The Baltic preliminary workshop for the Baltic-Nordic joint project "Teacher Training in using information technology (IT) in the Baltic States" took place February 4 - 5, 1997 in the hotel "Stroomi" in Tallinn, Estonia.
Goals of the seminar were to define the possible priorities for the joint project to be discussed and approved at the Baltic-Nordic preparatory seminar, which will take place in Estonia in April 1997.
The Nordic-Baltic joint programme has run already from 1995 and five subprojects have been defined:
Up to ten representatives from each Baltic country took part in the workshop. Participants of each country presented the country reports giving overview of the present situation (teachers skills in utilizing IT in their work; other IT projects in the country - finished, ongoing and planned, etc.) in the first day. In the second day each country made a comparison of the desired future (goal) to current state: analysed the support (strength) that is available to implement strategies and tactics; identified the weaknesses which should be corrected in achieving the aim; identified the opportunities that exists already in the environment which have not been previously utilised; discovered the threats that exists in the environment which can be avoided or for which strategies can be developed to diminish consequent negative impact.
As a representative of the Department of Information Studies I have a pleasure to mention that at the final report of the Estonian delegation represented by Anne Villems the following opportunities that already exist, but which have not been completely utilized were insisted such as the knowledge and skills of other departments of the universities, especially the Department of Information Studies of the Tallinn Pedagogical University and the Departments of Psychology of Tartu University and Tallinn Pedagogical University; the possibilities of academic libraries which already are equipped with information technology, not propely used; the possibilities of school libraries, the role of which must change and which must become the media centres of the schools.
Suggestions on the priorities of the project and the possible cooperation aspects within framework of the project were given.
The representatives of Lithuania and Latvia considered the workshop very useful and a good starting point for closer co-operation between the Baltic States in the field of teacher training.
Last updated February 17, 1997
sirvir@ tpu.ee