Belarusian teachers will be trained in IT innovations in Orsha

For a week, 47 educators from 15 educational institutions in eight Belarusian cities will be learning programming in the "Scratch" environment and the methodology of conducting classes at the "Kompas" IT academy in Orsha.

With the help of trainers from regional IT academies, teachers from the Academy of Postgraduate Education, and the High-Tech Park, primary and computer science teachers have already begun to master the course of theoretical knowledge and practical classes within the framework of the republican innovation project. During the training, participants will study the basics of organizing extracurricular activities using the "Scratch" environment, practice schemes for developing elective courses, and teamwork skills. And starting from September, they will be able to implement the "Programming is the Second Literacy" initiative in their educational institutions.

— We are starting small, but our goals are global, — emphasized Alexander Martinkevich, Deputy Director of the High-Tech Park Administration, at a meeting with educators. – In the future, we are talking about creating a new educational environment where active inquiry and the development of logical and algorithmic thinking in schoolchildren will become an integral part of the curriculum. The project will be an excellent tool for solving the tasks facing the education system. It allows working with children from an early age, aiding their development. The skills acquired by schoolchildren will be useful to them regardless of their future profession.

As Andrey Zagursky, Head of the Education, Sports, and Tourism Department of the Orsha District Executive Committee, explained, starting from the new academic year, elective course programs will be implemented in 15 schools across the country (the Pridvinye region is represented by Vitebsk, Orsha, and Novopolotsk), beginning in the 2nd grade. Schoolchildren will be able to animate literary works using computer programs and study mathematics and languages in a playful way. It is also noteworthy that children will not just play computer games, which parents often complain about, but will create them themselves. The Belarusian innovation project is unique because it is implemented with the participation of leading companies – residents of the High-Tech Park.

Olga Lebedeva, "Vitebskiye Vesti".