Teachers from Zhytomyr and Chernihiv oblasts improve digital competencies in Mondo project

A large-scale project called “Digital Competencies for Teachers in Zhytomyr and Chernihiv oblasts” has been launched to improve educators’ digital skills.

The first two trainings have already taken place in Kyiv at the end of August. The format of the training is Training of Trainers, which lasts five days.

“In the midst of disrupted learning and a highly stressful environment, we cannot afford to lose a single educator to the rapid advance of the digital age. To shape the future, we must empower every teacher with the digital skills they need, ensuring that no one is left behind on this journey of transformation,” — shares project manager Viktoria Iškina.

The training program was developed based on new recommendations from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, as well as with the involvement of international and local experts. 90% of the training is devoted to practice: how and which digital tools are best used when teaching school subjects. The program covers many topics: visualization, using virtual speakers, conducting 3D research, recording courses, creating content for social media, etc. There are also blocks on inclusive education and filling out digital grant applications, etc.

Each training is attended by two representatives from 7-8 educational institutions. Thus, educational groups of 14-16 participants from different schools in the same region are formed.

According to the format, after the training for trainers, participants conduct training for colleagues from their educational institutions. Thus, the project covers as many teachers as possible.

Project trainer and digital competencies expert Marharyta Soroka shares her impressions of working with the groups: “I’m very pleased that our first groups were interested and motivated: both finished their training at 19:30 on the day of the start – the participants asked a lot of serious questions. It’s also important that teachers have different levels of digital tools avareness: we tried to diversify the modules and practical exercises as much as possible so that participants could apply everything to their subjects.”

The Training of Trainers sessions  will last until June 2025. It is planned that during this time, teachers from 60 educational institutions in the two regions will improve their digital skills. At the end of the project, the selected participants will also visit Estonia for a study trip.

The selection process for the project lasted until July 2024: 150 educational institutions from two oblasts applied, which demonstrates the relevance of digital skills and high interest in the topic. 

In addition to teacher training, the project also has a second component: digital competency training for representatives of education departments. These training programs are currently under development.

The project “Digital Competencies for Educators of Zhytomyr and Chernihiv Oblasts” is implemented with the financial support of the Estonian Center for International Cooperation (ESTDEV).