Digital School of Wielkopolsk@ 2020 Initiative
‘Digital School Wielkopolsk@ 2020’ is a project of the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship Self-Government implemented by the Polish Teachers’ Training Centre in Poznań as part of the Wielkopolskie Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020.
The project is aimed at all types of schools and aims to include 600 establishments in Wielkopolska. Its duration is 5 years, and within this time frame 6 different educational sub-projects will run, including 3 for primary schools: Digital Children Encyclopedia Wielkopolski (CDEW), Digital Warta River Basin Map (CMDW), Student Information Technology Laboratories (streets) and secondary schools: Student Informatics Laboratories (street), Academic Academy of Academic Education (AKW), Academic Classes (KLA), Phytosanitary League (LP).
Objectives and aims
The main objective of the projectis to improve the quality of education at each level of general education in 700 schools (SP, SPP) in Wielkopolskie Province by 2023 by developing the digital competences of 5.040 teachers and 13.280 students as part of the implementation of extracurricular activities through the project method and method of pre-school education using information and communication technologies.
Tasks carried out in the project
All the tasks planned in the project are interlinked and support the main objective. Teachers participate in training, as part of Task I – Further training of teachers. During the training, they improve their digital competences related to the implementation of extra-curricular activities with students in the framework of Activity III – Additional activities for students. During the training, teachers acquire skills that help them work with ICT solutions and tools, which the project provides under Task II – Teaching schools with ICT equipment and under Task IV – IT tools for schools.
The theme of teacher training is closely linked to the learning content provided to pupils during extracurricular activities and refers to the thematic specificities of educational sub-projects. Practical activities during teacher training consist of working with IT equipment dedicated to each of the educational sub-projects carried out by students during extracurricular activities.
Why is this a good practice?
The initiative includes a wide range of schools within the region, who receive a number of benefits to participate in the programme related to:
Making IT Infrastructure available & accessible
- Construction of Wi-Fi network in 600 schools, owned by district and municipal authorities, enabling internet use of the entire school community and maintenance of this network, throughout the project implementation period.
- Equip workshops in 600 schools with digital teaching tools such as, but not limited to: laptops, tablets; supporting the implementation of ICT-enabled activities
- Creation of digital applications to allow lessons and extracurricular activities in schools to continue after the end of the Project - a clear sign of the sustainability strength of the project.
- Enabling the use of videoconferencing systems for remote teaching and conferences for students and teachers.
- Creation of a portal for uploading educational content, with the possibility for individual schools to reuse this content.
- Interactive inclusion in the regional telecommunications infrastructure of teacher training centres and centres and pedagogical libraries for which the regional government of Wielkopolskie is the founding body, enabling the exchange of information, the download of educational resources by teachers, the provision of teleconferences and interactive lectures
Providing support with content activities
- Remuneration for teachers that participate in the student projects and IT implementation specialists at school.
- Implementation of educational projects for children and young people in the form of extracurricular activities using active methods of working with pupils, project work, anticipatory work, the use of experiments and various forms of computer and internet work
- Provision of office supplies for student teams.
- Reimbursement of the cost of study trips for students in the project team.
Want to know more? Check out this YouTube video that explains all about the programme Digital School Wielkopolsk@ 2020.
