From the thresholds of schools to the lintel of uncertainty. The schools’ portals as spaces for teaching and learning

Abstract

COVID-19 has transformed the daily routine of humans around the world. Different economic sectors have modified their practices to adapt to the rapid changes brought about by the pandemic. We are adapting our lives to “new” forms of interaction, and continue to modify them following new findings about the virus. One area visibly affected is education, as most of its academic processes used to be conducted in person. Almost overnight, they migrated from face-to-face to virtual environments. This article analyzes the implications of this change a few months after it started. From a qualitative perspective, it seeks to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the academic activities of teachers and students from public schools of the municipality of Popayán, Department of Cauca, in Colombia. It explores the relationship between Information and Communication Technologies, and then discusses the transformations in teachers’ activities. Finally, it analyzes the implications of these transformations in teaching and learning processes.