Teacher Training
OLE Nepal recognizes that teachers hold the key to the success of any program at the schools. Unless the teachers are fully comfortable and confident with this new approach to teaching, the initiative will have limited impact on the teaching-learning process. It is also essential to reassure the teachers that Information and Communications Technology (ICT)-based education only changes their role, rather than minimizing or eliminating their role altogether.
The teacher training focuses on the areas of Information Technology (IT) literacy, child-centric interactive teaching and integration of ICT-based instruction in teaching. The training program combines presentations, interactions, hands-on activities, and practice teaching to prepare teachers to successfully conduct technology-integrated classes.
The entire training program is structured in three steps:
1. Initial Training
- Seven days intensive training
- Held right before program is launched at schools
- Practice teaching sessions
- Sessions on education philosophies and how children learn
- Basic training on the use computer, E-Paath and E-Pustakalaya
- Training on how to effectively integrate ICT in classroom teaching
- Discussions on proper classroom management and seating arrangements
2. In-School Training
- Four to six weeks after program launch
- Held after students have had ample practice using digital tools
- Trainers review lesson plans prepared by teachers
- Observe ICT-integrated classes run by trained teachers
- Discuss challenges faced by teachers in applying what was covered in the initial training
- Identify areas of improvements in the classroom teaching-learning process
- Feedback to the teachers
3. Refresher Training
- Six months after program launch
- Reinforce key concepts and skills learned during initial seven day training
- Address issues and challenges encountered in ICT-integrated classes
- Clarify any teacher’s confusions
- Give orientation on additional activities
- Review general troubleshooting techniques
- Sharing of lessons learnt during the program
- Encourage trained teachers to pass the skills to other teachers
The objective of the IT literacy training is to help the teachers to overcome their fear of the computer while making them familiar with the use of digital materials. The challenge for teachers lies in the integration of ICT-based instruction in child-centric interactive teaching. ICT-based learning puts children at the center of the classroom process by expanding opportunities for self-learning. Hence, teachers need to have basic understanding of child-centric interactive education.
The training also provides teachers with practice in topics such as lesson planning, basic troubleshooting, classroom arrangement, techniques for managing the class, and pre and post non-computer activities that can be used to integrate the computer-based activities more effectively.
Our teacher training program combines presentations, interactions and practice teaching to prepare teachers to conduct technology-integrated classes. Trainers also observe real classes conducted by trained teachers and provide feedback to further improve their performances. The training package was prepared through interactions with teachers, consultations with experts including trainers from National Center for Education Development (NCED) and an active participation of teacher trainers in child-centric teaching methods. The training has gone through numerous revisions based on feedback received from program schools.