Roberta Poli, Professor of Operative Methodology at IIS Piaget-Diaz in Rome, school psychologist and President of the “Crescere Insieme” Association, has coordinated educational and training initiatives for teachers, operators and parents, as well as holding classroom workshops on how to prevent bullying and cyberbullying and to reinforce life skills. She is also the author of several publications on adolescents and distress, as well as articles on magazines. Currently, she is coordinating the “Insegnamenti” podcast and participating in Our School as worksheet editor.
Following a short break, we return to our weekly Our School Professors appointments with Roberta Poli. This is our 39th instalment. As usual, we share a short self-presentation video and then the interview with researcher Ilaria Gaudiello, who coordinates the works of the open source community of professors and educators.
INTERVIEW
Roberta, learning to live with others as a factor of growth for both individual students and the entire class is a leitmotiv of your activity as a psychologist and teacher. How does digital technology increase opportunities for training know how, listening and relations?
Today, schools face the educational challenge with completely different strategies compared to the traditional methodology. The pandemic, which profoundly destabilised the traditional school system, allowed us to rapidly enjoy a previously unimaginable technological asset. And now, we can no longer look backwards. We must use this new technology and identify the best equilibrium to promote “Learning by doing” and didactics based on real-world assignments that open wide new horizons on sharing, cooperative learning and peer education.
The many creative opportunities provided by digital technology represent efficient didactic strategies that place relations at the centre, promoting an active debate and listening to others. Learning by doing allows the students to experiment together. They become fond of knowledge and discover the new opportunities provided by digital tools. Teachers must act as facilitators in this process, providing the digital tools that the creativity and innovative drive of the new generations will fully exploit. Moreover, they must provide a model for identification and learning, and only by working in teams – as we do at “Our School” – develop a significant model that can be imitated by students.
This year, you edited new and original didactic content produced by teams of teaches at Our School for the Fondazione Mondo Digitale. How do you imagine the future of this community, and what do you believe is its greatest potential?
The delicate work that I conducted to “creatively” revise worksheets, allowed me to tip toe into the marvellous experiences that these teachers have imagined and conducted with their students. I must say that every worksheet that I worked on has allowed me to understand a reference context, the teachers, and the needs and desires of their students. This transversal journey allowed me to comprehend the significance of the experience and the great value that lies behind the work of the teams. I honestly believe that OUR School (and I use capitals to emphasise the profound meaning of “working together” that characterises it) is the right route. Thanks to support from FMD, ti will lead us far.
After nearly forty years’ experience both “in” and “out” of schools, I feel I can state that the beauty that teachers produce in a myriad environment must be promoted and shared, as they truly are GOOD PRACTICES. They fully express the professionality and sensitivity of the most innovative and creative side of Italian school! So, it’s time to move ahead at full force, towards the future, to reach new unimaginable frontiers, given the rapid transformations introduced by technology, in this beautiful, shared adventure. And, naturally, thanks to FMD and Ilaria Gaudiello!
What readings would you recommend to our community?
I believe that there is at least one essential book written by a famous scientist, Daniela Lucangeli. I recommend reading “Cinque lezioni leggere sull'emozione di apprendere” (Edizioni Centro Studi Erickson, Trento, 2019). And, as we are speaking about new technology, I would also like to recommend some of her videos: I mercoledì della lettura” and Emotional short-circuits: the intelligence behind mistakes, TEDxMilano.
Happy reading and viewing!
