The Institute for Textbooks and Teaching Aids organized a presentation of educational digital content from its production today in the hall of the Rectorate of the University of Montenegro.
The process of digitizing educational content as a supplement to printed textbooks is, in addition to several other projects, also part of the program marking the 30th anniversary of the Institute for Textbooks and Teaching Aids (ZUNS), the institution announced.
"In an era of rapid technological change, the digitalization of education is no longer a matter of choice, but a necessity. Our responsibility is to ensure that every girl and boy in Montenegro has access to quality, innovative and adapted teaching materials. The digital content we present today contributes to this, enabling interactive and more dynamic learning, encouraging critical thinking and adapting to the individual needs of students," said Dragan Marković, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MESI), addressing the audience.
He also emphasized that the Ministry of Education and Science remains committed to supporting teachers in the use of modern technologies in teaching, because it is they who shape new generations with their knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm, according to a statement from ZUNS.
The Director of the Institute for Textbooks and Teaching Aids, Aleksandra Hajduković, particularly focused on modern trends in publishing that the Institute has been continuously developing in recent years, and a further step in this regard was the project of digitizing educational content as a supplement to printed textbooks with the aim of modernizing the teaching process.
"We decided, in accordance with the Strategy for the Digitalization of Education, adopted by our Ministry, that these would be contents that are not closely related to textbook literature. In this part, we created contents from the domain of electronic readings, cybersecurity, as well as contents intended for children with special educational needs. Three books produced by the Textbook Institute were digitally processed, namely: 'Little Red Riding Hood', 'The Adventures of Cat Tose' and 'Pinocchio'," Hajduković pointed out.
She reminded that the aforementioned content is available on the ZUNS website and on the MPNI platform "Digital School" and explained that the Institute will continue to conduct intensive activities in this field in the coming period.
When it comes to further plans, Hajduković said that a public call for the creation of digital content on the topic of media literacy and children's rights is underway.
In accordance with the Education System Reform, which is being prepared by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, training has begun for the digitization of educational content that will complement printed textbooks, she added. After the public procurement procedure, the Institute has purchased a platform for digital educational content from one of the largest European publishers - the German company Klet. This year, the editorial team of the Institute and its associates will undergo a training process to work on this platform, after which the digitization of certain textbook content will begin, Hajduković announced.
Special education teacher Vesna Obrenović specifically addressed the importance of creating digital content that will make working with children with special needs much easier.
"Through my experience and practice, there has been a great need for new teaching content in working with children with developmental disabilities. In my work, I am constantly in communication with teachers from regular schools, so I know that they have great problems motivating students with developmental disabilities and directing their attention. Therefore, I believe that the creation of such digital content is of great help to everyone who works with them. In the era of modern digitalization of society, of course, they also find such content appealing and interesting to work with, especially if we bear in mind that children with developmental disabilities best acquire teaching material visually. I believe that this is a major step forward in their education," she explained.
The presentation featured digital readings: "Pinocchio", "The Adventures of Toša the Cat" and "Little Red Riding Hood", followed by new educational games on the topic of cybersecurity, which will help children, but also the elderly, to recognize potential dangers on the internet and learn how to react properly when faced with them, according to a statement from ZUNS.
All digital publications of the Institute are available completely free of charge on the website of this institution, or via the link https://zuns.me/interaktivni-materijal, as well as on the educational platform "Digital School", which contains a large amount of educational material for all ages. The content can be used from all smart devices: computers, phones and tablets.
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