The first regional STEM education center for teachers in Belarus has started operating in Vitebsk
In order for schoolchildren to have access to up-to-date information on innovations in high technology and the opportunity to receive engineering education using the STEM approach from an early age, it is necessary, first and foremost, to train teachers who are capable of quickly adapting to new conditions.
The primary goal of the regional center, opened with the support of the Hi-Tech Park, is to provide educators with modern equipment and help them gain a deeper understanding of subjects through the lens of achievements in the Belarusian IT sector. In turn, they will be able to identify and nurture the most gifted and promising young talents.
After familiarizing himself with the center, Vladimir Terentyev, Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies, noted that such equipment is not even available in all technical universities in the country. The creation of a platform for professional development of educators will contribute to young people becoming more oriented in modern technologies.
As Alexander Martinkevich, Deputy Director of the Hi-Tech Park Administration, emphasized, IT specialists know what to teach but lack pedagogical skills. Teachers, on the other hand, know how to present their subject in the best way but are not always aware of the latest developments in the computer field. Therefore, it is important to exchange experience and knowledge.
The High-Tech Park actively cooperates with the regions, and Vitebsk region is of special importance: out of 40 thousand schoolchildren studying programming from the second grade, 30% are in our region. Also, the fact that out of 27 new projects carried out by the HTP, 12 were launched in the Vitebsk region, speaks volumes.
– There is a demand from teachers for mastering new technologies, – believes Alexander Mikhailovich. – Therefore, we have changed the concept and are organizing a new format of interaction with educational development institutes. The Center for Pedagogical STEM Education is already functioning and trains teachers in three specialties: training educators to implement the new program "Computer Science without a Socket" (teaching computer science to children aged 5-6 through games and without using computers), training in working with microcontrollers, and robotics programs.
