The closure of schools has been one of the first measures taken by the government to deal with the Coronavirus emergency. The Minister of Education, Lucia Azzolina, has provided the #lascuolanonsiferma – #schooldoesnotstop – project to support schools, teachers and pupils in this difficult path. And now, in view of a possible postponement of the reopening, school organizes itself so as not to make students lose even a lesson. The government has already allocated 85 million euros for distance teaching and to these are added 8.2 million euros to enhance the project through the figure of the digital animator. Each school will receive a contribution of 1000 euros that can be used for teacher training, including online, on innovative teaching methods.
#schooldoesnotstop, digital animators take the field
Between lessons on Skype, video messages, homework in group chat… you risk going crazy at home. Both pupils and parents. To cope with the emergency and not to suspend the learning process, digital animators and innovation teams will be deployed in order to share new teaching technologies with colleagues and experiment with forms of distance learning.
The Ministry has also submitted some precise directives. Azzolina immediately sent the operational guidelines to schools for distance learning activities, to offer clarifications and support to all institutions. Among the topics:
- What is meant by distance teaching
- Privacy
- Activities planning
- Attention for pupils with disabilities and special educational needs
- Evaluation of activities
Among the stories told is that of the “Giordani-Striano” Higher Institute in Naples, which provided the most needy students with computers on loan for free use, thus allowing everyone not to miss even a day of lessons. And, again, there are the guys from the “D’Aosta” Technical Institute in L’Aquila, who make community thanks to the school radio, talking about music, literature, technology, but also about moods and emotions. Among other stories, that of the students of the “Vespucci” Comprehensive Institute in Vibo Valentia who meet every day in a “virtual room” on the platforms dedicated to distance learning. So many beautiful experiences, so much humanity and solidarity to show kids that #schooldoesnotstop and they don’t have to give up.
#schooldoesnotstop, a channel on inclusion
A daily column on the MIUR social networks has been launched with the story of the experiences put in place by the schools. The Telegram channel is also underway with stories and useful content.
A thematic channel for inclusion on the web is also available, created to support school managers and teachers in distance learning paths for students with disabilities. They can find regulatory references, share experiences or webinars. In the channel there will also be free certified platforms, created with contributions from private individuals, for distance learning. The channel will be constantly updated and enriched with new materials.
Twinning between institutions
Many experiences have been put in place by schools to deal with the emergency caused by the Coronavirus. There are also many twinnings between institutes for the exchange of good practices.
MIUR has decided to highlight these best practices, dedicating them a space on the Ministry’s Facebook page. It will then be possible to interact, through the hashtag #lascuolanonsiferma, on Instagram, posting stories and photos that will power this tale. Another objective of MIUR is to use this social channel to connect school institutions. These will be evidence of resilience and solidarity to demonstrate the desire to move forward.
#Italyintheheart
