Visiting Scholars 2020/21
Our next post is written by another of our esteemed Visiting Scholars – Elena Murgolo.
Pandemic teaching
A couple of months back, I've had the pleasure of delivering a few short lessons as Visiting Scholar for the EM TTI. Unfortunately, I couldn't meet anybody in person for obvious reasons: due to the pandemic and to a vaccination campaign that still hadn't got to the point of vaccinating people my age, I could not travel, as most participants couldn't.
As a matter of fact, I had had a possibility to get vaccinated before, but as somebody pointed out on one of Italy's main news papers when the vaccinations began, considering my possibility to work from home, my good health and my age, it would have been selfish and unfair for me to not wait my turn "in line".
This being said, I suppose we all had luck.
What kind of life could anyone have during a pandemic even just at the beginning of the previous century? Sure enough, I wouldn't have had the possibility to be invited to teach about patents, translation and MTPE, and I wouldn't have had the possibility to meet (though virtually) so many interested and fun people.
Fortunately, the XXI century's magic is coming to everybody's help, and all we need today to get in touch is an internet connection and a well set up zoom meeting.
In other courses I had taught before, I used to create my presentation in a very interactive way, with short games, quizzes and fun in general. I tried to involve the people in the audience as much as possible. Of course, feedback is still one of the most important elements for any teacher to understand if she/he is being clear and if the teaching is actually keeping people awake.
Having black boxes with names staring back at you is not easy.
However, much as the virus momentarily managed to take away some of this fundamental human interaction, during my workshop for the EM TTI the participation and involvement of both students and other teachers who were present managed to make me feel as welcome as 'virtually' possible.
And for this I thank everybody involved and I hope to see you soon!
In person, this time. 🙂
A couple of months back, I've had the pleasure of delivering a few short lessons as Visiting Scholar for the EM TTI. Unfortunately, I couldn't meet anybody in person for obvious reasons: due to the pandemic and to a vaccination campaign that still hadn't got to the point of vaccinating people my age, I could not travel, as most participants couldn't.
As a matter of fact, I had had a possibility to get vaccinated before, but as somebody pointed out on one of Italy's main news papers when the vaccinations began, considering my possibility to work from home, my good health and my age, it would have been selfish and unfair for me to not wait my turn "in line".
This being said, I suppose we all had luck.
What kind of life could anyone have during a pandemic even just at the beginning of the previous century? Sure enough, I wouldn't have had the possibility to be invited to teach about patents, translation and MTPE, and I wouldn't have had the possibility to meet (though virtually) so many interested and fun people.
Fortunately, the XXI century's magic is coming to everybody's help, and all we need today to get in touch is an internet connection and a well set up zoom meeting.
In other courses I had taught before, I used to create my presentation in a very interactive way, with short games, quizzes and fun in general. I tried to involve the people in the audience as much as possible. Of course, feedback is still one of the most important elements for any teacher to understand if she/he is being clear and if the teaching is actually keeping people awake.
Having black boxes with names staring back at you is not easy.
However, much as the virus momentarily managed to take away some of this fundamental human interaction, during my workshop for the EM TTI the participation and involvement of both students and other teachers who were present managed to make me feel as welcome as 'virtually' possible.
And for this I thank everybody involved and I hope to see you soon!
In person, this time. 🙂
Elena Murgolo
Visiting Scholar at the University of Wolverhampton
EM TTI
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