Online Marathon «Teaching and Learning in Wartime»

From May 26 to June 10, the Language Component of the Learning Together project organized and carried out an online marathon «Teaching and Learning in Wartime». These were 10 sessions for students, their parents and teachers, which helped acquire useful skills and knowledge for effective learning in difficult times.

 What were we doing during the marathon together with our students?

We were reading books and discussing them with writers Kateryna Mikhalitsyna and Sashko Dermanskyi. We felt that reading books could be supportive in difficult moments, it «grounds», soothes, returns a sense of security, develops imagination.

We were identifying fakes in social networks during the session «Fake Identification: a Mission “To Neutralize”» with Aliona Romaniuk, a journalist, communication expert, founder of the NotaEnota project, editor-in-chief of the project «On the Other Side of Putin’s Lies». We were learning how to filter interesting content, about Internet security and behavior in social networks, fakes, manipulations; how to filter junk information in media and social networks; where to look for truthful information.

We were playing together with Marichka Berizko – a scout and a teacher of Ukrainian Language and Literature in primary school. We felt how games with voice, facial expressions and gestures helped students cope with stress; relieve muscle tension; let switch attention from one activity to another. The raffle of gifts was especially pleasant. Congratulations to the winners once again!

During the session «How to Survive Psychologically in Wartime?» we were learning to focus on classes – even if there is a permanent air alarm; to live with fear for relatives and friends at the front or temporarily occupied territories. The Q&A session was valuable – it let discuss individual experiences with Nataliia Pashko, a psychotherapist and leader of support groups for children and adults affected by traumatic events.

We were working on the improvement of our Ukrainian during the session «Not by “Palianytsia*” Alone: How to Speak Ukrainian in the Interesting Way?» with Ihor Khvorostianyi, PhD in Philology, Language Adviser of the Learning Together project, author of textbooks, manuals and online courses on Ukrainian language and literature. 

What were we doing together with our teachers and parents?

We were discussing the topic «Fakes Around us: Find and Neutralize», learning how to use content wisely and critically, talking to children about Internet safety; studying the algorithm of behavior in social networks; how fakes and manipulations arise; how to search for official sources of information; what kind of media could be trusted.

We were learning how to convert a lesson into an «island» of security during the session «Support for Students and Teachers in Wartime». Nataliia Syrotych, a child psychologist of the charitable foundation Caritas-Kyiv, PhD in Philosophy, art therapist, member of the Association of Child and Family Psychologists of Ukraine, author of books and training programs for children, parents and teachers, and Olha Kolesnikova-Chmel, a family and child psychologist, EMDR trauma therapist, shared «antistress» games, techniques and exercises; helped find the resource of teachers in wartime; told what you need to know about PTSD in children and described the most common reactions to psychological trauma; taught how to help the brain «process» stress.

We were studying useful online resources, which could be used under the study program; resources for in-service teacher training; mastering exercises to stabilize the emotional state of children and adults; the algorithm for conducting a lesson (face-to-face/online). We were discussing how to promote efficient integration of internally displaced children into the classroom during the online session «Adaptation of School Education in Wartime» together with Yanina Khizhinska, Academic Director of the «Unique School».

We were studying games and exercises to relieve tension and regulate emotions; developing rituals for daily support of children in wartime; mastering techniques/exercises aimed at stabilizing and minimizing the consequences of war during the sessions «How to Be Wise Parents in Wartime?» (with Nataliia Syrotych) and «How to Manage Stress and Minimize War Consequences?» (with Nataliia Pashko).

* Palianytsia (Ukrainian: паляниця) is a type of Ukrainian hearth-baked bread, made mostly of wheat flour in a home oven. The word “palianytsia” is used as a shibboleth in the Ukrainian language, to identify people for whom the Ukrainian language is not native.