DEBATES CLUB FOR SCHOOL TEACHERS PAIDEIA – NEW CHALLENGES IN ON-LINE LEARNING SPACE

Donor: The Network of Educational Policy Centers NEPC, based in Zagreb, Croatia.

Project duration: from September 2020 – August 2021

The Project Debates Club for school teachers PAIDEIA – new challenges in on-line learning space will address the problem of continuous professional development of teachers through online debate club. Because of COVID-2019 pandemic and due to the lack of financial investment in professional development, teachers are not enough trained to deliver online classes, or there is a little knowledge about basic digital tools and equipment to do so. Relaunching the PAIDEIA Club in another format, including online format, will increase the chances for more teachers to participate, to develop their digital and functional literacy skills, and also to share and promote advanced educational practices at national level.

The goal of the project: to improve teachers professional development (esp. digital skills and functional literacy) by on-line debates and teacher training within Paideia educational Club.

Specific objectives:

To conduct a needs assessment study in order to get closer to the priority topics for teacher’s professional development;
To elaborate 9 new/original topics for professional development of teachers and managers;
To organize and moderate 18 meetings with involvement of more than 500 school teachers (9 meetings online and 9 face to face (3 meetings to be organised in rayons);
To elaborate 3 videos on different online tools that would serve within the process and 2 videos on the experience of teachers – participants;
To publish a book with topics discussed within Paideia Club, including teachers advanced experiences (hard and electronic versions).

Project beneficiaries: more than 500 school teachers and managers will be involved in the project (including 200 teachers from social vulnerable areas to be involved and supported in professional development, esp. digital skills);

The main activities and expected results:

A needs assessment study will be conducted (on line questionnaire) in order to identify priority topics for teacher’s professional development;
9 new/original topics for professional development of teachers and managers will be developed, including online learning, on-line security, on-line communication, school at home, functional literacy, health education in crisis period, education for integrity, etc.;
9 trainers involved, they will develop learning materials for teachers, and after applying in the debates within the Paideia Club, they will prepare chapters for future book. These materials will be complemented by good practices of teachers, and, also, could contain the results of empirical researches, hold during the Paideia debates;
18 meeting s with involvement of more than 500 school teachers (9 meetings on-line and 9 face to face to be organized, 3 meetings to be organised in rayons);
200 teachers from social vulnerable areas to be involved and supported in professional development, esp. digital skills;
One book with topics discussed within Paideia Club, including teachers advanced experiences will be published (hard and electronic versions). The book will be donated to school libraries;
9 promotion press releases/mass media news will be published;
2 video clips about this experiences will be recorded;
2 on-line Conferences organised (for launching the project and one closure conference), in order to extend the audience of the teachers Club and to promote the advanced educational practices at national level. At Closure Conference the book published in the project will be launched.

The expected impact: the project will contribute to the professional and personal development of teachers and managers, through achieving digital and functional literacy skills. Also, the teachers will incorporate online educational tools within the teaching-learning process, and will promote advanced educational practices at national level.