As one of the partners of the Teachers 4.0 Digital project, the Lodz Centre of Teacher Training and Vocational Education (LCDNiKP) is an organization that plays a key role in improving teachers’ digital skills in the Łódź region of Poland. With their extended capacity to train the next generations of European teachers and educators in the region, LCDNiKP will be taking part in the large-scale implementation to be carried out to empower the teachers across Europe in digital media literacy by offering the training programme to be developed by our project to the in-service teachers and educators in their region. In this web article, we are sharing their know-how and good practices on improving teachers’ digital skills.
Long-term development of digital competences
The development of information technologies and their growing presence in education also requires the development of skills related to the use of modern digital tools in education, with special focus on the implementation of cloud technologies and supporting teachers in the practical use of innovative teaching methods.
Improving teachers’ digital skills has been one of the priorities of LCDNiKP which conducted courses in basic computer skills starting as early as 1990s, and over time further developed its courses to include new technologies and tools, such as interactive boards, multimedia programs and e-textbooks. Courses introducing modern solutions, such as “Prezi – a new dimension of presentations”, enjoyed great interest from teachers. Recent years have also brought an increase in interest in mobile education, including the use of smartphones and tablets in teaching.
Cooperation with Microsoft and the implementation of Office 365
One of the most important projects implemented by ŁCDNiKP was the implementation of Office 365 services in Łódź schools. Starting from the 2017/2018 school year, this solution was introduced in over 350 educational institutions. Thanks to the cooperation with Microsoft, ŁCDNiKP was honored with the status of Microsoft in Education Global Training Partner, which emphasized its international position in the field of digital education. As part of the project, numerous courses were conducted for teachers in the use of Office 365 in everyday work and for those entrusted with the function of school administrators.
Response to the COVID-19 pandemic and transfer of education to the cloud
The COVID-19 pandemic was a real test for the education system around the world. ŁCDNiKP quickly responded to new challenges by transforming its activities into a remote form, fully utilizing the potential of the Microsoft Teams service and other Office 365 tools. In the period from March to June 2020, they organized 578 different educational services including workshops, courses and consultations for over 6,000 teachers. In total, a total of 28,000 hours of online classes were conducted.
Cooperation with Microsoft also allowed for the certification of training participants, which had a significant motivational impact. Thanks to this, LCDNiKP could not only improve teachers’ skills, but also formally confirm their competences. As a Microsoft partner, they registered our activities on the edutrack.microsoft.com platform, and course participants received certificates.
Innovative projects and “Weekend with information technology”
An important cyclical event organized by LCDNiKP is the “Weekend with information technology”. It consists of several dozen workshops for teachers, which focus on the latest digital tools and their application in education. The program includes topics related to, among others: mobile robotics, creating interactive teaching materials or using augmented reality. “Weekend with information technology” attracts a large group of participants, which shows the growing interest in new technologies among teachers.
Conclusions
The case of ŁCDNiKP shows the importance of improving teachers’ digital skills in a modern education system . While the projects that they carried out, especially cooperation with Microsoft and the implementation of Office 365 services, influenced the development and modernization of educational processes in the Łódź schools. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, flexibility and the ability to quickly adapt to work and remote education confirmed that investments in digitization and teacher education in this area were necessary. ŁCDNiKP is constantly looking for new solutions and tools that will support teachers and students in the dynamically changing world of education.
Projects related to the improvement of teachers in the field of modern technologies, co-financed by the European Union
The development of information and communication technologies (ICT) has forced the education system to adapt to the changing realities and needs of modern students. Thanks to funding from the European Union, ŁCDNiKP was able to implement innovative educational and technological programs to empower teachers in effectively using IT in the teaching process. These projects focus on developing teachers’ digital competences and making tools available for them to facilitate work with students, as well as integrate modern technologies with traditional teaching methods.
Examples of implemented projects:
1. Implementation of modern technologies in education – programs for teachers
One of their key projects co-financed by EU funds was the implementation of a training program aimed at improving teachers’ competences in the use of modern educational tools. The project was intended to introduce digital technologies into teachers’ everyday work, and its participants had the opportunity to learn how to use educational platforms and applications supporting remote learning, how to implement programming and robotics in lessons. Courses organized as part of the project included, among others, the use of popular cloud tools, such as Office 365 and Google Workspace, which allowed teachers to better manage the online educational process. Teachers developed skills in using tools for creating interactive presentations, e-learning and remote work.
2. Digital education for teachers of vocational subjects
As part of another project, they launched a training program addressed to teachers of vocational subjects. This project aimed to support educators in using modern digital tools in the process of vocational education, which was particularly important in the area of practical education. Teachers were able to develop skills related to the use of specialist software and modern technological devices, which are currently standard in many professions. The training also included the implementation of educational platforms for conducting remote practical classes.
3. Digital school – digital skills
The “Digital school” project was another important step in improving teachers’ digital competences. Its main goal was to equip teachers with the ability to use digital tools not only during teaching, but also in everyday administrative activities. The training included, among others, managing school documentation, organizing online meetings and using mobile applications in the work of teachers. They also received support in preparing remote teaching materials, creating virtual classes and conducting classes remotely.
4. Improving teachers’ IT skills in designing remote forms of education
ŁCDNiKP plays a key role in improving teachers’ skills, especially in the field of modern educational technologies. One of the flagship projects that they implemented was the project “Improving teachers’ IT skills in designing remote forms of education”, which focused on equipping teachers with the necessary digital competences to conduct effective online education. The project was created in response to the growing demand for the above-mentioned competences. Its main goal was to improve teachers’ qualifications in designing, organizing and conducting remote lessons and creating educational materials adapted to work in an online environment.
The project covered a wide group of teachers from primary and secondary schools from the entire Łódź province. During the project, teachers had the opportunity to independently design remote classes, create teaching materials and learn about tools supporting remote learning. In total, hundreds of teachers were trained, who, thanks to the skills they acquired, were better prepared to work in dynamically changing educational conditions.
The project “Improving teachers’ IT skills in designing remote forms of education” is an example of how effectively teachers can be supported in adapting to new educational challenges. This project was an important step towards the full digitalization of the Polish education system and preparing teachers to work in a remote educational environment.
5. Comprehensive support for schools – success in education
The project “Comprehensive support for schools – success in education” was another important undertaking that we implemented. The aim of the project was to improve the quality of education in Łódź schools through comprehensive support for teachers, principals and entire educational institutions. The project focused on implementing innovative educational solutions, developing teachers’ digital competences and raising the level of management of educational institutions. The project “Comprehensive support for schools – success of education” contributed to improving the quality of education in schools covered by the support. New practical skills have allowed teachers to better adapt to contemporary educational requirements and use digital tools more effectively. The quality of school management has also increased, which has contributed to better planning of teaching and organizational activities.
Conclusions:
The implementation of ŁCDNiKP projects in the field of teacher training, co-financed by the European Union, has brought numerous benefits. Teachers have gained new skills that allow them to conduct classes more effectively, both face-to-face and remotely. They are also increasingly using modern digital tools that allow for better engagement of students in the learning process. The training courses carried out have also enabled the development and implementation of modern teaching solutions that contribute to a change in the approach to teaching. They have prepared teachers to work in a dynamically changing technological environment, which is essential in the era of digital transformation.
Investing in the development of digital education is a key element that will have an impact on the future of education. Our experience additionally shows how important it is to continuously improve the skills of educators and management staff of schools, kindergartens and other educational institutions. Projects implemented by ŁCDNiKP significantly contribute to improving teachers’ competences in the use of modern technologies, thanks to which we not only improve the quality of education in the region, but also set standards for other educational institutions in Poland.
Teachers 4.0 Digital: What’s next?
Digital literacy and tackling disinformation are among the top three digital skills needed for the 21st century. Besides digital skills, teachers and educators also need to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to empower their students to think critically, make informed choices online and stay safe whilst continuously building their resilience in the digital world. Teachers 4.0 Digital partners are currently working on a curriculum and an e-learning platform for a large-scale capacity-building activity for initial training and continuous professional development of teachers and educators across Europe with a focus on Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Poland and Romania.
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