TURKMENISTAN:
Integrating Technology and Teaching in the ClassroomNovember 28, 2012
Senem Nurnazarova, the Head of the Economic Society Hemayat, personifies the benefits of working with local partners to address universal challenges. When she visited an International Exhibition in Ashgabat, where modern innovations in science and education were on display, including a USAID presentation of the Quality Learning Project (QLP) training modules on modern pedagogy and the use of multimedia technology.
The word ‘Hemayat’ means Help-Support-Assistance, essential components to ensure teachers are equipped to succeed in their teaching efforts. The QLP materials on modern pedagogy combined with technological tools, such as interactive whiteboards and computer classrooms, offered a golden opportunity to encourage secondary school teacher training.
Through the Quality Learning Project, USAID partnered with Hemayat to train teacher trainers in three regions of Turkmenistan: Ashgabat, Akhal, and Mary. This program has provided such tangible benefit to communities that local schools and regional education departments have pushed for additional training opportunities. As of July 30th, 2,368 teachers have completed the QLP training.
Participants gain an understanding of modern methods for planning lessons, integrating technology into the classroom, and assessing student knowledge, including test preparation. Hemayat trainer, Shohrat Keljaev, champions the program’s impact on teacher preparation: “Here the teachers of the city can not only get acquainted with modern pedagogical approaches, but also learn new technologies.”
After project completion, Senem Nurnazarova is confident the Hemayat team will continue the program’s mission and expand its reach to rural areas. This project has increased local capacity at the training and teaching levels, providing a sustainable foundation for modernized teacher training and thus building a modernized educational foundation for the youth of Turkmenistan.