New initiative by UNESCO and the Chilean Ministry of Education will strengthen teachers' digital skills
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Loading... - Claire Lavigne
- 07 Jun 2023
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A new chapter is unfolding in the realm of digital competencies for educators in Chile. On May 4, 2023, UNESCO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in Chile, launched a groundbreaking project titled "Enhancing Teachers' Digital Competencies." This initiative holds the potential to significantly impact the performance of education professionals within the country's school system. Through this joint endeavor, a novel proposal for the Digital Teacher Competencies Framework will be developed, accompanied by tailored training opportunities that cater to the specific needs of teachers.
This plan is part of UNESCO's ongoing efforts to foster collaboration among its Member States, the private sector, academia, and civil society in order to forge a new social contract for education. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the creation of a peaceful, just, and sustainable future for all. In pursuit of this objective, Huawei, drawing upon its extensive knowledge and over 30 years of experience in areas such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and the internet of things, will provide valuable support and expertise to the project.
Claudia Uribe, the Director of the Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (OREALC/UNESCO Santiago), emphasized the profound impact of digital technologies on all facets of society, including various productive sectors, the labor market, and, notably, education. Consequently, she stressed the urgency and importance of enhancing and updating the digital skills of teachers. The pilot project is anticipated to benefit over 1,000 teachers initially, and it encompasses the development of diagnostic tools for assessing digital competencies. Additionally, an instrument will be designed to identify gaps in the teaching workforce. The initiative also features a personalized online learning platform, offering tailored paths for professional development.
Alejandra Arratia, the Undersecretary of Education at the Chilean Ministry of Education, underscored that the pandemic has further underscored the opportunities, limitations, and challenges that Chile faces in achieving equitable access to the benefits offered by technology. In response, the Educational Reactivation Plan includes the Digital Transformation Strategy, a vital collaboration aiming to equip educational communities with tangible tools to navigate an increasingly digitalized world.
The digital platform within this project will encompass a repository of training programs focusing on digital competencies for teachers. It will incorporate an identification, classification, and organization system for existing courses and training modules. Moreover, the platform will produce new training offerings adhering to defined quality standards, all aligned with the framework of digital skills.
For Huawei Technologies, working alongside the Ministries of Education in the region and UNESCO on initiatives of this nature is a top priority. Marcelo Pino, the Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Huawei Latam and Caribbean, affirmed the company's commitment to strengthening and, when necessary, building the technological skills of Chilean teachers from preschool to secondary education. This collaboration aims to empower educators to maximize the potential of digital alternatives within their teaching practices.
The initiative also intends to establish a Technical Advisory Council, serving as a forum for dialogue among experts, educational authorities, academics, representatives from civil society, and teachers. Their collective expertise will provide technical guidance throughout the project's development, ensuring its success and creating a potential blueprint for replication in other countries within the region.
