On 30 May I attended a remote virtual conference entitled “The New Normal”, which had around 100,000 teachers registered.

Whether they all attended is another matter, but certainly thousands took part to discuss what teaching during lockdown had been like.

I was one of those in attendance and it was a fascinating event.  

Coronavirus: The growth of a global network of teachers

As such, when a new World Education Week event was announced, I saw it as a great opportunity to build on this community that international educators are creating to help them through these unprecedented times.

I decided I would put forward our school and the country of Moldova for consideration to take part in the event. To my delight, Heritage International School was selected.

I decided that I would talk about how we made use of technology to engage our learners in the education process in the hybrid reality we live in - after all, our work in this arena was something that informed government policy in the country.

This led to our Distance Learning Plan (DLP) being delivered nationwide at different teacher training events and conferences as an illustration of how teachers can deliver lessons remotely and successfully engage students in their learning.

A hybrid of online and in-school learning

Then, just as teachers got used to this ‘new normal’, we had to go back to school, together with our students.

Of course, after six months, everyone was excited, but also anxious, not knowing what the autumn might bring if cases soared.

Well for us it meant a move to a hybrid model of learning - which has brought a whole new set of skills for teachers to learn.

This is why an event like World Education Week and the chance to share our story is so important: we can be inspired by the best educators around the globe and pass on our expertise, too.

It’s no good having great ideas that we then sit on and keep to ourselves - we must give away our best ideas for everyone to benefit from.

Five core focus areas

While I don’t want to give everything away ahead of time, of course, here are five takeaways that we will be discussing during the presentation that other educators can learn from:

• Less is more. Using edtech that is simple but that enhances learning in the best way possible.
• No good result can be achieved without a good plan. The Distance Learning Plan should be shared with staff and community and to be thoroughly explained.
• Communication is key to success. Building good communication with families is crucial to the success of any school, especially in remote learning.
• Keeping routines maintains the cohesion of the community. The same routines give the impression of normality.
• If something works particularly well, share with others. This might save someone’s day.

None of this is easy, of course, and it is a learning curve we are all still going through. But if we use technology correctly, we can create opportunities for our students that deliver an education that will leave them well placed for the future.

Education for all

While education will always inspire debates about the best ways to learn, to teach, to inspire...at its most fundamental it must be a right that everyone enjoys, however it is delivered.

After all, “everyone has the right to education” is stated in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed by the United Nations in 1948.

And 72 years later educators around the world are doing everything possible to keep that noble aim alive - so let’s get together and share our expertise.

We are all better off for doing so.

Tatiana Popa is global learning coordinator at Heritage International School in Moldova