On December 11-13, 2019, the eTwinning professional development workshop “Digital Competences & IT Didactics” was held in Vienna, Austria, in which 140 teachers from 34 countries participated.
The topic of this workshop was a broad one that emphasized the need for the development of digital skills as well as the digitization of the educational process. These involve efforts from both teachers and other stakeholders such as the community in which the students and their parents belong.
In the workshop there were several training sessions focused on the following topics “Internet safety and responsible use of the Internet, digitization of the teaching process, use of the SELFIE tool, computational thinking, working with “Makeblock” in the classroom, integration of new technologies in the classroom, personalized learning, Didactic games through web applications”. Participants discussed the challenges faced by students in using the Internet and the role of the teacher in correctly guiding students in the rational use of the Internet. In these circumstances, examples of good practices have been introduced regarding the use of ICT tools, the development of 21st century skills, computational thinking that develops the ability to find solutions to different problems – by analogy regarding its functionality, computer thinking and “SELFIE” – a digital tool implemented by schools that use ICT in the educational process and offers the possibility of self-assessment regarding the degree of implementation of digital tools.
Also, two study visits were organized, at a pre-university education institution that integrates ICT in the classroom and at an institution that applies financial education. During these visits, the teachers learned about the concept of “digital school” and about the best practices and innovative ideas in the implementation of digital resources, as well as the process of implementing financial education in educational institutions.
The teachers from the Republic of Moldova returned home excited and determined to apply what they learned in their teaching activity.
It should be mentioned that the participation in the event was covered by the National eTwinning Office Moldova-Technical University of Moldova from the sources granted for the eTwinning program by the European Commission and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research of the Republic of Moldova.
