Within the Innovation Center and the KA203 Erasmus + project entitled Upgrade with Learner-centered Approach, we bring new impuls to schools and educational institutions in the form of innovative, professional and key solutions in the field of education of teachers, representatives of educational institutions or managers for sustainable education development.
Every day, the world is facing constant turbulent changes and rapidly changing trends in various areas. Technology companies regularly modernize and innovate their products, they come up with new, better quality or often simpler user solutions. Buildings, fashion, the automobile industry and communication platforms are being modernized. Yes, schools, universities, or pupils and students themselves are also being modernized. Pupils and students are educated in newer, more technologically equipped classrooms. To improe the teaching process, we use various technological improvements of the modern age etc. However, what is stagnating in our country and is not subject to effectively set up modernization is the education system and education itself. However, despite the relentless and growing external and internal pressure, despite the pushed changes “from above”, many educational institutions forget that the innovative impulse needs the most important basic element of the whole educational process and that is the teacher.
For his students, the teacher represents a mentor, psychologist, leader, motivation, wisdom or inspiration in one person. In his classes, the teacher has the opportunity to directly touch the mind and soul of his student, discover and develop his potential, encourage him to learn and, last but not least, has the competence to use modern facilities in a modern way of teaching and educational process that responds to students’ needs. today.
However, according to the rapidly changing times, how can teachers be motivated to modernize and develop themselves?
How to transform traditional outdated teaching methods and bring a touch of new life, new educational elements and procedures to them?
How is it possible in today’s world to make the teaching profession more attractive, which has a rooted idea of a life mission?
The answers to these and many other questions have been written since 2010, when the idea of the Learn & Lead Innovation Center was born in response to the needs of modern society. A center that creates space and unlimited opportunities for professional or personal growth of teachers, representatives of educational institutions, managers and others. Within it, we constantly work, analyze, create innovative solutions and bring revolutionary educational procedures necessary for the development of a modern teacher. Our aim is to continuously develop his/her potential for continuous improvement of education in Slovakia and abroad.
After several years of practice, hundreds of professional workshops, successfully submitted projects, the foundations of a new KA203 Erasmus + project called UPGRADE with Learner-centered Approach (ULCA) were laid in the autumn of 2019. Within the project, 11 professional competencies were identified, which link the findings contained in the 7 principles of the learner-centred approach according to Gabriela Lojová, which simultaneously describe and strengthen the teacher’s relationship withthe student and the teacher’s relationship to teaching. These competencies include: active learning of students, learning content, Cognitive and affective (emotional and personality) domains, classroom climate and learning atmosphere, classroom relationships, assessment and feedback and the role of the teacher, relationship with students. The second part of the competencies strengthens and describes the teacher’s relationship to himself and the teacher’s relationship to other colleagues in the workplace. These competencies are based on the 9 principles of a modern person Learn and Lead and are: self-knowledge (metacognition), guiding one’s further development, communication and cooperation, resilience and stress management and orientation in a global context.
Courses within the project Upgrade with Learner-centered Approach, at the Faculty of Education of the Catholic University of Ružomberok, were successfully completed in two summer weeks by participants from Slovakia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Latvia and Lithuania under the guidance of two lecturers Gabriela Lojová and Jana Chynoradská. During the courses, the participants were led to realize that the traditional way of teaching, which still persists in our schools, no longer meets the requirements of the time and that new approaches need to be sought. Thanks to the lecturers, they had the opportunity to better understand the relationship and the huge responsibility of the teacher towards the student and his further development and motivation. “A teacher can inspire others and help them understand the mosaic of what makes up today’s world. The experience of learning and discovering the world remains with us for a lifetime. If the teacher believes in us, supports us and helps us to understand the context, ourselves and others, then he will bring wealth to our lives ” says lecturer Jana Chynoradská.
After understanding the teacher-student relationship, it came to self-knowledge, the teacher’s relationship to himself, the lesson of finding a way for his/her further direction and development in the spirit of the concept of Learn and Lead.
Feedback from some ULCA courses participants
„2nd week of training with Janka Chynoradská was a great practical contribution to my life. Important thoughts on how to believe in yourself and be brave still resonate in my head. The practical exercises we did were a methodology for me to further support myself and also encourage my students to be successful. To show them the way so that they are not afraid to be brave, active, team-players, intuitive, open, persistent, patient, grateful and to believe in themselves (9 principles of a modern person)”.
Katarína Podobová, primary school teacher, first grade
„Thanks to the ULCA project, I had the opportunity to spend 10 great days, full of joy in learning, getting to know myself and especially getting to know personalities like Gabriela Lojová and Jana Chynoradská. Their enthusiasm is exemplary in education. I was honored to be a participant in their courses. They do an exceptional job for teachers and thus for students. Thank you.“
Zuzana Fileková, primary school teacher, first grade
„I consider both of these courses to be key for the teacher and I think that every teacher should take these courses. At the end of my final report, I would like to be personal – Janka and Gabi, thank you! You have greatly influenced what and how I want to do next!“
Branislav Kľuska, university teacher
„… Jana and Gabi, strengthening, open-minded, understanding, beautiful in both essence and appearance lectors, you showed the way, you gave hope that everyone can change something, that we can live in better world. Throughout the course, I felt like it was all mine, what I always clearly knew and agreed, only was just put into the system and said in words. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to change own usual behaviors, habits, traditional thinking. But…we know, even the most difficult and longest road begins with the first step …“
Ilona Vialeviciene, primary school teacher, Lithuania
Learn & Lead is the way. It is a way of knowledge and opportunities, building strong and sustainable foundations of individuals or entire institutions. Embark with us on the modern path of teacher development, on the path of modernization of education and lay with us the foundations of a solid and viable system that can succeed in this world.
Author: Mgr. Marianna Urmínová
Website: www.harmony.sk
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