As part of the joint project “Reimagining Education for Marginalized Girls and Boys during and post COVID-19 in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, two activities coordinated by the Antenna in Sarajevo of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe have been initiated. On 11 May 2021, capacity-building trainings in Media and Information Literacy and Digital Skills for primary and secondary teachers were started in Republika Srpska. On 10 May 2021, a series of workshops on the use of Microsoft 365 tools in e-learning for primary and secondary school teachers kicked-off in West-Herzegovina Canton.
The first workshop in Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and Digital skills for primary and secondary teachers in Republika Srpska, which started on 11 May 2021, will last until 14 May 2021. This one-week training activity is carried out as part of the “Reimagining Education for Marginalized Girls and Boys during and post COVID-19 in Bosnia and Herzegovina” project; it is aimed at enhancing teachers’ MIL and digital skills and competences as pre-requisites in delivery of e-learning and blended learning.
This activity intends to raise capacities of approximately 1,800 primary and secondary school teachers from Republika Srpska, Una-Sana Canton and West-Herzegovina Canton, who will partake in a series of workshops from May to November 2021.
The opening session, held online through a Zoom webinar, was attended by 72 secondary teachers from all parts of Republika Srpska. During the event, panelist Borislav Vukojević, National Specialist in MIL at UNESCO Antenna in Sarajevo and Assistant Professor in Communications from the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Banja Luka, introduced the basics of the MIL concept.
The importance was explained of integrating MIL skills and competences in teachers’ work with students, especially in the context of e-learning and blended learning delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants are being acquainted with practical knowledge on the use and creation of digital content as useful tools for e-learning and blended learning.
In the framework of UNESCO Global Education Coalition, Microsoft is supporting the project “Reimagining Education for Marginalized Girls and Boys during and post COVID-19 in Bosnia and Herzegovina” project by offering its expertise in the training of teachers and educational professionals from 3 administrative units in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republika Srpska, Una-Sana Canton and West-Herzegovina Canton) in the use of Microsoft-developed tools for e-learning and blended learning delivery.
Having starting this May, the trainings sessions for 90 primary and secondary school teachers in West-Herzegovina Canton will be held throughout June 2021, via Microsoft Teams. Each session will last 5 days and bring together a group of 15-20 teachers to enhance their knowledge in the use of Microsoft 365 tools and applications, such as Teams, OneNote, SharePoint, Forms, etc. in everyday e-learning and blended learning delivery.
Having starting this May, the trainings sessions for 90 primary and secondary school teachers in West-Herzegovina Canton will be held throughout June 2021, via Microsoft Teams. Each session will last 5 days and bring together a group of 15-20 teachers to enhance their knowledge in the use of Microsoft 365 tools and applications, such as Teams, OneNote, SharePoint, Forms, etc. in everyday e-learning and blended learning delivery.
“We are very pleased to participate in the organization of these workshops and we truly hope the skills you acquire here will be beneficial for your overall work”, said Sandra Tomaš, Business Development Manager for Education at Microsoft.
On the first day, participants were addressed by Ivana Ružić, ICT teacher from First Primary School in Čakovac (Croatia), who shared her experience in the use of Microsoft tools and applications in e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Following the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to e-learning, we opted for Microsoft Teams and other online tools in order to ensure learning continuity”, stated Mrs Ružić. Practical examples of the implementation of online tools in e-learning, for example, in the creation of virtual classrooms, online quizzes and multimedia presentations were provided.