Increase students’ engagement through a wide and useful range of ICT tools

It is not always easy to hold the classroom inspired, engaged and enthusiastic when it comes to teaching. This is when ICT tools such as apps and web platforms become crucial for teachers to communicate and share knowledge while also maintaining students’ attention. Today it is essential to know our way around interactive learning to offer our students an option and non-traditional style of learning and keep them involved. 

The new edition of the course “Integrating ICT and new technologies into teaching and education​” took place in Palermo from 17/03/2024 to 23/03/2024. The participants came from across all Europe, with Jana from Saint Nicholas Catholic School in Slovakia, Alvin from Mencia de Mendoza in Netherlands, Ilze and Madlēna from Talsi State Gymansium in Latvia, Alba from Lopez De Santiago Consultores SL in Spain, Dorothee from University of Potsdam in Germany and participants from three different schools in Czech Republic: Katerina e Milada from Slezske gymnazium Opava, Soňa from Gymnázium Zlín and Karel from Gymnázium, Český Krumlov

During this course, the participants learnt how to use a vast field of digital tools and integrate them into their teaching approaches.
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We started ​the course exploring the simple and versatile applications for creating virtual whiteboards and collaborative walls that can create entertaining and attractive online lessons and learning experiences individually or in collaboration adding multimedia contents. These applications are also useful for class discussions, brainstorming and group work.

​Then we looked at the simplest and easiest tools to make interactive presentations that are essential for teachers to engage their students. Indeed, in crafting a more dynamic presentation, the teacher can request the opinion of the class by proposing polls, generating word clouds, and asking for questions or feedback on the topic being presented. 

​Moreover, the participants could dip into the technological world with different tools for many practical games and activities to do together in the classroom such as virtual quizzes, flashcards, crosswords, spinning wheels, posters collages and much more. 

​Another important topic of the course was Artificial Intelligence. The group became familiar with ChatGPT and other AI-powered tools explored during the week, acquiring insights into the seven elements of a good prompt. Through an interesting discussion, they analysed all the potential, the benefits but also the traps of using AI tools without sufficient knowledge of them. 

​The last part of the course was dedicated to creating interactive video lessons on a wide range of topics. In fact, in recent years, traditional education left more space for virtual lessons and online classes which allow teachers to introduce or wrap up a subject, personalize learning, “break up” the lesson and make it more engaging and to give homework. Furthermore, we showed a tool for creating escape rooms: this is useful but also fun activity to encourage critical thinking, teamwork and communication skills, along with reinforcing subject matter expertise.

​This course lets participants have an important confrontation with each other and learn from their shared experiences. They left this course with a wide knowledge of interactive learning and a new collection of tools, ready to use in their classrooms for all kinds of subjects. This approach will surely increase the students’ imagination, engagement, attention and motivation and help make the learning process a fun and involved activity! 

Discover more about this course here.