Utilizing innovative technologies for both in-person and online teaching.

In recent years, traditional education has had to make room for virtual lessons and online classes, requiring us to adapt to a new way of teaching and learning remotely. The use of new technologies, digital tools, and interactive learning platforms has proven to be a successful strategy, enabling educators worldwide to maintain an engaging and dynamic virtual environment. These same tools have also demonstrated their usefulness in traditional classrooms, particularly in capturing students' attention and enthusiasm.
The new edition of the combined courses “Making the most of new technologies, apps and social media in the classroom​” and “Discover the best apps and tools for E-learning, Distance learning and Web Design” concentrated exactly on these matters. This session of the course took place in Tenerife from 26/03/2023 to 01/04/2023. The participants came from all across Europe, with Koen De Potter and Lieve Van Den Bosch from Sint Ursula instituut in Belgium; CERNAT MONICA-CRISTINA, PĂDURARU ELENA and SAVA ALINA from LICEUL TEHNOLOGIC SPECIAL ”VASILE PAVELCU” din IAȘI; Sanita Vitola and Oksana Karalcuka from Valmiera Secondary School No.2 in Latvia; Daniel Unger from Heinrich-Heine-Gymnasium Oberhausen in Germany; Giuseppina Dalmazzo and Cristina Bruno from CPIA Imperia in Italy; Magda Jakubiak from University of Warsaw in Poland; Ugis Peksa, Arvids Prancs and Karlis Dagis from Jelgavas State gymnasium in Latvia; Jan Pernica from BRNO UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY in Czech Republic; Luca Marcel and Ionusiu Horea from Liceul Teoretic Gheorghe Lazar Avrig in Romania.

Throughout the duration of the course, participants gained knowledge on a broad range of technological tools and how to incorporate them into their teaching methods. The aim was to apply these newly acquired skills in both traditional and virtual classrooms, thereby facilitating easier and more effective teaching.
Initially, the course covered the simplest and most user-friendly tools for editing pictures and videos, which are highly effective for teaching purposes. These tools can be utilized for a multitude of tasks, such as creating multimedia content, introducing new topics, summarizing previous ones, and encouraging students to produce their own work to stimulate their creativity.
The course proceeded to cover additional tools for gathering and disseminating resources and content. Participants were introduced to platforms that enabled them to gather and enhance videos, images, texts, PDFs, and other materials, and effortlessly share them with their students. These tools are particularly beneficial for describing different aspects of a picture, especially in scientific subjects, and providing a more comprehensive context for a richer learning experience when approaching new topics, such as in foreign language studies. Additionally, participants were able to practice utilizing collaborative walls, which allow all users to contribute and collectively build a more extensive collection of information.

The course also delved into the process of constructing a website, which can serve various purposes in distance learning. By designing distinct pages and augmenting them with content, participants were able to personalize their website and create a blog to document the progression of a project or establish portfolios, among other potential uses.
In addition to the multitude of tools that were explored, participants were introduced to interactive presentations, which enable teachers to request feedback from their class by submitting polls, generating word clouds, and soliciting questions or feedback on the topic being presented. They also learned about the effectiveness of creating video lessons, particularly in the current climate, and the usefulness of online learning quizzes to assess their students' progress.
Upon completion of the course, participants acquired a fresh perspective on interactive learning and new technologies, along with a set of tools to utilize in both their traditional and online lessons. This approach is certain to enhance students' creativity, engagement, attention, and motivation, thereby transforming the learning experience into an exciting and dynamic activity!
Discover more about this course here  and here.