Common themes emerging for the ASPnet Community
Experts at the meeting included Tigran Yepoyan, Chief of the unit on ICT in health Education at IITE, Sobhi Tawil, Chief of Education Research and Foresight at UNESCO and Xioxia Zhou, the Director of the International Centre for UNESCO ASPnet.
Commenting on the sessions, they identified common themes, including the importance of addressing the socio-emotional dimension of learning, the impact of remote learning changing relationships between students, teacher and parents, as well as the importance of ensuring students' and teachers' well-being. Prominent attention was also given to the role of arts education for the well-being of students, the need to equip teachers with skills, both in IT and media literacy, as well as psycho-social support to students.
Here are the experts commenting on the topics discussed.
 | "School is not just a building, but a learning community. Human interaction and connection, cooperation, open and timely communication between decision makers, schools, parents and students are the key enablers for overcoming the current crisis and rethinking what education is about and how it can be better organized in future." Tigran Yepoyan, IITE |
 | "We need serious efforts to prevent a development in which ICT education will exacerbate divides and inequalities. Following the digital revolution, the future world of global interconnections will reflect increasingly intercultural and across-national communications and interactions." Xiaoxia Zhou, Director, International Center for UNESCO ASPnet, China |
 | "The future is a perspective to inform our action in the present for more inclusive and meaningful learning for all. It is not what about what the anticipated future will impose. Rather, it is about our collective effort to forge the alternative future we want. "
Mr Sobhi Tawil, Chief, Education Research and Foresight, UNESCO |
 | “Despite challenges and opportunities in coping with school at home and distance learning, thinking
about returning to school for an education they miss or imagine, our biggest
investment we bring to our ASPnet community is to stay connected and provide a
virtual place to discuss, share and
learn.” Fouzia Belhami, ASPnet team, chat moderator |