Final ZOOM conference

20.1.2021

The final ZOOM conference was devoted to the results of the teaching practice by geography students.

On January 15, 2021, the Geography Department of the Faculty of Natural Sciences held a final Zoom-conference dedicated to the results of pedagogical practice of 4th-year full-time geography students. 

Pedagogical practice in the 4th year is a special type of educational process, which involves the complete “immersion” of future teachers in professional activities in the chosen specialty. Geography students took their internship during ten weeks of the seventh semester of study (from October 19 to December 27, 2020).

During the practice, students conducted classes both in a regular and in a distance format (for the period of quarantine restrictions), which forced students to use modern online tools and various methods to establish feedback with students (videoconferences, forums, chats, social networks, services instant messaging, etc.). Students gained experience in using web resources: Google Classroom, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Skype platforms, as well as online services ClassDojo, Classtime, LearningApps.org, Padlet.com, Kahoot. com, Mentimeter.com.

In addition to standard lessons, practitioners tried to use innovative teaching technologies, such as problem learning technologies, technology for the formation and development of critical thinking, “inverted learning”, non-traditional types of lessons (“Geography around us” acquaintance lesson, seminar lesson, seminar, lesson-game, lesson-competition, lesson-excursion, complex lesson, etc.). During the Zoom conference, students presented their pedagogical essays, in which they frankly spoke not only about their own achievements, but also about the various difficulties they encountered during the practice, and also shared their emotions from communicating with students and teachers. The dialogue of the methodologists with the students was constructive and friendly. The final conference gave the teachers of the department a basis for further adjusting the content of the training program for specialists for the education system. The pedagogical practice of students showed that in addition to academic preparation, it is necessary to pay attention to communication strategies in learning, the development of leadership qualities, the ability to control emotions, be disciplined and mobile in any educational environment.

Teachers of the Geography Department and students-geographers thank the school administrations for their cooperation and hope to expand the boundaries of the “school-university” dialogue.

According to the Department of Geography