Less use of paper, saving time, improvements in the ability to innovate, and various other benefits, are those mentioned by the teachers and directors of the Fundación Nocedal schools in a complete article about it.
Siboney Cisternas, head of the administration specialty at the Almendral school, maintains that “thanks to the pandemic we began to use tools that have been very useful, such as the Classroom, for example, which became a management tool that allows us to transmit information to the students, upload guides, so that the student can solve problems, upload work in which the time and date of delivery are recorded, we greatly reduced the load in the use of paper, they develop the ability to incorporate the use of tools for their future life, especially at work”.
Cisternas invites not to demonize the use of devices such as cell phones in the classroom: “With this new situation of the incorporation of technologies, students can make use of their cell phone equipment to be able to interact in the classroom for academic purposes and with classroom activities that are authorized by the teacher.”
Therefore, the teacher explains, the fact of taking a tablet or a cell phone to the classroom is not a distraction, they are aids to improve the understanding of the students, to be able to interact better with them, to be able to watch videos, things that are absolutely necessary to improve understanding.
Second semester of the first “normal year”: what to pay attention to
Catalina Rojas, a psychologist specializing in children and a master’s degree in education from UC points out that “this is the first 100% normal year in the school world after the pandemic. Perhaps several children and adolescents are bringing devices to the room, but the invitation to teachers is to make these devices part of the pedagogical experience”.
“They were encouraged to use them during the pandemic to connect, they can no longer tell you that their use ‘is not correct’, because it would go against the discourse that was delivered to them for more than two years. Technology must become an ally in the room,” he added. But in addition, Rojas insisted that “one must also observe classic aspects of what a return to school after vacation means.” “The incorporation of children should not be ‘all at once’” he added.
Strengthen the return to school of children after winter holidays
“Holidays are a time to recharge one’s energy and go back to school with great enthusiasm, therefore, they cannot be taken lightly and environments must be created where children explore, discover and expand their knowledge in a joyful and creative way”, highlights Milena Schublin Bisquertt, an expert in Education, Master’s in Management, from the University of Barcelona and Rector of the San Agustin’s School.
Among the recommendations, beyond the technological issue, to address the return to school, the “enhancing the positive things of returning to a new school year” stands out. For example, meeting friends, sharing vacation experiences, meeting possible new colleagues, among others.
It is recommended that children dedicate a few minutes to reading and mathematical exercises, to stimulate their attention and concentration. “We must begin to prepare our children with small responsibilities that favor daily routines and especially study habits,” adds Schublin.
Tech-enhanced routines for kids
Considering the above, Rojas adds that there are things related to health that are of vital importance for good performance, such as sleep hygiene. When the holidays are over, one of the most abrupt changes that children experience are changes in sleep schedules.
Being winter months, sleep routines are relaxed. For this reason, it is necessary to maintain an order in the sleep cycles during the coming weeks, especially the first days, avoiding the use of electronic devices at night.
“There again the use of technology can be a good ally. Let’s remember that there are smartbands and smartwatches that allow you to monitor sleep, or even through video games to encourage the child’s daily hydration. These elements, used correctly, are quite useful to promote routines that will undoubtedly be a support for the return to school for the little ones”, concluded the psychologist.