The Faculty of Education at the University of Sciences and Arts in Lebanon (USAL) organized the opening ceremony of the third educational technology exhibition under the title “Electronic Professional Development for Teachers in the Digital Age”, under the patronage of the president of the Educational Centre for Research and Development Dr. Nada Oweijane, and in the presence of the university's president Dr. Mohammad Reda Fadlallah, representatives of municipalities, representatives of universities and educational institutions, participants and trainers from institutions active in the field of educational technology, academics, educators and students.
Speaking at the opening, the dean of the Faculty of Education Dr. Walid Hammoud said: “Today, amid the accelerating developments of the digital revolution, the need to deal professionally and intelligently with information technology, the multiplicity of learning sources and what these entail in learning environments based on virtual learning models, speaking of teachers' electronic competencies and professional profiles is no longer merely an added value; it has become a necessity and a need for the continuation and the work of teacher and learner alike.”
Hammoud added: “We speak of the capacity for the intelligent use of multimedia, of communication theories and artificial intelligence, and of marrying behavioural approaches and the cognitive field with educational technology - but without extremism and without adopting the idea that we can replace a poor teacher with a well-programmed machine.”
Dr. Oweijane gave a speech in which she spoke of the exhibition's importance, affirming that it “falls within the Educational Centre's concerns, in the curriculum development project centred on the process of teaching and learning and on securing the human, educational, environmental, technical, electronic and logistical requirements needed; and it aspires to achieve the educational objectives and to contribute to the learning outcomes”.
Oweijane added: “The Educational Centre for Research and Development has designated, within its continuous training services, training courses on using technology in all subjects. About 3,000 teachers were trained in 2018 on converting classical lessons into interactive digital lessons that can be implemented; all of these will later be placed on a dedicated training platform so that all teachers may be able to use digital technology in research, explanation, testing and results, and in strengthening their professional development and supporting the process of teaching and learning at the level of planning and implementation, in addition to the final attainment assessment.”
Oweijane revealed preparations for a project of “training in physical computing through training in programming and linking it with the physical environment, programming robots, and smart device applications and their integration into the teaching reality”, adding: “The Educational Centre seeks, through the (creative workshop) project, to create a digital classroom environment suitable for work, with the aim of developing creativity and innovation among learners - which will be a distinctive mark in teaching and learning.”
She stressed that “the question is no longer whether we are able to cross into the digital age, because this crossing has become an inevitability imposed by technology's requirements. The new challenge has become enabling the teacher to create a safe digital environment for children, raising the level of awareness about the sound, safe and responsible use of digital means, and enabling them to possess all the digital skills so as to harness technological development in easing life, creating job opportunities, reviving the economy, and preserving the national and moral traits of the true citizen.”
After that the ceremony's patron cut the exhibition's ribbon and toured with those present the corners of the exhibition, which will continue for 3 days and includes 18 workshops from which 500 trainees will benefit.
