Interventions from the ASPnet community
- Canada
Isabelle LeVert-Chiasson, National Coordinator for ASPnet
Hello, my name is Isabelle LeVert-Chiasson and I am the National Coordinator at the Canadian Comission for UNESCO. In Canada we've been using the term "learning from home" versus "online learning", knowing there are barriers to access to technology in many homes. How has your country ensured equity and inclusion in regards to access to education during school closures?
- Germany
Klaus Schilling, National Coordinator for ASPnet
I am deeply impressed to learn about the different experiences and reflections concerning the students' possibilities right now. Currently we see how doing arts is a strong tool to help our students and all of us in the time of the lockdown. Writing poems, creating artworks, singing and playing – the students are creating their own expressions of hope and solidarity. I am sure that Arts Education can also help us in the future to create new learning environments and to contribute to our common goals of high quality education.
How do you see the possibilities to strengthen Arts Education in the future within our schools and also within the UNESCO Associated Schools Network?"
- Japan
Dr. Makoto KOBAYASHI, Professor of Educational Psychology,
Tamagawa University, College of Education
"The coronavirus pandemic has changed the educational environment drastically.
In many countries – including Japan – schools are closed in order to avoid physical contact, and many teachers are implementing online lessons in the usage of Zoom or other online meeting tools. One problem is that school teachers do not always have sufficient knowledge or skills for such online education, and the quality of online education also depends on the technical conditions of the school including digital equipment etc. In Japan, for instance, this situation makes the disparity and inequality between schools and between regions more salient.
Another problem is that as a result of school closure many children are shut up in the house and get confronted with some psychological problems such as depression and apathy. Media also report that the number of the child victims of abuse and home violence increased significantly after the school closure. Unfortunately school teachers do not necessarily have effective measure to deal with those psychological problems of pupils which they suffer in the home.
Judging from this critical situation caused by COVID-19 pandemic, I have the impression that the current crisis requires some substantial transformation of the curriculum in teacher education institutes because school teachers are now expected to acquire some more specific skills and competencies especially for the utilization of digital technology and the coping with psychological problems of pupils. These are the competencies which had not been emphasized in the traditional teacher education curriculum.
Thus, I would like to ask you from this perspective, 1) what kind of transformation would be required or expected for the curriculum in the teacher training institutes towards the next stage of the human society?, and 2) how this curriculum transformation can be effectively realized, particularly in the context of the ASPnet?
Thank you for your consideration!"
"It was nice to realize that we all experienced the same difficulties, challenges, demands",
"the opening to the rest of the world is a fresh breeze",
"it was amazing to hear children from the other side of the world and to feel like my classmates", (student)
"the second part of the teleconference where issues and concerns for the future and the goals of education were raised was of particular interest",
"meeting people from so many different parts of the world sharing their experiences and views was impressive and touching",
"for me is very important that when discussing the futures of education it was made clear that the situation we are experiencing opens up alternative forms of education, where digital literacy dominates but building strong relationships between teachers, students and parents is paramount as well as the provision of emotional and social support in a context of global solidarity "
"I was so glad to hear that we share the same thoughts about the role of teachers which is irreplaceable".