A New Generation of Teachers Trained in Media Education

From April 20 to April 22, the Independent Journalism Center held the fourth training program for teachers, which was attended by 18 teachers from various localities in Moldova, including the Transnistrian region.

The trainers were two of the authors of the curriculum and of the teaching materials: Loretta Handrabura, PhD in Philology, professor of “Ion Creanga” State University of Pedagogy; and Natalia Griu, senior consultant at the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Research.

The training was based on the Media Education curriculum, which had been approved by the Ministry of Education, and on the teaching materials developed for the piloting of this optional course in schools. Participants were engaged in various interactive activities involving study cards and the content provided in the curriculum and in the teaching materials. The topics analyzed and discussed at the training were the history and functions of the media, newspapers for children as a source of information, programs for children, educational message of a film, new media and websites for children, and, last but not least, the health of the young media consumer and online dangers.

The purpose of the optional course of Media Education is to increase the understanding and rational use of the media by students, and to educate a knowledgeable and responsible citizen and media consumer by building socio-cultural competencies of knowing/understanding and appreciating social values and rules of conduct presented by the media.

Natalia Tihnean, teacher at “Lucian Blaga” Lyceum in Tiraspol, says that she learned a lot at the course, and the new knowledge will help her not only in teaching, but also in consuming media. According to her, it is very important that this knowledge be transmitted further to colleagues, students, and teachers, because “information from the media concerns everyone.”

Teacher Tatiana Scripnic from the “Evrika” Lyceum in Tiraspol is of the same opinion, saying that the involvement of teachers in the promotion of media education has a determining role in building the students’ abilities to analyze and in developing their critical thinking.

The training was attended by teachers from the districts of Orhei, Ialoveni, Falesti, Drochia, Tiraspol, Ribnita, Floresti, and from Chisinau Municipality.

This activity has been organized by the Independent Journalism Center with the financial support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency through the Embassy of Sweden in Chisinau.