INTERNET E EDUCAÇÃO: UMA ANÁLISE

Abstract

Using the methodology of bibliographic research, this article analyzes the use of the internet in education through the WhatsApp messaging application. The evolution of technologies related to communication, and the communication networks themselves, allow the exchange of messages instantly and bring realities closer together, allowing for different uses. One of these uses is in education, within the context of the current pandemic of the new coronavirus. Situations such as the current health emergency or the environmental disaster that occurred in Lebanon in 2019 have boosted the use of social networks and communication applications in different ways. In the case of Lebanon, an environmental disaster prevented in-person classes, causing schools and educators to look for alternatives to continue classes remotely. In the case of the new coronavirus pandemic, new pedagogical alternatives were sought to also continue remote teaching. In this sense, exploring these forms in education can be opportune to the pedagogical process. However, this use of technologies in school and classrooms must be mediated by the educational objective. Technology that features entertainment features also provides subsidies for the teaching-learning process. Lebanon's experience with WhatsApp, analyzed in this article, reveals the necessary processes for pedagogical use, such as knowledge of the application, adaptation and the necessary follow-up by educators. At the end of this article there is also a reflection on the use of technology within the social reality of students and schools, as well as its limitations and deficiencies. Furthermore, technology presents itself as a pedagogical tool for contemporary schools in situations of crisis or not.