SEA schools

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Teacher Development Component

Teacher Development Component

The teacher development component of the SEA project aims to instruct teachers in the use of contextual learning methodologies, and to encourage the use of these methods in the classroom. Contextual learning is the application of academic and theoretic principles to real life applications. Contextual learning promotes problem-solving skills and encourages students to work together and learn from one another. It also integrates the use of technical skills. For these reasons, contextual learning methodologies are particularly well suited for vocational instruction.

During the past three years of the project, SEA has trained all teachers in each of the fifty project schools, through a train-the-trainer strategy. The ultimate goal of this effort is to increase students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills through improved teaching. The train-the-trainer strategy utilizes a group of "master trainers" from each of the project schools. These master trainers receive training before returning to their schools to then train the remaining teachers in the methodologies they have learned.

Implementation of interactive teaching methods in the classroom

To accomplish this aim, a special emphasis was placed on the following objectives:

1.  Producing the modules for teacher training;

2.  Organizing training of trainers – First phase  

3.  School-based training/dissemination of the workshops – Second phase;

4.  Developing a teacher trainers qualification procedure;

5.      Building a system of monitoring, supervising and supporting project schools by the Regional Consultants.

6.      Implementation and use of interactive methods in teachers’ everyday practice -

7.      Analysis and evaluation of the project activities – Conducting research entitled “Supporting Teachers to Provide their own Professional Development: Practice, Problems and Possibilities” ->The research addressed the issue of teacher’s participation in professional development activities as trainers who are responsible for delivering training of teachers in their schools. The research was presented on the 21 IRA World Congress in Budapest.

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Follow up activities:

Mentoring Program involves and successfully engages all teachers in the process of reflection, growth and continuous improvement of their teaching practice – implementation of the new teaching and learning methods

The main activities are:

1.      Created Mentoring Conceptual Model, Mentoring Manual and Mentoring Qualification Procedure

2.      Mentoring workshop

3.      Mentoring on-going activities through school visits

4.      Institutionalization of mentoring activities in the Education System institutions

Improvement of School Based Assessment

In the phase of implementation of the new interactive methodology teachers used only traditional assessment by testing. In order to have successful implementation of new methodology in the project schools and improve student learning and achievements, teachers need additional training to conduct student assessment by using multiple assessment methods (observing student performance, critiquing student product, conducting interviews).

“Improvement of School Based Assessment”

10 – 13 January, 2007

Struga

Improvement on school based assessment

Introduction


This training supports the Ministry of Education and Science in its endeavor to promote active learning methodologies as one of the key factors for school improvement and achieving high standards of student learning and development.

In the phase of implementation of the new interactive methodology, teachers used only traditional assessment by testing. In order to have successful implementation of the new methodology in the project schools and improve student learning and achievements, teachers need additional training to conduct student assessment by using multiple assessment methods (observing student performance, critiquing student product, conducting interviews).

There are over 200 teacher trainers who require student assessment training. An initial group of 31 participants (20 selected teacher trainers, 8 BDE advisors and 3 inspectors from the State Education Inspectorate, SEI) received student assessment training by two International Reading Association (IRA) consultants, and in August 2007, 20 of the trained teachers will train the balance of their colleagues (180). The essence of this training strategy is to first train the teachers and then coach them through the following workshop by the same IRA consultants. read more..