Blended ESEL Trainers Are Prepared
Save the Children has been implementing the project “Entrepreneurship-focused socio-emotional skills for the most vulnerable youth in rural Mongolia” in the provinces of Khovd, Zavkhan, Uvurkhangai, Gobisumber, and Sukhbaatar since 2020. As part of the project, a training for trainers in blended learning was organized in October 30-31, 2023 in Ulaanbaatar.
The purpose of this training was to provide direction and guidance to ESEL course trainers in blended learning theory, methodology, teaching arrangements, and the use of learning management systems and other blended learning tools and equipment. G. Odbaatar, head of the Department of Lifelong Learning of the General Authority for Education said: ” The most crucial thing is to disseminate the experience and knowledge gained here to other schools and learning centers throughout the country.”
Yo.Nyamdavaa, manager of “Entrepreneurship-focused socio-emotional skills for the most vulnerable youth in rural Mongolia” project stated: “We have developed a blended ESEL learning methodology to be used at the Lifelong Education Centers (LLEC).”. The first group of ten soums successfully completed the program twice. We are pleased to offer the blended learning to the ten soums that follow as we have had requests from other 10 soums to host the course”.
On this occasion, LLECs of the 10 soums that will conduct the blended learning, received a desktop computer, a printer and a tablet for each student. These tablets come with learning management system, 4G data credit, and security and registration software installed, along with the hardware requirements needed for interactive instruction. IT staff from Save the Children trained the trainers on how to use the learning management system and their devices for both online and offline environments. Along with the hardware specifications required for interactive training, these tablets also come pre-installed with Google Suite learning platform other training applications.
D. Ariunbayar, a teacher from Uench soum of Khovd province, said: “Throughout the course, I learned a lot about blended learning, how to organize and assess learning activities, and how to motivate students. As a teacher/trainer, I have gained a lot of experience from this training”.
G. Dorzhnamjim, LLC teacher of Bogd soum of Uvurkhangai province said: “We are thrilled to have been given the chance to begin a blended ESEL learning class in our soum as part of the project. I would like to thank Save the Children on behalf of the children and youth of the soum for giving them the chance to participate in the ESEL course whenever and from anywhere they choose with the aid of learning resources and tools. Towards the end of the training, there was a discussion about the outcomes of the blended learning course and the planning of further activities. In addition, trainers received the certificate. A total of 40 individuals participated in this training, including project team, local project staff, principals of the LLECs in five target provinces, ESEL course trainers, and teachers of the LLECs in ten soums.