LEADERS IN INFORMAL EDUCATION OF TEACHERS

The SECRET Formula of Education in Serbia

LEADERS IN INFORMAL EDUCATION OF TEACHERS

For 15 years, the Filipović Academy has been actively participating in educating teachers about computer literacy and providing schools with latest IT equipment

Based in Jagodina, the Filipović Academy specializes in providing informal education for teachers, educators and non-teaching staff that is involved in the education process.

What educational programmes do you provide?

— The Filipović Academy specializes in educational programmes that cover computer literacy while implementing the latest trends in the field of professional development of teachers in various work segments in the education system. We are accredited by the Republic of Serbia's Institute for Promotion of Education. We also provide regular technical support and a wide range of products that are used in upgrading and modernizing the work done by educational institutions. Our students can obtain the required practical knowledge and skills, while the Academy guarantees full support and encouragement to its students by providing professional lecturers.

Who are your educational programmes intended for and how is the curriculum structured?

— All our educational programmes take into account the optimal connection, the needs and expectations of the participants, and the outcomes of the joint work on the curriculum. Our seminars are known for a very creative and engaging atmosphere that is created by our professional team who continues to provide full support to our students even after their training ends. The key elements of our work are pragmatic knowledge and high applicability of the acquired knowledge in practice. Our Academy's seminars cover various areas of both educational and pedagogical process like psychology, pedagogy, inclusive education, and especially information technology. The latter includes very popular seminars on the topics of "Multimedia content in the function of education", "Distance learning through multimedia", "Electronic portfolio of teachers and pupils" and others. Over 30,000 students attended the Academy's accredited programmes, seminars and courses.

What are your selection criteria for lecturers and are your educational programmes licensed?

— All lecturers at the Filipović Academy are top experts in their respective fields. An important criterion for selecting a lecturer is the feedback we get from the seminar participants after the training has been completed. The Filipović Academy is conducting internal quality monitoring through compulsory evaluation sheets completed by seminar participants. All our educational programmes are licensed and are featured in the Institute for Promotion of Education's catalogue.

Where do your classes take place and which teaching tools do you use?

— Our accredited seminars are held in our clients' schools, which eliminates both travel and accommodation expenses. Furthermore, we offer many other benefits that help schools with covering seminar costs. So far, this kind of work format has been applied in several municipalities and cities throughout Serbia, and has proven to be acceptable and, most importantly, economically viable. We have successfully organized seminars in a large number of municipalities and cities in Serbia which local governments have recognized us as a serious and cost-effective partner. So far, we held seminars in Indjija, Jagodina, Despotovac, Petrovac na Mlavi, Palilula, Rakovica, Zemun, Novi Beograd, Dimitrovgrad, Pirot, Trgovište, Surdulica, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Tutin, Kosovska Mitrovica, Zubin Potok, Gracanica, Preševo, Srbobran, Alibunar, Sombor, Subotica, Novi Bečej, Bač, Majdanpek, Negotin, Lazarevac, Pančevo, Ivanjica, Arilje, Gornji Milanovac, Šid, Stara Pazova and many other towns. If the school is not adequately equipped for our seminars, the Filipović Academy provides equipment such as laptops, slide projectors, interactive boards, etc.

The Academy's core activity is holding seminars, as well as creating hardware and software solutions that facilitate teaching and organization of teaching process

Considering your expertise in providing IT support for schools, could you please tell us more about your product range and solutions for a modern approach to education?

— The Filipović Academy follows modern trends in education system, and is working on developing web applications that every educational institution should have today. We have created several applications which together create a serious information system that is applicable, very useful and greatly facilitates the work done by education staff, from nurseries to universities. These are: Teacher and Student Portfolio, Electronic Pedagogical Notebook, Annual Training Plan at School Level, Self-Evaluation, Parent Interface, printing report cards, e-Library, School Website Design Platform, Distance Learning Platform (e-learning), electronic grade book, and a psychological – pedagogical (PP) programme. In cooperation with eminent companies, we distribute programmes for class scheduling, 3D modeling and other educational software. What distinguishes our system from others is that it is applicable in all types and forms of educational institutions: nurseries / pre-schools, primary, secondary, music, ballet and special schools of a predefined type.

Interactive boards are one of your more popular products. What features do they have?

— Interactive boards have become an irreplaceable part of every modern classroom. Portable interactive boards are particularly interesting thanks to their small size and easy handling. With these boards, any room can be converted into an interactive classroom. Our interactive boards are delivered with the appropriate software. In mid-March 2018, we are going to launch the Portable Interactive Board FBIWB 2700A which will be produced in Serbia. The prototype of this device is already accepted in many schools in Serbia, Montenegro, and the Republic of Srpska as a favourite didactic tool for teachers because of its high technical perfomance and simple use. In addition to the aforementioned countries in which our interactive board is already popular, our plan is also to launch it in Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, Bulgaria and Romania.

To what extent are the multimedia content and modern IT solutions applied in the education system in Serbia and the region?

— In recent years, mostly thanks to the activities of the Filipović Academy, modern IT solutions have become increasingly present in the education system in Serbia. The following solutions have proved to be the most popular – School Information System, Portable Interactive Desktops FBIWB 2700 and the MozaBook Programme.

How much can these tools help with organizing more accessible and more efficient teaching for students with special needs?

— Tools like MozaBook and interactive boards greatly facilitate the educational process for students, because they encourage the development of their motor and cognitive skills. They also encourage learning, develop work habits and boost self-confidence, and give teachers greater creativity and approach in accordance with individual characteristics of children. Using interactive boards, teachers can handle the learning material in a lighter, more creative way, and include students in the teaching process. In the era of technology expansion, multimedia content and solutions can definitely improve and boost teaching methods for children with different types of special needs.