In current times there is an inevitable need for a more suitable approach to virtual teaching and to intensify cooperation between teachers on transnational level is essential. Teachers need models and inspiration of how to fully utilize existing technology in their teaching, as well as guidance and reassurance that digital teaching is inclusive, interactive and embraces all learning styles.
A Virtual teachers’ room is one way to provide added value to teachers’ working life. The solution will consist of:
- a learning corner with new ideas,
- virtual bookshelf with resources increasing teachers’ digital competences, including solutions proved useful in the past year,
- advice circle to exchange professional experiences and a lobby area for maintaining one’s wellbeing.
This result will be designed for VET teachers who will find support from their peers on new ideas/solutions to difficulties they encounter in virtual teaching, but also partners for their learning projects.
Due to the fact that the result is multi-structured, also principals and pedagogical leaders who are willing to develop their pedagogical thinking, virtual teaching and learning competences and ICT skills will benefit from it and can also collaborate with peers from other countries to expand the scope of information exchanged and perspectives shared.
A variety of digital solutions (e.g. videos, podcasts, MOOCs) will be taken into consideration, which will differ by country resulting from the pace of digital transformation. With the result, teachers will be able to co-create and co-experiment for enriching their professional activities targeted at learners.
The result aims also at delivering peer learning and seeking partners for educational projects. The virtual teachers’ room enables diversification of teaching methods, discussing and exchanging information among peers within different fields and even from different countries. While the virtual bookshelf will be a resourceful material which users will filter based on the needs.
Key elements of innovation in PR2 are:
- Exploring and modelling inclusive digital teaching methods for all types of learners in VET
- Maintaining and supporting VET teachers’ wellbeing both in digital and mental approach
- Transferring the knowledge, skills and competences of tested methods at cross-sectional level to support digital education
- Introducing teacher competence for using the design method in the creation of own teaching material
IMPACT
- Teachers will increase their know-how on innovative forms of digital teaching, which they will test and adapt to own contexts.
- The Virtual teachers’ lounge will increase the cooperation of teachers at all levels, creating a community of experts that understand, work with and promote inclusion in education.
- VET teachers will be able to use the virtual bookshelf in online VET courses and for the preparation of educational activities (also collecting feedback on their performance or solutions applied).
- They will also build capacity and confidence with digital methods, gain professional development from the exchange of expertise, develop key competences of lifelong learning: language, cultural, digital, cooperation, problem-solving, among others, and increase work motivation and wellbeing thanks to the availability of accessible teaching and learning resources.
The result can be used across different subjects, but also for benchmarking and collaboration between educators, pedagogists, teachers and anyone interested in exchanging information on the use of digitalization in education. All the teaching and learning models introduced will be created by an international and crosssectional working group of teachers and tested among both teachers and learnersinternational and cross- sectional working group of teachers and tested among both teachers and learners.