Three Webinar Programs on Teacher Professional Development Are Completed

Despite difficulties – power outages and unstable Internet connection – in December, the Learning Together project completed three webinar programs, which were run in parallel by Cluster 1 in charge of teacher professional development. Learn more about them below.

Webinar program «Information and Communication Technologies in Pedagogy»

It was carried out by Finnish experts Dr. Minna Lakkala and Dr. Liisa Ilomäki for educators of In-Service Teacher Training Institutions – NUS trainers and coordinators in charge of implementation of new educational standards in grades 5-6.

The trainees had the opportunity to enhance their competencies for using digital technology in distance/online and hybrid education, for applying a learner-centered approach to learning, organizing collaborative learning and strengthening student communities.

Here are some comments about the webinars shared by the trainees.

«We have already started using some tools in distance learning. The training sessions were held in the atmosphere of warmth and trust. I felt support from moderators, organizers and trainers. It was especially interesting to learn about the Finnish experience of “pandemic” distance education, the studies organized in the Al-Hol detention camp, about online assessment practices and the experience of the Roihuvuori school. The training was meaningful and important – I plan to use its results when working with Ukrainian educators.»

«Thank you for the opportunity to raise my professional level in introduction of information and communication technologies in the educational process of an educational institution, digital technologies in online learning, for your interesting distance learning practices and a convenient training format in such hard times.»

Webinar program «Mentoring in Teaching Practice»

The program was conducted by Finnish experts Anja Huurinainen-Kosunen and Riia Palmqvist. The webinars were attended by representatives of higher education institutions (HEIs) from Departments of Primary Education and teachers of base schools where students from these HEIs have their teaching practice.

In particular, the program was dedicated to the value and role of teacher students’ teaching practice, repeatedly emphasized in numerous studies on the quality of initial teacher training.

The trainees familiarized themselves with the theoretical material, learned how mentors work with teacher students and discussed in groups the experience of implementing mentoring practices in Ukraine. Teachers from the Viikki school, which is used as a base for training student teachers of the University of Helsinki, also took part in this program.

Here is the feedback shared with us by the trainees.

«I would like to thank organizers and foreign colleagues for the opportunity to master new knowledge and skills in organizing teaching practice, for lesson observation and reflection tools. Thank you for your interesting experience, the possibility to cooperate and communicate with teams from different regions and higher education institutions in these difficult times. I hope for further cooperation and the opportunity to meet and work offline.»

«The webinar program helped me see the necessary elements of the Finnish education and mentoring and differences from the approach that I used to apply. Simplicity, clarity, planned mentoring, the ability to share experience, make your own decisions without fear and get timely help from mentors – this is what I want to wish for myself in my future activities. Many thanks to the organizers for this program! I will try to implement it in practice to the extent possible.»

Webinar program «Psychosocial Support to Teachers and Children in Wartime»

This program was conducted by a team of Ukrainian experts – psychologists and psychotherapists Oksana Ruda, Tetiana Hnida, Victoriia Soloviova and Olha Pastukhova. The webinars were held for teachers of 24 pilot higher education institutions (Departments of Primary Education and Applied Psychology), which collaborate with the Learning Together project.

This program has already been conducted for teachers of In-service Teacher Training Institutions in April-June this year. As a result of the program as well as a series of supervision sessions (June-September 2022), the program has been slightly modified to organize similar training for the teaching staff of higher education institutions that train teacher students.

The experience of implementation of both programs has shown once again that Ukrainian teachers need support, especially psycho-emotional support.