1. Teacher Academy Course
A. Positive Aspects
The teachers stated that online training allowed them to work from home, so they could do the course at their own pace. They highlighted the guidance from the monitor – me – as a great help. The fact that we created a learning network and thus shared the work with the other members of the study group was a very positive aspect as well as the use of new technologies. The contents of the course were considered adequate, clear, well structured and varied, with many practical examples. An advantage of doing the course was the improvement of their English proficiency, as most teachers didn’t master this language.
B. Aspects to Improve
The teachers didn’t find many aspects to improve, but still they gave some suggestions:
- the need to have direct translation to Portuguese, for example;
- having other teachers from the same school cluster taking the course, that is, creating a school learning network;
- deadlines are short, that’s why sometimes teachers can’t finish the courses;
- Padlet is not always easy to use.
2. Teacher Academy Platform
A. Positive Aspects
The TA platform was considered very intuitive, well organized and easy to navigate. The videos are a great advantage and the interaction between colleagues from different countries is a must.
B. Aspects to Improve
Again teachers suggested the possibility of having direct translation to Portuguese, as well as making access to the platform easier. When working at school, sometimes teachers had to start by enrolling again in the course, as the platform didn’t allow them to continue working on the modules without doing it.
When the course was finished, teachers were asked to answer the final questions on the Feedback Form:
- What did you like the most about your participation in this study group?
- Did you have any language problems? How did you overcome them?
- Would you recommend Teacher Academy Courses to your friends/colleagues? Why?
Creation of a STUDY GROUP
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