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Media Education Rolls out in the North of Moldova – 24 Teachers from Russian Schools Strengthened their Skills to Teach this Optional Course

25 November 2019
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During 15-17 November 2019, the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) held the first media literacy training program outside Chisinau. The training that took place in Balti was attended by 24 teachers who teach in Russian, from the northern districts of Moldova.
 
The course trainers were Loretta Handrabura, PhD in Philology, and Natalia Griu, Chief Consultant at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, two of the authors of ‘Media Education’ curricula and textbook, at the primary education level.

The training program was built on this curriculum and textbook, in the Russian version. During three days, the participants familiarized with the content of the course and methods of teaching the Media Education optional course in the 3rd and 4th grades, analyzed the topics of the textbook and learned certain media skills.

The teachers also got acquainted with Mediacritica.md website and the Media Literacy Platform, where they found various interactive tools, tutorials and games that can be used during classes. Complementary interactive activities to better understand the particularity of the course for pupils in primary school followed the training.

The trainers asked the teachers not to abandon their children in front of the TVs, phones or computers, emphasizing that the “dependence on new media generates health, communication issues and a problematic interaction with the environment”.
 
According to Allei Tcaci, teacher at Malinovscoie Gymnasium, Rascani district, the training was both useful and topical. “Since we live in the age of information technology, it is paramount that all of us, i.e. teachers, students, and parents, are informed. We are going to tell our students what we’ve learned and try to explain them that the use of new technologies shouldn’t be detrimental to their health”, the teacher said.

Svetlana Racila, teacher at Rujnita Gymnasium, Ocnita district, mentioned that the training opened new horizons for teachers. “We, the teachers, also didn’t know much about media literacy. We now feel more confident – we learned how to inform ourselves correctly, how to filter the information and, most importantly, how to attractively and interactively share this knowledge with the students”, Svetlana Racila mentioned.

The training was attended by teachers from Ocnita, Edinet, Sangerei, Balti, Rascani, and Falesti districts.
The first training for Russian language teachers was held in October 2018 in Chisinau, and brought together 15 participants.

IJC has trained so far 124 teachers, 101 secondary school teachers and 36 high school teachers. Media Education has been taught in schools in the Republic of Moldova since 2017. In the current school year, 78 teachers teach this optional course to 2723 pupils (105 classes) in educational institutions from Chisinau, Calarasi, Ungheni, Cimislia, Dubasari, Stefan Voda, Criuleni, Sangerei, Anenii Noi, Ialoveni, Hancesti, Orhei, Falesti, Balti, Ocnita, Straseni, Glodeni, Floresti, Soroca, Cahul, Basarabeasca.

The training was organized by the Independent Journalism Center in partnership with Internews in Moldova. The Project is financially supported by the Dutch Embassy.