“The camp is going to change their view as a teacher about education and the role we have for society.”
The call to participate in the Explora VA! Camp for teachers “Science Didactics for Sustainable Development” is open until December 15. Early childhood educators, education assistants, elementary and middle school teachers belonging to educational establishments of the 17 communes that make up the Explora RM North Regional Associative Project.
More than 70 teachers from various disciplines of the Metropolitan Region have participated in previous versions of the Explora VA! Camp organized by the Explora Northern Metropolitan Region Project of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation. This activity aims to strengthen the skills of education professionals, support science education, knowledge and innovation in educational communities and promote the formation of collaborative networks and learning among teachers.
“All the activities that will take place in the Camp seek to promote and encourage teamwork, and that participants can learn for innovation. We hope to generate spaces for learning and reflection together with the specialists, which will allow campers to design and develop science didactic activities in their classrooms that will enrich their teaching practices. This time the main focus will be on sustainable development,” said Dr. Mario Chiong, Director of Explora RM Norte.
He also added that, through talks, workshops and group dynamics led by collaborating institutions, the aim will be to generate the capacity to problematize from the context of each educational community and co-design, based on this analysis, activities or innovation/research projects that are significant for their students and that incorporate science didactic strategies in their development.
In its third version, the Explora VA! camp will be held in face-to-face format between Monday, January 16 and Friday, January 20, 2023, at the Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Chile (January 16-18) and at the Hotel Colinas de Cuncumén (January 19-20).
Elementary or secondary school teachers, kindergarten teachers and education assistants of any discipline working in the classroom, who are linked to educational establishments belonging to the 17 communes of the project may apply. Those who are not formally linked to an educational establishment for a period of time that does not exceed 6 months may also participate.
Among the benefits provided by the project are: 100% free of charge for all participants, including food service (January 16-20) and transportation and lodging (January 19-20); the delivery of didactic tools for science education with a sustainable approach; a kit of materials for the dynamics of the activity, and the delivery of a certificate issued by the project.
The announcement of the teachers selected to participate in the Camp will be published on Thursday, December 15, 2022 on the Explora RM Norte website.
Teachers talk about their experience
“The camp will change your vision as a teacher, about education and the role we have for society” commented teacher Oscar Garrido, participant of the Camp held in 2020.
Camilo Soto from Liceo Amanda Labarca de Vitacura, participated in Camp 2021 in a virtual format: “The Camp for teachers was a great experience, despite being in an online format. Through the activities and presentations we achieved spaces for reflection, debate and much learning, and even gained something very important, which is community”.
The professor also emphasized that all the pedagogical tools used in the camp were very appropriate. In his personal case, they helped him to remember many things he had forgotten, allowing him to update the knowledge and methodologies that after so many years of teaching are being forgotten.
Teachers talk about their experience
“The camp will change your vision as a teacher, about education and the role we have for society” commented teacher Oscar Garrido, participant of the Camp held in 2020.
Camilo Soto from Liceo Amanda Labarca de Vitacura, participated in Camp 2021 in a virtual format: “The Camp for teachers was a great experience, despite being in an online format. Through the activities and presentations we achieved spaces for reflection, debate and much learning, and even gained something very important, which is community”.
The professor also emphasized that all the pedagogical tools used in the camp were very appropriate. In his personal case, they helped him to remember many things he had forgotten, allowing him to update the knowledge and methodologies that after so many years of teaching are being forgotten.