Breaking Barriers: the vision of Natalia di Leone, nursery school teacher in Naples
Some people participate in training because they have to, while others, like teacher Natalia di Leone, do so out of personal choice and conviction. A nursery school teacher at the Oriani-Guarino comprehensive school in Naples, Natalia decided to attend numerous refresher courses on digital education, artificial intelligence and online safety, also promoted as part of the Breaking Barriers project.
Her goal? “Not to fall behind, to keep up with the times, to enrich my skills”. This is a deep motivation that stems from a strong intellectual curiosity and a desire to offer her young pupils new and meaningful stimuli.
The importance of starting in nursery school
One of Natalia's strongest messages concerns the visibility and recognition of nursery schools in digital training courses: “Many courses start from primary school onwards. Nursery schools are often not even mentioned”. Natalia has repeatedly had to register as a primary school teacher in order to access training content, even though she works permanently in a nursery school.
Yet, she emphasises, it is precisely at the grassroots level that change should start. “Even the youngest children can be introduced to digital technology in a simplified way. And if the stimulus comes from the teacher, it also reaches the children”.
A bridge between school levels and new skills
While recognising that some of the course content was designed for higher school levels, Natalia was able to draw inspiration and useful tools for her own educational context. From digital citizenship education to online safety, each course helped broaden her horizons and strengthen her awareness as an educator.
‘Where I had doubts, the training helped me fill in the gaps. Today, I feel more prepared and enriched, even if I adapt the content to my context.’
A call to the teaching community
Natalia does not hide her disappointment at the low participation of her colleagues in continuing education. She therefore reiterates the need to renew the focus on teacher training, particularly at a time when technology is evolving rapidly and has a profound impact on the lives of even the youngest children.
