Third Pillar of Infovek – Training of Teachers

The key factor for the successful change of a traditional school to a modern school of the 3rd millennium is the teacher. The new preparation of teacher became a government priority in many countries, both in the EU and worldwide.

The presented concept of the preparation of teachers in Slovakia in the Infovek project is based on the e-Learning program, approved in the EU countries as well as on the basic recommendations of the EU for the preparation of teacher and implementation of ICT in education when building a prosperous society, known as the knowledge-based society.

If we want the teacher to be the facilitator of new changes in a modern school, we have to prepare the technical as well as the content conditions for her/him (technical infrastructure – hardware, Internet access, electronic education content), however, we have to, at the same time, provoke her/his own interest in order that she/he would feel the need to change herself/himself, that she/he would be looking forward to new possibilities of pedagogic work with the support of ICT so that she/he would enjoy achievements that she/he would want to improve constantly and be more successful, both for personal benefit and for the benefit of students.

The preparation of teachers in the Infovek project is based upon this philosophy. The modern school of the 3rd millennium should give our children the chance to stand the test of competition and prepare them for life and work in a global information society. That of course requires the change of both pregradual and postgradual preparation of teachers in accordance with the international standards (Bologne Declaration, eEurope Initiative, Lisbon Summit, eLearning Strategy). The creation of a virtual education environment, creation of digital content of education, preparation of teachers for new competence for education in a modern school of the ICT, etc. must be the priority.

The finances for the educational part of the project (educational contents + training and conferences) from the Infovek project budget are increasing every year, which is also illustrated in the following table.

Training of teachers for new competence for work with ICT is most probably the longest-term problem, being solved by the project.

The education of teachers is carried out through the following activities:

• realisation of the Infovek Summer School,
• realisation of the training of ICT technical coordinators,
• realisation of the whole-year training in the training centres,
• organisation of other postgraduate training and courses for the future trainers,
• realisation of the annual specialised Infovek conference for the teachers of elementary schools, secondary schools, and universities.

Teams of experts elaborated a special methodology for the preparation of teachers. The methodology includes both study and working materials, which are being used for the training of teachers or the future trainers, active in ten training centres.

Another individual methodology is used for the preparation of teachers who are in the position of ICT technical coordinators at schools. Their task is the administration and operation of the supplied technology and the local network.

Following were the main work criteria for the preparation and realisation of the training for teachers (basic and postgraduate) in order to prepare them for the utilisation of ICT in education:

• competence and professionalism – in the content, in the attitude...
• complexity and adequacy
• individual, creative work
• work and study materials
• development of new competence of teachers, consistency in realisation of the preparation of teachers
• comparability with the European standard
• evaluation of inputs and outcomes of the courses
• work together with relax. The result of the preparation of teachers during the training and courses is not only the mastering of the work with ICT but also the elaboration and justification of the graduation projects of application of ICT to teaching of particular generally education and specialised subjects.

In order to provide a better picture, we are here with presenting the tables, in which there are the numbers of graduation projects (from the first two years of Summer Schools) and their focus on particular groups of subjects as well as the integration of the application of ICT in education

The postgraduate courses of the Infovek project are additional important integral part of the preparation of teachers. The graduates from the basic courses, which are starting to actively integrate ICT in teaching of their subjects, are selected for these courses. The postgraduate training is focused on the preparation and creation of websites, tele-projects, presentations, new methodology of teaching with the support of ICT.

The results, acquired from the evaluation of the realisation of teaching with ICT at Infovek schools shows us that many teachers exceeded their own limits and barriers, which they had inside upon the graduation from the basic and postgraduate courses. In co-operation with their pupils and students they started to work at the transformation of used teaching stereotype, project education, and at the creation of an active participation in the national and international tele-projects (http://www.infovek.sk/projekty/index.html).

During the training of teachers a serious paradox became obvious: More and more fresh graduates from the teacher universities want to take part in these courses. Therefore, in 2001 a decision has been made on the support of those faculties, which are preparing future teachers through their equipment with new information and communication technologies. Also a decision on the need of change of the program of pre-graduate preparation for the work in a modern school of the 3rd millennium of the future teachers has been made. 26 faculties in Slovakia were supported through hardware and from 2002, in the framework of the Infovek project there will also be the effort to help the faculties with the realisation of the change of the content of the preparation of the future teachers in order to help them to acquire new competence for the work in a modern school of the 3rd millennium.