On March 23, Saratov State University opened the scientific and educational festival “III Week of Teachers’ Education: modern school student and educational environment”.
Vice-rector for educational work E.G. Elina opened the plenary session highlighting the unique format of the festival: the platform provides an opportunity for higher education workers, school teachers and students to meet and discuss modern education issues.
Prof. Elina also spoke about the III Week of Teachers’ Education themes: “WE are startina a conversation about educational environment. In 2013 and 2014, we talked about school lessons, educational programs, new Federal State Educational Standard; today we are talking about how school lessons and out-of-school environment and life help to raise our children”.
In his welcoming speech, SSU Rector A.N. Chumachenko said that contemporary education issues are always relevant. “The University does a lot to promote teacher’s status and develop educational potential. SSU is the only university in the region that prepares teachers. This is a very important mission and we feel the high responsibility it brings. That is the reason for organizing Week of Teachers’ Education for the third time”.
Deputy chair of Saratov Region Duma T.P. Erokhina wished the festival participants successful and productive work. She believes the region development depends on teachers as they plant the seeds of the future generation’s interests. “Over three years the festival has grown into a big forum that I hope will become interregional”, added T.P. Erokhina.
Then the guests watched extracts of TV interviews with a famous teacher E.A. Yamburg. He considers school a special world; its atmosphere influences school students and their growing-up. “There is a social problem – the better the education the more graduates leave the country. It does not mean they are not patriots; it means they could realize their potential in different parts of the world”.
Chair of the Department of Education Methodology (Faculty of Pedagogical and Special Needs Education), Prof. E.A. Aleksandrova’s report was very topical. In her opinion, education should be systematic. Growing up, a person understands there are less dreams and wishes in life. Modern children have far less dreams and wishes then children twenty years ago.
E.A. Aleksandrova told that early social experience provided by the Internet and modern gadgets results in a number of problems like difficult information perception, child’s loneliness in family, shrinking of the safe leisure space. To protect from these problems teachers have to ask themselves what is really done for children and their parents. E.A. Aleksandrova suggested using interactive methods of education: poster schedule, quote of the week, teacher ads, “talking” walls, etc.
The guests also discussed the question “How to help a child to grow up”. Discussion hosts Russian language and literature teacher E.V. Zlatogorskaia and Senior lecturer of the Department of Literary Studies and Journalism M.V. Erokhina talked about growing up drawing on their own experience and professional examination.
M.V. Erokhina noticed that moveing from school to university children do not necessarily grow up, they are afraid to take responsibility and prefer ready-made patterns and clichés. This is the result of school being too full of rules and regulations which, as E.V. Zlatogorskaia discovered after an anonymous survey among eighth grade pupils, school students think are absolutely necessary, otherwise school would collapse into chaos.
After discussing the issue of fragmented thinking, the participants decided that only cooperation between teachers and school students would allow the young generation to master the art of independent information processing.
The discussion participants also touched upon school students evaluation criteria. In E.V. Zlatogorskaia’s research the children suggested introducing 10-point evaluation scale or replacing traditional grades by teacher’s comments.
How to teach children to grow up? The discussion participants drew a unanimous conclusion: we have to give them more freedom and independence, teach them to think critically, to find different and interesting forms of learning. It is also important to work with parents to ensure that education is universally oriented. Additionally, school and university graduates could provide a valuable example of professional independence for high-school students.
The festival continued with teachers’ talks “Meeting the student – entering the profession”.
On March 24, pedagogical workshops will work at Lyceum of Medicine and Biology. All-Russia Pedagogical excellence competition among students also starts tomorrow. Future teachers will make self-presentations, solve educational problems, and give open lessons.
The full program of the III Week of Teachers’ Education is available at the information bulletin.
