Seminar for heads of computer labs
On 11 September, 2015, a seminar with heads of computer labs from across the country was carried out in Hall 3 of Educational and Sports Centre of Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar". The focuses of the seminar can be summarized as problems, challenges and best practices using ICT in school .The seminar was attended by Elena Angelova (senior expert in mathematics, informatics and IT – Regional Inspectorate of Education -Varna), Ivanka Peneva (Senior expert in preschool and primary school education - Regional Inspectorate of Education -Varna), Chief Asst. Elena Koleva, PhD (Department of Information, Qualification And Lifelong Learning - Varna), Galya Piperkova (Director ICT, Municipality of Varna), Nina Demirova (Director of Information Services - Varna), Nikolay Mitev (Google Development Group Varna), Kalin Bobchev (Constant), representatives of STEMO, heads of computer labs, teachers, principals and representatives of NGOs from Varna and across the country.
The seminar was organized with the joint efforts of the Department of Informatics and Economics and the Technological Institute of VFU with the kind participation of IT companies - partners. Initially after the discussions in groups of the participants in the seminar and then after a summary of the results of an online survey of the Regional Inspectorate of Education –Varna, the Department of Information, Qualification And Lifelong Learning and VFU, some more typical problems were summarized:
- Presence ofolderequipmentin some places;
- Lack of the Internet;
- Presence ofschoolswith more thantwostudents using onecomputer;
- Problems withcomputer roomswithterminalsolutions;
- Problemswith the renovationof facilitiesfor maintenance;
- Problems withantivirus protection;
- Discrepancy of the requirementsofIT businessand the expectations ofstudentsto the currenteducational contentinspecialized trainingin informaticsand IT;
- Lack oflicenses fortraining with specializedsoftware.
It is interesting to note that in the region of Varna, the partnership of the Regional Inspectorate of Education – Varna, the Department of Information, Qualification and Lifelong Learning, the Municipality of Varna and Varna Free University has been continuing for years and it is a key model for working partnership in the country. The joint efforts of the active and competent experts from the institutions at regional level give systematic results.
At the seminar, and also in the online inquiry, schools were found in which the attendees said they had no problems. The representatives expressed their willingness to share their best practices both with the motivating of the colleagues for active attitude towards their qualification and the effective use of terminal solutions with colleagues in the country. We express our gratitude for the professionalism that the colleagues demonstrated. These were Svetla from .... 8th "A. Pushkin" Secondary School - Varna and Venelin from " Vasil Levski" Secondary school - Razgrad, and also Vyara Dukova of 7th "Nayden Gerov" Secondary School-Varna for the most active participation with proposals. Nikolay Mitev drew the attention of the school experts to the instilling in the students of consumer behavior online.
Prof. Bakardzhieva - Director of the Technological Institute of VFU presented the range of software solutions for the needs of VFU and the challenges to their implementation in the daily practice of the university. Special attention was paid to the fact that the modern equipment and provision of schools is directly related also to competence in providing project funding. In this connection, Prof. Bakardzhieva presented to the participants the current calls for project financing in which they can participate. Other good practices shared at the seminar were:
- Onlineadmissionof thefirst graders(fromInformation Services-Varna in 7th "Nayden Gerov" Secondary School - Varna);
- Digital repository (at VFU with the partnershipof Sirma Media);
- Systemof developmentofdigital competenceofVFU;
- Electronicdiaries;
- Readinessto supportGDG-Varna and Constant company.
The expected focus of the seminar were also the cloud technologies, services and solutions. The participants in the seminar also discussed the possibilities for providing data from the public register of the Municipality of Varna for assignment in the upcoming competition for data mining in Queryada 2015.
It was given the possibility to use a hall in the building of the Municipality of Varna for trainings with power supply and the Internet for about 70 participants.
A BYOD technology is still a challenge for the organization of the learning process.The participants will be sent certificates and seminar materials, both on thesubjects discussed, the model of distance learning course designed by VFU VocTEL, and solutions to the problems raised by Intel and others.
