The Educational and Research Center for Advanced Training was opened in UzhNU
Uzhhorod University provides education for students in almost two hundred educational programs. These include pedagogical specialties: education sciences, preschool, primary, secondary, special education, physical education, and sports. The best specialists - doctors and candidates of sciences, practitioners - are involved in teaching in these specialties.
"The idea to start professional development of teachers in the region has been here for a long time," says Volodymyr Smolanka, the Rector of UzhNU. - "Last year, we signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Department of Science, Education, Youth and Sports of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration and the Donetsk Regional Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education and held the first such courses. Since this year, this issue has been systematically dealt with by the Educational and Research Center for Advanced Training, headed by a person with experience in both pedagogical and managerial activities in the field of teacher training, Candidate of Psychological Sciences Tetiana Palko."
We asked its head, Candidate of Psychological Sciences Tetiana Palko, to tell us more about the activities of the newly created UzhNU Training and Research Center for Advanced Training.
The Center for Advanced Training has started actively and has already achieved certain successes within a month of its operation. Please share them with us.
- Our Center provides professional development services to educators from all over Ukraine. These are employees of preschool, general secondary, and higher education institutions. According to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 800, such employees can improve their skills at any educational institution that has the appropriate documents.
Today we can talk about the results of our month-long work. We have accomplished quite a lot in this short period of time. First, Uzhhorod National University won a tender for advanced training for teachers of the Vynohradiv community. This means about a thousand teachers who will be upgrading their skills at our Center during the year. In addition, we have conducted a number of interesting courses for teachers and directors of preschool education institutions (more than 100 people) in Mukachevo. Currently, we are taking advanced training courses for teachers of preschool education institutions, teachers of the natural and mathematical cycle of various categories (chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, biology, geography). Recently, we have completed advanced training courses for teachers of Ukrainian language and literature, foreign literature, and teachers of history and law. A full list of our educational programs of advanced training can be found on the official website of UzhNU. We are also very concerned about the issue that has been relevant for several years - the performance of EIT of graduates of Transcarpathian educational institutions, so the curricula for the in-service training of all categories of teachers provide for practical training in preparation for EIT / NMT. And this year, the issue of EIT among teachers has become relevant, as primary school teachers are being certified to receive a 20% salary increase. The certification program also includes testing. However, unfortunately, about half of the teachers do not pass them. We are very sorry about this fact and decided to hold a seminar for primary school teachers. During this seminar, we discovered a sincere desire of teachers to prepare for the tests. We have developed a program, selected a very good team of teachers who have already started preparing for the EIT for primary school teachers this week. This is the first time such training has been held in Zakarpattia.
How do I register for professional development courses?
- We have simplified the registration system to make it as accessible as possible. The system of receiving all the necessary materials during the training is also very simple. In order to register, you need to find our section "Advanced Training" on the central page of the UzhNU website, and then click on the "Registration for Courses" link on the right. Our colleagues check every time who has registered. We communicate individually with each person and choose the best option for them, the most convenient time. Our training takes place in a mixed format. When there is a request from the community, we come and conduct classes offline. If there is no such need, we conduct them online.
Could you please tell us who the lecturers of the training courses are?
- It is important that the staff of our Center are practitioners. I worked in a general secondary education institution, my colleague worked in a preschool education institution, and we understand very well what exactly a tutor, teacher, and head of an educational institution needs. That is why we select topics and lecturers that would be as interesting and extraordinary as possible. First of all, the staff of our Center includes academic staff of UzhNU, in particular: Doctor of Pedagogy, Professor Olena Yatsyna, Candidate of Geography, Associate Professor Natalia Gabchak, Candidate of Chemistry, Associate Professor Olha Voronych, Doctor of History Natalia Radchenko, Candidate of Philology, Associate Professor Alla Halas, Candidate of Pedagogy, Associate Professor Oksana Hayash, Candidate of Biology, Associate Professor Mykhailo Vakerich, Senior Lecturer Maria Lomaha and others. We also involve the best practicing teachers and specialists from various educational institutions. For example, Olena Leshko, a teacher at the Uzhhorod Science Lyceum, is currently conducting practical classes for math teachers, and Iryna Kreminska, director of the Uzhhorod Inclusive Resource Center, is discussing the specifics of organizing the educational process with children with special educational needs. In addition, we invite lecturers of the national level: recently, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor Oksana Onoprienko lectured for primary school teachers, and Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor Natalia Havrysh taught for teachers of preschool education institutions.
You have probably already received the first feedback on your courses.
- We have very high attendance. Perhaps this is also because we have chosen the most convenient time for the teacher - classes start at 14:30. That is, after the last lesson, the teacher has the opportunity to join the classes we conduct on the Google Meet platform. Every day, the lecturer posts materials for the students in the Google classroom. So a teacher or educator can familiarize themselves with the topic on their own if they were unable to attend the class.
I am sure that our classes are interesting, because even in such a short period we have received a lot of feedback. Of course, we are very pleased to hear this. We have many ambitious plans. However, we will not reveal all the cards yet. You should follow our page on the UzhNU website, where all the news will appear.
Hanna Feltsan,
Information and publishing center
