At the beginning of May 2017, at the EC PRO DIDACTICA, another 19 teachers from various school subjects benefited from a unique training program in the field of OER. Objectives achieved:  the development of digital competences, including OERs’ harnessing and development, updating ICT knowledge on the use of electronic resources in the educational process, and motivation of trainees to develop OER and dissemination of the experience gained.

Thus, through a variety of methods and techniques applied, including GPP, interactive methods (Portrait, Pirate Life, Pizza), Brainstorming, Guided lecture, SINELG, Forced Associations, Personalized Cards, simulation of producing OER, working in pairs, Small Groups, the hive of bees, Workshop Blog (https://poligon2017.wordpress.com/)  – a consistent didactic approach has been facilitated in an interactive manner.

The interest of the trainees for the studied subject was also very high, sometimes difficult to focus on the topic, they had many questions, including concrete search practices, effective use of national and international OER, their creative elaboration, the involvement of colleagues and students. It has been noted that schools have been equipped with advanced ICT equipment, including broadband INTERNET, the existence of some approved policies in the field (policy brief), but also the absence of educational software – the development of OERs being a real solution in the situation created. We were glad that all the trainees have been involved and they talked with each other quite productively. It was an advantage that some participants knew better, and others were newer in the field, coming up with clarification questions. The experience of different colleagues has been highlighted, what was good and appreciated by the participants.

Like in previous groups, time has been limited to addressing such complex issues, but we challenged them seriously, and this has mattered in such an activity. Participants were open to ask, to be interested in literature, especially from where they can get the open educational resources. Several sources of OER, both national and international, have been proposed. We found that they doesn’t search on the Internet, the computer is not used by some as a normal means of working, which is very difficult at the moment. The subject really was a very large one, so during the time provided – the motivation of the students to further exploration of the subject was achieved, the emphasis was not on presenting unequivocal solutions, but on the future opportunities for the efficiency of the educational act through the use but especially producing OER, including through the collaboration of teachers from several schools, involving students. Time management was achieved using the on-line application (http://www.online-stopwatch.com/classroom-timers/).

The dynamics / evolution of the group were a natural one in a short two-day workshop. Big emotions at the beginning (How will I introducing myself as a person in the given group?) – great emotions at the end of the workshop (What I feel when I break up from the given group?). The original vision about OER, as something new, absolutely unknown, has been updated, expanded, deepened. The educational track record of the trainees has been expanded through the addition of the new concepts, the development of digital competences and beyond, including through groups interaction, but also by addressing, sometimes tangential, other educational issues

Although the subject is a new one, however, it arouses the interest of the trainees through its usefulness, the perspective of the creative involvement of teachers, managers and pupils in creating digital content (OERs, which could, to a certain extent, be filling for the almost total absence of quality educational software, but the main, accessible. The trained teachers will be able to carry out similar workshops in the institutions and  districts of the Republic of Moldova, and in the immediate future we expect them to participate in the Contest OER 2, organized in the same project in the coming months –  so,  to be able to provide more interesting resources to the wide public on the page http://red.prodidactica.md/resurse-red/red-nationale/

It was a personal and professional pleasure to get involved as trainers and to benefit from such an opportunity, especially as among the factors that contributed to the good performance, quality and efficiency of the training program, we find the following opinions: professional trainers / competent; good working conditions and atmosphere, positive attitudes of trainers, exchange of experience, tolerance, interesting information, an atmosphere of cooperation, accessible information support, good mood, applied techniques, time management, punctual organizers.

The activity was carried out in the framework of the project Open Education in Moldova: Here and Now!, phase II,  implemented by the Educational Center PRO DIDACTICA,  with the financial support of the Foundation Open Society Institute, in cooperation with the Support Program in Education of the Open Society Foundations.

Viorica GORAȘ-POSTICĂ, Valeriu GORINCIOI, trainers,
Cristina BUJAC, project coordinator