Workshop – project methodology and plan for implementation

Center for innovations and digital education Dig-Ed has started with the implementation of the activities from the first phase of the project “Using Games to Learn Cyber Security and Misinformation: GaCySeMI”.

Teachers that will be involved in the project activities were selected according to their previous experience and collaboration on different topics concerning cyber security and misinformation:

  • Gjorgjina Dimova and Trajanka Apostolova from primary school “Straso Pingjur” Negotino
  • Biljana Nikolova and Elena Ristovska from primary school “Sando Masev” Strumica
  • Frosina Aleksovska and Maja Videnovik from primary school “Krste Misirkov” Skopje
  • Blagorodna Sotirov and Limonka Atanasova Krstevska from primary school “Panajot Ginovski” Skopje
  • Slavica Karbeva Stojkovic and Tanja Stojanovska from primary school “Petre Pop Arsov” Bogomila

At the beginning of the project, representatives from Dig-Ed have been working on a draft version of the project methodology and plan for implementation. They have created materials for empowering teachers’ competences on cyber-security and misinformation as well as basics of storytelling as a teaching method. Surveys that will be given to students and teachers before and after the implementation of project activities in order to evaluate the achievement of project objectives were also prepared. All the produced materials were presented and approved by Project Evaluation Committee (PEC).

Workshop with teachers involved in the project activities was organized on 03.11.2021. It was organized online due to the situation with pandemic in our country. Prof. Vladimir Trajkovik led the workshop and shared his knowledge on the project topics. The main aim of the workshop was to establish the methodology and plan for implementation of the activities and to develop teachers’ competences on given topics. Teachers have received prepared materials before the workshop so they could be well prepared for activities and take active participation in discussions.

The workshop started with the introduction to storytelling and its importance in educational process. After that the guidance how to tell a good story, the elements of a story and its structure was presented to the participant. Introduction to nonlinear narratives which offer different options that define further activities in a play was made. Discussion how all this information can be implemented in the concrete activities in school was carried out.

Presentation about cyber-security and misinformation was given to the participants. They have been introduced with the rapid grow of online activities and what all that means for staying safe online. Discussion about digital footprint and how we can leave positive digital footprint was carried out. Presentation about media literacy and fake news was given to the participant and elements that should be discussed with students were emphasized. Different activities that can be carried out with students on these topics were presented and participants were encouraged to use their own activities during the project implementation.

Draft version of the project methodology and plan for the implementation was presented and discussed with the participants, they were asking questions and giving their opinion about the document. Initial planning of the timeframe for project activities was made. Participants have agreed to have joint monthly meetings during the implementation of the project activities in order to have more successful achievement of project activities.