages related to technical issues of the platform, lack of Internet during bad weather conditions, slow computers, so much time spend in preparation for online lessons.
There were not only disadvantages but also some very helpful skills we learnt as well as the fact that we still use the MS Teams platform for assignments to the students.
Of course if I can chose I would definitely be in class, surrounded by students and being able to talk to them, share and give knowledge in the real classroom.
Dilyana Tzvetkova, English Teacher, Bulgaria
Online learning has helped me a lot in developing my skills connected with the use of various platforms, office programs and so on. I found it was very easily and conveniently studying from home.
Anna Atanasova, Student, Bulgaria
Studying online was very challenging experience, but I’m glad that I went through it because it improved my learning skills. For example, I became more responsible because I knew that when there is no teacher around me to remind me to focus, everything was up to me. In addition, it helped me realize that the non-verbal communication takes really important part in the interaction between students and teachers.
Elena Tsenova, Student, Bulgaria
Online school was very difficult for me because I had to spend many more hours in front
of the computer than usual and that stressed me out a lot .
My family was also involved because they had to keep quiet for most of the day . The hardest part was that this experience lasted very long and so I lost social contacts with my classmates.
Evelin Milkova Plamenova, Student, Bulgaria
For me, online learning was filled with many different emotions. It had both advantages and
disadvantages.
During online learning each of us had more free time because we neglected easier subjects like
Music, PE, and Art, which bought us extra time to study the harder subjects.
The bad thing is that we have learned to underestimate the tasks that teachers gave us, because when we are online everything is easy to be found, but now when we are in school, and things are more complicated.
Viktoria, Student, Bulgaria
Online school is not very helpful. Sometimes the wi-fi connection drops or the platform where the classes are held goes down. It is very stressful for me to turn on my camera and I don’t feel comfortable with that. The room must be kept quiet so that the teacher could hear me when I speak. Also, at home I get distracted much more easily and sometimes I fall asleep and miss classes.
Robertina Evtimova Yordanova, Student, Bulgaria
My experience with online classes has been positive, sometimes I was struggling. During the pandemic it was obligatory stay at home but luckily the online lessons allowed me to continue studying. Studying online has allowed me to improve my skills with technology. At first it was strange the relationship between professors and students not being in the presence but I got used to it quickly. It was difficult to study online and at home in fact sometimes I was in trouble. In conclusion, I prefer class lessons because I love the relationship between teachers and students in attendance.
Sabrina De Leonardo, Student, Italy
I really enjoyed taking online classes during the pandemic because we got the chance to use new apps and improve our technological skills. It also helped us to keep our brain active. I definitely prefer traditional learning though, because I can work with my classmates, and it’s easier to understand lessons when you actually have your teacher in front of you.
Martina Turi, Student, Italy
In recent years because of covid we have been forced to do distance teaching for two consecutive years. I personally prefer teaching in presence because when we were at home we suffered a lot the lack of relations between us . Being at school instead we joke and laugh and we are together physically and not virtually . We got to know each other better and above all we lived all in the best possible way to recover the years lost due to covid.
Stefania De Bellis, Student, Italy
Personally, I liked the digital learning experience at first, but then I found it a little boring and it made me feel sad. I missed all my classmates and teachers and I couldn’t have been happier when I met them again.
For sure, digital education gave me more confidence with technology and it made me improve my digital homework.
Now I can say that, thanks to this experience, we all also learned to adapt well, and quickly, to a new situation and it could be useful for us in the future.
Giorgia, Student, Italy
Taking part in classes during the pandemic hasn't always been easy. We found ourselves from one day to the next to be in direct contact with classmates and teachers, to see icons that represented us, and therefore rarely see our faces. So I was not able to immediately establish a relationship with my current friends. But staying at home made me become more responsible, be more punctual, respect the deadlines of the assigned tasks, but also find out more about the platforms and apps used during the lesson.
Samanta Carrieri, Student, Italy
Irene Vesti, Student, Italy
Face-to-face learning and remote learning present many differences. Personally, I believe that classroom learning offers a more complete and interactive experience. During in-person classes, it's possible to interact with teachers and other students in a more direct way, which can lead to deeper and more engaging learning. Additionally, during in-person classes, it's possible to participate in group activities and labs that can enrich the learning experience.
On the other hand, remote learning offers greater flexibility and convenience. It's possible to attend classes from anywhere, without having to deal with traffic or spend time on transportation. Furthermore, remote learning allows for recording classes and reviewing material when necessary, making it easier to catch up on any gaps.
In conclusion, both modes of learning have advantages and disadvantages. The choice between classroom learning and remote learning depends on the individual needs and preferences of students and teachers. Personally, I think it's important to balance the advantages of both modes to create a comprehensive and satisfying learning experience.
The sudden shifting to the distance learning last March 2020 brought about a lot of changes in the teaching methods. Suddenly, as a teacher, I found myself remodulating and reformulating my didactic codes. It was, at the same time, a challenge and an opportunity to face and seize.
The first step was to learn how to use the Google classroom platform and invite my students to participate in meetings-lessons on that platform. It was exciting to find my students there, at home, some in the kitchen, some in their bedroom, some in the most discreet and quiet corner of their home. How funny those moments when little brothers or sisters or other relatives came on stage and, in the meantime, they also attended the lessons.
I also can't forget when some students were busy doing other things while I was trying to explain Shakespeare, or when their audio or microphones seemed not to be working…cheating was possible!
The use of videos and the many teaching aids available on the net came to the rescue of us teachers, who in the meantime were also following refresher courses on digital teaching.
I've learned a lot from this distance learning experience: I've learned to integrate digital technology into my lessons, but I've also learned that nothing can replace face-to-face contact with your kids there with you in class, at school.
Angela Franchino, English Teacher, Italy
I experimented distance lessons during the pandemia. Since we was at home for the covid,we did online lessons where, during the morning, we connected in a “video call” with the platform Meet with the teachers and we did soft activities because staying in front of the computer for 5 hours, we got tired more and the concentration was less.
Personally I prefer lessons in presence because to follow in a class is more interesting than at home, I prefer also stay with my classmates because in this way time is more sliding .
