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- Why do you participate in TA courses?
- What benefits/challenges do you see with TA courses?
- How do you participate in TA courses?
- What is in your opinion the main challenge for teachers to participate in TA courses and how to overcome this challenge?
- What concrete actions can you work on to facilitate take-up, impact, recognition of TA courses at your school?
Why do you participate in TA courses?
Why do you participate in TA courses?
I normally attend Teacher Academy courses two or three times a year. I regularly visit the website to be updated on the list of courses, which I find particularly interesting for the pedagogical and transversal issues they deal with.
There are other reasons why I participate as well:
- the topics are always very up-to-date and are treated in a practical and concrete way, with examples of application in everyday teaching
- there is always the possibility to interact with other colleagues from different countries, which makes learning even more stimulating
What benefits/challenges do you see with TA courses?
What benefits/challenges do you see with TA courses?
The main benefit of participating in online courses is that you can follow them at your own pace, in the most appropriate time for you.
Also, as I have already said, the possibility of interacting with other colleagues and finding practical examples of application in the classroom is another very positive aspect.
In my opinion, there are two main challenges:
- the linguistic competence required to be able to follow and interact effectively
- the willingness to get involved and to change perspective with respect to one's own way of being a teacher
How do you participate in TA courses?
How do you participate in TA courses?
I usually take part in the courses and spend a fairly regular amount of time during the week.
If possible, I like to enter the module as soon as it is opened, in order to have an overview of the contents and activities to be carried out.
Then, during the week, I spend some time, usually in the evening, on activities and interactions.
What is in your opinion the main challenge for teachers to participate in TA courses and how to overcome this challenge?
What is in your opinion the main challenge for teachers to participate in TA courses and how to overcome this challenge?
I repeat here what I have already said for myself.
In my opinion, there are two main challenges:
- the linguistic competence required to be able to follow and interact effectively. This implies a lack of security in many teachers, although we know that there are many online tools that allow to do things even with limited language skills
- the willingness to get involved and to change perspective with respect to one's own way of being a teacher. In many cases, the average teacher does not feel comfortable sharing activities or difficulties in class.
What concrete actions can you work on to facilitate take-up, impact, recognition of TA courses at your school?
What concrete actions can you work on to facilitate take-up, impact, recognition of TA courses at your school?
This is unfortunately a very complex issue and, for Italy, very difficult to solve...
What I think is that Teacher Academy belongs to a European network of which many ministries of education are part. It would therefore be appropriate that at a "high" level there be a boost to recognition of this type of training.
In any case, what can be done in practice in the individual schools is to ensure that the official document of the institute states that online training (which provides for a precise number of hours, with a list of the themes and topics carried out) is recognised in the same way as training in attendance.
Moreover, in order to ensure that this type of training can be considered valid as on-site courses, in-training sessions could be organised for all teachers in order to make the potential of online training known and to make people lose their fear of what was said before (lack of language knowledge and active involvement).
And, of course, create a team of work within the school that serves as a multiplier for those colleagues who would like to engage but are held back by a thousand obstacles (real or feared)
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