Happy Teacher's Day! Especially if you teach in IT
Do you remember your first computer science teacher at school? What did he give you? Was he the person who inspired you to connect your life with IT? Alas, for most of us, things were different - the algorithms, screen savers on Basic and endless controls with the transfer of numbers from one number system to another inspired only absenteeism. And someone had no computer science at all. Our best teachers in IT appeared later - our leaders, tutors, mentors, university professors and employees of the corporate university.
On the eve of Teacher's Day, we talked with four teachers of our training center. All of them are dedicated to one of the most difficult areas of study - information technology. Yes, they teach IT. Teach IT adults. Adults - adult technology. Here the pointer does not help, then the approach is needed, nerves-ropes and the ability to prove that you are standing in front of cool specialists and can really teach them.
We hope that this material will inspire those who would like to learn, but did not dare to do this for various reasons. In addition, right now there is a chance to win certificates for free training on remote MS Office user courses, for example, for your company's secretary or accountant. The best gift to those who most actively contact you with requests "# tyzhprogrammist." At the end of the text are placed 10 facts from the life of our training center, two of which are fiction. Among those who correctly indicate them, we will play 10 certificates. Answers can be posted in the comments under this post. Break a leg! Please colleagues.
')
A source
Everyone comes to the profession of a teacher of information technology disciplines in different ways. For some, this occupation becomes a lifelong vocation; for someone, this is just a stage on the way of becoming an IT specialist or a pleasant combination of work and teaching. We asked the teachers of the LANIT training center how they found themselves in this profession and why they remained in it. We present you their stories.
(No, Dmitry is on the left)
In childhood you dreamed of becoming a teacher?
At that time I had a high degree of uncertainty: I wanted to be a cook, and for a very long time I was a lawyer. But my choice was largely determined by the courses in the training and production complex at our school. There we could choose a profession. I chose the specialty "Computer Operator". It connected me with computer equipment, and I realized that I did not want to be a lawyer. True, I can not say that I immediately decided to become a teacher. I was helped by my school teachers, who advised me to try, if there is a desire. I decided to try, entered and graduated from the pedagogical university of Nizhny Novgorod. (By the way, I did not regret a single day about my choice.) After that, I taught mathematics and computer science to children. In 2011, I was invited to one of Moscow’s private schools.
Several times I was offered to be a school principal, but this did not attract me. After some thought, I went to work as a teacher in projects - we trained users of the Unified Medical Information and Analytical System of the City of Moscow (EMIAS). So I stayed to work in the training center LANIT.
During the teaching of adult students, was there a feeling that some more and the ceiling?
We work with different courses. Each teacher has the opportunity to realize himself fully in related areas: learn new things, creating training materials for customers from the banking sector, the legal sphere, medicine, etc. There is no stagnation. In terms of capabilities, there is no ceiling either. Another thing is that a person can get fed up with work, get tired of it. I think that then you should not torture yourself or others. A teacher who is not himself inspired cannot inspire the listeners.
Teaching medical colleges to work at EMIAS
Is there a career ladder for teachers?
You can become a team leader who coordinates the work of colleagues. In our team, we try to change roles, so that everyone tries himself as a performer, implementer and coordinator. Therefore, we strive to select people who are able to quickly switch. I feel closer directly to the educational and methodical activities: from the development of materials to their broadcast audience.
Is it easy to teach IT professionals?
In adult learning the field is plowed. You can find a lot for yourself. Specialists come to courses with a certain amount of knowledge. The main task of the teacher is not only to teach, but not to destroy the person. If you impose your point of view, then there is a risk to deprive the listener of creativity in learning. Therefore, the process of forming a teacher is long. In addition to knowledge of the structure of employment, which consists of a motivational and substantive component, the reflexive-evaluative stage, it is important for him to maintain the desire to learn new things, including methods of working with the audience. Especially, it concerns motivation.
We often train people who are sent by companies without fail. It is good if such listeners have a learning goal that coincides with their inner motives. Ideally, they choose the training program themselves, but often this does not happen. Therefore, the task of the teacher is to make the learning of each person personally significant. Most are included in the process when the course solves their problem. In order to be able to pay attention to everyone, the optimal number of students in a group is 8-12 people.
A source
How often do you study yourself? Are there any favorite topics that you study not for work, but for pleasure? Maybe you use something in practice?
I love to find something interesting on site building, but I do all projects only for myself. I have favorite blogs that I browse regularly. If I want to learn something ( the link “How to learn and not forget - fight with human nature” section ), then after class I try to review the records and complete the tasks, find a new task that can be solved with the use of new material. Man remembers only what his hands do.
And are you testing new techniques before you apply them in the audience?
In our department there are methodical days that we spend regularly. My colleagues and I share the groundwork. This is our test group. When I prepare for the course, I say everything: I decide, I think about what can be additionally given, if suddenly the group gets strong. I, as a teacher, should be ready for any eventuality.
The unexpected usually happens when you read a course for the first time and you still don’t know how it will go. Only after the first lesson, even if the teacher has rehearsed everything in advance, the accents will be set anew. Because any rehearsal is an equalization of the ideal situation, when the listeners answer the first time and correctly.
The group that Dmitri taught together with Alena Nadezhdina.
Do you have any courses that you like the most?
Like DJs on the radio, you can listen to your favorite music at home (laughs). Of course, each of us has courses that, by virtue of interests, are closer and dearer, but this does not interfere with broadcasting any other content. We have, when someone finds some kind of new chip, be sure to share it. And the peculiarity of the courses that our team is developing is that other teachers can read them. We can even teach teachers.
(Yes, our teachers prefer active recreation)
When did you have a desire to become a teacher?
When I finished school, I realized that I wanted to teach others. But, after talking with my mother, I chose the university without reference to teaching. My mother is from the first release of programmers. Since childhood, I remember how I came to the computer room, and there was "Ural 3" - one of the first computers installed at the university. In short, since childhood he was immersed in computer technology.
For almost 20 years I was engaged in science (physics), but part-time worked at the university. First, in the Polytechnic Institute he taught computer science silicate. By the way, this turned out to be the hardest students in terms of the level of preparation - hellish patience was required with them.
Then in his native university he conducted a special course on numerical modeling of physical processes. In science, he did a lot of computing on computers. Later, when I was already working at the University’s Information and Computing Center, I happened to be engaged in the implementation of a cluster of UNIX computers of Sun Microsystems and participate in the organization of an intercollegiate network. This was also useful in the work of our scientific group, for which operational information exchange was important. I myself am from Yekaterinburg, and part of our group was in Moscow.
After teaching computer science to future silicate workers, how much easier is it to work with IT professionals who have both strong training and experience behind them?
Training IT professionals differs from teaching students primarily in the manner. Students like a blank sheet, they are deprived of stereotypes. But on the courses in the "Network Academy" come students with experience. If the students have enough authority of the teacher, then for our students the authority does not count. But in principle, there are difficulties with university students, and with adult students of courses in training centers . Especially if a person has not done this before: for example, he was an English teacher, and then he decided to become an IT specialist. In the dashing 90s there were many of them. In the crisis year of 1998, many went abroad, and their specialties abroad were not in demand, which is why people made such a sharp transition. Of course, it was difficult for them mainly due to the lack of basic knowledge. But the humanities in the IT field have a chance of success. They even have some advantages, for example, when creating translators, languages, search engines. Here linguistics is needed, and people can find their niche.
A source
The task of the teacher is to inspire and ensure complete immersion in the subject.
Inspiring others to learn, do you consider yourself a motivated person?
I have to keep up with the development of technology. The teaching profession differs from other professions in that it must be able to process large volumes of information in a short time and extract it from the knowledge read. It comes with experience. In my estimation, even a very good university student, who quickly learns and can do a lot, becomes a teacher, who can safely release one to an audience of any complexity, after no less than three years of practice, or even five.
Sometimes IT specialists want to become teachers. Once with such a very intelligent professional, we did a “flight” analysis after a trial lecture. He was very surprised when we explained to him what he had to do, except for the actual presentation of the material. In the end, he admitted that he did not understand how difficult the work of the teacher.
But, of course, if a person really wants to become a teacher, then he will almost certainly be able to. You only need a very, very strong desire. Somehow at the audition was my former student, with whom we later together engaged in scientific work. I invited him to become a teacher in our training center, and he agreed. After the trial lecture, all our teachers said that it was not suitable because of too low a voice. I nevertheless offered to give him a chance. One year later, in the classroom, he spoke in such a way that he could be heard throughout the entire training center, and then he became one of our leading teachers. By the way, he still successfully teaches.
Hike to the Polar Urals - the northernmost part of the Ural Mountains.
How are training courses designed?
Our training center has its own development methodology, which has evolved over the years. But with the advent of new formats (for example, video, e-books), the methodology is changing. Modern cloud information technologies also have a strong impact on the methodology for the preparation of educational materials. For example, they used to install Microsoft Office and live with it for 10 years. Once learned and work. Now the situation has changed radically: there is Microsoft Office 365, which is installed from the cloud and in which changes can occur almost every day. Time for training is more and more pressed every year. Today, vendors and training centers are at a crossroads, because it is not entirely clear how to organize the process of continuous learning in practice. One day of training is at least 40 pages of material. The teacher can prepare eight pages per day. It turns out that a person will spend a week to spend one day of training. If the course is for five days, it will take five weeks. Plus, control and laboratory - this is another two weeks. Total - seven weeks. The course is ready, and the vendor has updated everything during this time.
And what to do?
Search options. Authorized training demonstrates stagnation, the initial “hunger” for IT knowledge has passed. It used to be, when personal computers began to appear in large numbers in homes and companies, there was a shortage of specialists to serve them. Therefore, it was necessary to quickly and efficiently prepare personnel. Vendors coped with this task and managed to make new training courses in accordance with the development of their products. Teachers received courses before the product entered the market. Over time, when the mass grew, and the personnel shortage was satisfied, the need for mass authorized training began to decline. This is the trend of the last five years. Vendors and training centers are rebuilt: they switch to electronic textbooks, laboratory work is transferred to the cloud - to data centers of training vendors. We also change the approach to the work of teachers. We have one person, applying video technologies and our knowledge control skills ( for more information, see the link in the section “Large selection of interactive educational materials is great. Or not?” ), Can conduct several courses in one class. Learning is becoming more dynamic, and you cannot stagnate in place, enjoying your success. It is necessary to explore and think, think and implement.
How did you decide to become a teacher in one of the most dynamic areas?
I had wonderful teachers of mathematics, physics and chemistry, looking at which I wanted to work in this field. I entered Ural State University in Yekaterinburg for mathemes, but there was a lot of theory and very little practice. It did not suit me. In parallel, I worked at the Russian State Vocational Pedagogical University at the Department of Informatics, where this practice was many times more. So I decided to transfer to where they taught to teach techies. After the end there and stayed.
How do techies differ from any other groups of trainees?
Technicians immediately want to touch everything. In addition, they need maximum algorithmization and visualization.
While studying, I worked as an assistant at the department, then at a commercial training center, and later transferred to the “Network Academy”. My listeners were first students, and only then adults. I had to combine the knowledge that they had with the knowledge they received during the course. Often, when they come to work after high school, students hear the common phrase: “Forget everything you were taught at the institute.” I am not a supporter of this approach. My approach is the task, try to apply everything that you know and know how, well, and learn new things.
Ice skating is one of the best ways to relax.
What would you like to warn novice teachers in the field of IT?
Do not try to show that you are smarter than the audience - this is obviously a wrong way. We must try to give as much as possible the knowledge that you have, and get feedback from the audience. We still have this happening: for many years we have been teaching Excel classes, but sometimes there is someone in the class who says that he knows another way to solve the problem. This is a great option for mutual enrichment: you have learned a new thing, and the listener is pleased that the teacher accepts the idea, shares it with the audience.
Is there any difference in teaching one person and collecting a stadium?
When you teach one thing, this is an individual approach, in which you can work out everything clearly and accurately, repeat as much as a specific person needs. At the same time, there is a risk to deviate from the general theme of the course and focus exclusively on answering questions. When you just start teaching, it’s hard to control. Now I have the experience to “hold” the course: to keep the attention of the audience and to lead, to pass the material, without falling down in particular, etc.
In a large group of their own difficulties - you do not have time to "reach" to everyone: until you reach the last ones, the first ones are already bored. Therefore, in large audiences, this is more a show than a full-fledged training.
What devices / equipment help you teach?
In our training center for a long time, a complete set of materials necessary for conducting classes was settled. But now they have started using video, screencasts and simulators more often, which help to automatically test practical skills.
A source
Does your profession allow you to express yourself, to reveal your abilities ?
Yes. In spite of the fact that I am currently teaching very little and miss this, I am realizing the work of the head of the department for developing educational materials.
My task is to plan, issue, monitor and take work on the development of teaching materials necessary for conducting courses. I myself am also in my role as a performer. I do not give the descent.
It seems to me that ambitious people do not work in our profession for a long time. Here everything is different, you do not measure either the status or the number of subordinates. Although each has its own implementation criteria. I belong to those people who do not choose idols, but with great respect for the professionals. I am a fan of Anton Makarenko. Among modern specialists who are published on the Internet, I watch the blog of Nikolay Pavlov - the author of a huge number of books on Excel.
How do you see your profession in the future?
Most have basic knowledge, but they are not structured. Therefore, people often strive not to get new knowledge, but to sort through the existing ones. For such listeners, tests have been developed, the results of which show that it is necessary to “patch”. The sequence of training is also thought out (by reference, the section “How to assimilate and not forget - we fight human nature”) . The task of the teacher is not to give knowledge, but to teach them to receive.
Do you feel that the student has a “crisis of the genre”? What are you doing in this case? What motivation really works?
If the teacher hears such phrases as “I am tired”, “stopped understanding”, “let's go back a little” - it is immediately clear that the listener needs help. It is necessary to pause or repeat what is not clear. But there is a situation when a person for some reason does not want to admit. Then you need to find an individual approach to it, clarify whether everything is clear, what to help with, and provoke the listener into action. Sometimes a regular joke is enough, but in order not to focus attention on someone concrete, it should be understandable not for one person, but for the whole group. This kind of motivation works great. Of course, there are cases that this does not save, a person simply does not have the vitality to do something. In my practice it is rare, but it happened that people just asked for leave from classes.
What is it like to teach adults? Did you ever have to teach someone?
I used to work at the institute with ordinary students. I find it more interesting with adults because you don’t have time to get used to the group, more unexpected situations happen, a lot of variety.
Students have a habit of learning, i.e. a kind of learning stereotype. Adults are all different, each with his own charter: someone was forced to go to study at work, someone consciously came to the course, someone wondered, someone just had not studied for a long time and was interested in the process itself. Of course, when a person came for specific knowledge, he is motivated. It’s easy to work with such people.
What helps you conduct classes?
Now we are developing simulators. Interactive learning allows you to consolidate skills and test knowledge. The direction of gamification is gaining popularity - we are watching this, but we are not yet applying it in our curricula. Now we are working on the creation of an interactive component in distance learning. It is important for the listener to answer questions, do exercises and additional tasks, and not just watch the video.
How did you start teaching information technology? How many years have you been doing this?
I am an engineer by my first education, I worked in a scientific research institute. When my daughter went to the first class, and the question arose of what to do to be in time, I got a job at the institute at the department of information technology. I worked there for about six years, after which I began to think about pedagogy. I once had a desire for this, but I did not dare. In the end, it turned out that all the same came to this.
Olga (left) with colleagues during the solemn presentation of certificates of the training center to the best in the profession for the year.
Many people at a certain professional stage think about the possibility to go to the teachers. Do you think it is worth doing or not?
I advise you to try. For example, I know people who left school. Why not do it in the opposite direction. Here the inner attitude is important.
We have a reference book for teachers. In fact, this is a textbook that outlines the main differences in the process of adult learning. For example, it says that you need to respect the professional experience of students. If a person learns, this does not mean that he is not competent. Some, for example, are generally afraid to learn, because they did it last time a long time.The task of the teacher is to provide a comfortable environment. It is important to understand how a person feels among colleagues. Often adults are afraid to show that they don’t know something, they don’t know how to do it, or they think slowly. It is necessary to see such uncertain and support, so as not to hesitate to ask questions.
Teachers can teach not only in IT
. Which student question do you most often have to answer?
At the end of training, as a rule, they are interested in how to get even more knowledge, what courses we still have. People try to find something useful for themselves, some then continue to learn.
A source
Congratulations to all teachers on Teacher's Day, and we invite readers along with us to take part in a flash mob.
Right from these lines one can prepare to choose two out of ten facts about the “Network Academy LANIT” , which are fiction. The first ten participants who answered correctly, on October 5, on Thursday, we will present certificates for free training at one of the remote MS Office courses. We are confident that the gift will be useful to your colleagues, who probably often turn to you with requests in the spirit of "#yyprogrammer". Answers can be posted under this post.
10 facts about the "LANIT Network Academy". Which two of them are not true?
On the eve of Teacher's Day, we talked with four teachers of our training center. All of them are dedicated to one of the most difficult areas of study - information technology. Yes, they teach IT. Teach IT adults. Adults - adult technology. Here the pointer does not help, then the approach is needed, nerves-ropes and the ability to prove that you are standing in front of cool specialists and can really teach them.
We hope that this material will inspire those who would like to learn, but did not dare to do this for various reasons. In addition, right now there is a chance to win certificates for free training on remote MS Office user courses, for example, for your company's secretary or accountant. The best gift to those who most actively contact you with requests "# tyzhprogrammist." At the end of the text are placed 10 facts from the life of our training center, two of which are fiction. Among those who correctly indicate them, we will play 10 certificates. Answers can be posted in the comments under this post. Break a leg! Please colleagues.
')
A source
Everyone comes to the profession of a teacher of information technology disciplines in different ways. For some, this occupation becomes a lifelong vocation; for someone, this is just a stage on the way of becoming an IT specialist or a pleasant combination of work and teaching. We asked the teachers of the LANIT training center how they found themselves in this profession and why they remained in it. We present you their stories.
By the way, about this training center
Network Academy LANIT opened its doors in 1995. This year she turned 22 years old. During this time, we have trained more than 350 thousand people - and not only the Lanitivites.
Historically, we have trained and improve the skills of IT professionals. But for many years now we have also been involved in corporate educational projects. Among them are such large-scale ones as the training of users of the GIS housing and communal services and the Unified Medical Information and Analytical System of Moscow , the training of public observers for the USE procedure .
The training center also develops training materials and tests, takes video courses, implements a system for assessing the knowledge and skills of staff, creates multimedia electronic publications based on its own cross-platform solution “Electronic textbooks LANIT”.
Historically, we have trained and improve the skills of IT professionals. But for many years now we have also been involved in corporate educational projects. Among them are such large-scale ones as the training of users of the GIS housing and communal services and the Unified Medical Information and Analytical System of Moscow , the training of public observers for the USE procedure .
The training center also develops training materials and tests, takes video courses, implements a system for assessing the knowledge and skills of staff, creates multimedia electronic publications based on its own cross-platform solution “Electronic textbooks LANIT”.
Dmitry Sharabin, Head of the Training Department
(No, Dmitry is on the left)
In childhood you dreamed of becoming a teacher?
At that time I had a high degree of uncertainty: I wanted to be a cook, and for a very long time I was a lawyer. But my choice was largely determined by the courses in the training and production complex at our school. There we could choose a profession. I chose the specialty "Computer Operator". It connected me with computer equipment, and I realized that I did not want to be a lawyer. True, I can not say that I immediately decided to become a teacher. I was helped by my school teachers, who advised me to try, if there is a desire. I decided to try, entered and graduated from the pedagogical university of Nizhny Novgorod. (By the way, I did not regret a single day about my choice.) After that, I taught mathematics and computer science to children. In 2011, I was invited to one of Moscow’s private schools.
Several times I was offered to be a school principal, but this did not attract me. After some thought, I went to work as a teacher in projects - we trained users of the Unified Medical Information and Analytical System of the City of Moscow (EMIAS). So I stayed to work in the training center LANIT.
During the teaching of adult students, was there a feeling that some more and the ceiling?
We work with different courses. Each teacher has the opportunity to realize himself fully in related areas: learn new things, creating training materials for customers from the banking sector, the legal sphere, medicine, etc. There is no stagnation. In terms of capabilities, there is no ceiling either. Another thing is that a person can get fed up with work, get tired of it. I think that then you should not torture yourself or others. A teacher who is not himself inspired cannot inspire the listeners.
Teaching medical colleges to work at EMIAS
Is there a career ladder for teachers?
You can become a team leader who coordinates the work of colleagues. In our team, we try to change roles, so that everyone tries himself as a performer, implementer and coordinator. Therefore, we strive to select people who are able to quickly switch. I feel closer directly to the educational and methodical activities: from the development of materials to their broadcast audience.
Is it easy to teach IT professionals?
In adult learning the field is plowed. You can find a lot for yourself. Specialists come to courses with a certain amount of knowledge. The main task of the teacher is not only to teach, but not to destroy the person. If you impose your point of view, then there is a risk to deprive the listener of creativity in learning. Therefore, the process of forming a teacher is long. In addition to knowledge of the structure of employment, which consists of a motivational and substantive component, the reflexive-evaluative stage, it is important for him to maintain the desire to learn new things, including methods of working with the audience. Especially, it concerns motivation.
We often train people who are sent by companies without fail. It is good if such listeners have a learning goal that coincides with their inner motives. Ideally, they choose the training program themselves, but often this does not happen. Therefore, the task of the teacher is to make the learning of each person personally significant. Most are included in the process when the course solves their problem. In order to be able to pay attention to everyone, the optimal number of students in a group is 8-12 people.
How often do you study yourself? Are there any favorite topics that you study not for work, but for pleasure? Maybe you use something in practice?
I love to find something interesting on site building, but I do all projects only for myself. I have favorite blogs that I browse regularly. If I want to learn something ( the link “How to learn and not forget - fight with human nature” section ), then after class I try to review the records and complete the tasks, find a new task that can be solved with the use of new material. Man remembers only what his hands do.
And are you testing new techniques before you apply them in the audience?
In our department there are methodical days that we spend regularly. My colleagues and I share the groundwork. This is our test group. When I prepare for the course, I say everything: I decide, I think about what can be additionally given, if suddenly the group gets strong. I, as a teacher, should be ready for any eventuality.
The unexpected usually happens when you read a course for the first time and you still don’t know how it will go. Only after the first lesson, even if the teacher has rehearsed everything in advance, the accents will be set anew. Because any rehearsal is an equalization of the ideal situation, when the listeners answer the first time and correctly.
The group that Dmitri taught together with Alena Nadezhdina.
Do you have any courses that you like the most?
Like DJs on the radio, you can listen to your favorite music at home (laughs). Of course, each of us has courses that, by virtue of interests, are closer and dearer, but this does not interfere with broadcasting any other content. We have, when someone finds some kind of new chip, be sure to share it. And the peculiarity of the courses that our team is developing is that other teachers can read them. We can even teach teachers.
Case from the practice of teachers of the training center
It was on New Year's Eve. A listener studied from us from somewhere in Stavropol. Long studied. Month, and even more. And somehow a colleague comes up to me and says, they say, a valuable client, he finished the training, he has accumulated textbooks, he needs help - to load a couple of boxes with books into the car. Okay, I say, I will help, of course. Especially as the assistant promised. I think for two it would be better, what is there to carry. I go to class ... and there are boxes - a dozen and a half! Previously, such textbooks were sent from Germany, and each weighed 10-15 kg (with textbooks, of course). This mountain lies on the floor, filled to the limit and lovingly pasted over with scotch, and I don’t even have a cart to load it all.
The listener, perhaps, has compiled textbooks of all his colleagues, who have studied along with him. Maybe I also bought something as a gift to colleagues, I do not know. In general, I decided to gradually move to the exit with these boxes, and then the assistant would do.
As he could, he stole everything. I am waiting. Sweat pours from me. Suited promised "helper".
“Yeah,” I say. - Here are your boxes, take them!
“No,” he says. - I can not, my back hurts.
So I had to drag out all this to the car, and outside it was frost, wind, snow — beautiful.
I still remember this listener on New Year's Eve.
Sergey Tretyakov, Head of Direction
(Yes, our teachers prefer active recreation)
When did you have a desire to become a teacher?
When I finished school, I realized that I wanted to teach others. But, after talking with my mother, I chose the university without reference to teaching. My mother is from the first release of programmers. Since childhood, I remember how I came to the computer room, and there was "Ural 3" - one of the first computers installed at the university. In short, since childhood he was immersed in computer technology.
For almost 20 years I was engaged in science (physics), but part-time worked at the university. First, in the Polytechnic Institute he taught computer science silicate. By the way, this turned out to be the hardest students in terms of the level of preparation - hellish patience was required with them.
Then in his native university he conducted a special course on numerical modeling of physical processes. In science, he did a lot of computing on computers. Later, when I was already working at the University’s Information and Computing Center, I happened to be engaged in the implementation of a cluster of UNIX computers of Sun Microsystems and participate in the organization of an intercollegiate network. This was also useful in the work of our scientific group, for which operational information exchange was important. I myself am from Yekaterinburg, and part of our group was in Moscow.
After teaching computer science to future silicate workers, how much easier is it to work with IT professionals who have both strong training and experience behind them?
Training IT professionals differs from teaching students primarily in the manner. Students like a blank sheet, they are deprived of stereotypes. But on the courses in the "Network Academy" come students with experience. If the students have enough authority of the teacher, then for our students the authority does not count. But in principle, there are difficulties with university students, and with adult students of courses in training centers . Especially if a person has not done this before: for example, he was an English teacher, and then he decided to become an IT specialist. In the dashing 90s there were many of them. In the crisis year of 1998, many went abroad, and their specialties abroad were not in demand, which is why people made such a sharp transition. Of course, it was difficult for them mainly due to the lack of basic knowledge. But the humanities in the IT field have a chance of success. They even have some advantages, for example, when creating translators, languages, search engines. Here linguistics is needed, and people can find their niche.
The task of the teacher is to inspire and ensure complete immersion in the subject.
Inspiring others to learn, do you consider yourself a motivated person?
I have to keep up with the development of technology. The teaching profession differs from other professions in that it must be able to process large volumes of information in a short time and extract it from the knowledge read. It comes with experience. In my estimation, even a very good university student, who quickly learns and can do a lot, becomes a teacher, who can safely release one to an audience of any complexity, after no less than three years of practice, or even five.
Sometimes IT specialists want to become teachers. Once with such a very intelligent professional, we did a “flight” analysis after a trial lecture. He was very surprised when we explained to him what he had to do, except for the actual presentation of the material. In the end, he admitted that he did not understand how difficult the work of the teacher.
But, of course, if a person really wants to become a teacher, then he will almost certainly be able to. You only need a very, very strong desire. Somehow at the audition was my former student, with whom we later together engaged in scientific work. I invited him to become a teacher in our training center, and he agreed. After the trial lecture, all our teachers said that it was not suitable because of too low a voice. I nevertheless offered to give him a chance. One year later, in the classroom, he spoke in such a way that he could be heard throughout the entire training center, and then he became one of our leading teachers. By the way, he still successfully teaches.
How are training courses designed?
Our training center has its own development methodology, which has evolved over the years. But with the advent of new formats (for example, video, e-books), the methodology is changing. Modern cloud information technologies also have a strong impact on the methodology for the preparation of educational materials. For example, they used to install Microsoft Office and live with it for 10 years. Once learned and work. Now the situation has changed radically: there is Microsoft Office 365, which is installed from the cloud and in which changes can occur almost every day. Time for training is more and more pressed every year. Today, vendors and training centers are at a crossroads, because it is not entirely clear how to organize the process of continuous learning in practice. One day of training is at least 40 pages of material. The teacher can prepare eight pages per day. It turns out that a person will spend a week to spend one day of training. If the course is for five days, it will take five weeks. Plus, control and laboratory - this is another two weeks. Total - seven weeks. The course is ready, and the vendor has updated everything during this time.
And what to do?
Search options. Authorized training demonstrates stagnation, the initial “hunger” for IT knowledge has passed. It used to be, when personal computers began to appear in large numbers in homes and companies, there was a shortage of specialists to serve them. Therefore, it was necessary to quickly and efficiently prepare personnel. Vendors coped with this task and managed to make new training courses in accordance with the development of their products. Teachers received courses before the product entered the market. Over time, when the mass grew, and the personnel shortage was satisfied, the need for mass authorized training began to decline. This is the trend of the last five years. Vendors and training centers are rebuilt: they switch to electronic textbooks, laboratory work is transferred to the cloud - to data centers of training vendors. We also change the approach to the work of teachers. We have one person, applying video technologies and our knowledge control skills ( for more information, see the link in the section “Large selection of interactive educational materials is great. Or not?” ), Can conduct several courses in one class. Learning is becoming more dynamic, and you cannot stagnate in place, enjoying your success. It is necessary to explore and think, think and implement.
Case from the practice of teachers of the training center
I stood in the office for some kind of old copying machine, which, in response to my attempts to make a copy of the sheet, produced an error “E2”. I then, as an instructor, rarely visited the office and asked my colleague whether he knew what the mistake was. He, without hesitation for a second, said: "Probably, he works, but barely." The ability to approach problems solving with optimism is what I value most in our team. I must say that after this joke, they still helped me and I copied everything I needed.
Alena Nadezhdina, Team Leader
How did you decide to become a teacher in one of the most dynamic areas?
I had wonderful teachers of mathematics, physics and chemistry, looking at which I wanted to work in this field. I entered Ural State University in Yekaterinburg for mathemes, but there was a lot of theory and very little practice. It did not suit me. In parallel, I worked at the Russian State Vocational Pedagogical University at the Department of Informatics, where this practice was many times more. So I decided to transfer to where they taught to teach techies. After the end there and stayed.
How do techies differ from any other groups of trainees?
Technicians immediately want to touch everything. In addition, they need maximum algorithmization and visualization.
While studying, I worked as an assistant at the department, then at a commercial training center, and later transferred to the “Network Academy”. My listeners were first students, and only then adults. I had to combine the knowledge that they had with the knowledge they received during the course. Often, when they come to work after high school, students hear the common phrase: “Forget everything you were taught at the institute.” I am not a supporter of this approach. My approach is the task, try to apply everything that you know and know how, well, and learn new things.
What would you like to warn novice teachers in the field of IT?
Do not try to show that you are smarter than the audience - this is obviously a wrong way. We must try to give as much as possible the knowledge that you have, and get feedback from the audience. We still have this happening: for many years we have been teaching Excel classes, but sometimes there is someone in the class who says that he knows another way to solve the problem. This is a great option for mutual enrichment: you have learned a new thing, and the listener is pleased that the teacher accepts the idea, shares it with the audience.
Is there any difference in teaching one person and collecting a stadium?
When you teach one thing, this is an individual approach, in which you can work out everything clearly and accurately, repeat as much as a specific person needs. At the same time, there is a risk to deviate from the general theme of the course and focus exclusively on answering questions. When you just start teaching, it’s hard to control. Now I have the experience to “hold” the course: to keep the attention of the audience and to lead, to pass the material, without falling down in particular, etc.
In a large group of their own difficulties - you do not have time to "reach" to everyone: until you reach the last ones, the first ones are already bored. Therefore, in large audiences, this is more a show than a full-fledged training.
What devices / equipment help you teach?
In our training center for a long time, a complete set of materials necessary for conducting classes was settled. But now they have started using video, screencasts and simulators more often, which help to automatically test practical skills.
Does your profession allow you to express yourself, to reveal your abilities ?
Yes. In spite of the fact that I am currently teaching very little and miss this, I am realizing the work of the head of the department for developing educational materials.
My task is to plan, issue, monitor and take work on the development of teaching materials necessary for conducting courses. I myself am also in my role as a performer. I do not give the descent.
It seems to me that ambitious people do not work in our profession for a long time. Here everything is different, you do not measure either the status or the number of subordinates. Although each has its own implementation criteria. I belong to those people who do not choose idols, but with great respect for the professionals. I am a fan of Anton Makarenko. Among modern specialists who are published on the Internet, I watch the blog of Nikolay Pavlov - the author of a huge number of books on Excel.
How do you see your profession in the future?
Most have basic knowledge, but they are not structured. Therefore, people often strive not to get new knowledge, but to sort through the existing ones. For such listeners, tests have been developed, the results of which show that it is necessary to “patch”. The sequence of training is also thought out (by reference, the section “How to assimilate and not forget - we fight human nature”) . The task of the teacher is not to give knowledge, but to teach them to receive.
Do you feel that the student has a “crisis of the genre”? What are you doing in this case? What motivation really works?
If the teacher hears such phrases as “I am tired”, “stopped understanding”, “let's go back a little” - it is immediately clear that the listener needs help. It is necessary to pause or repeat what is not clear. But there is a situation when a person for some reason does not want to admit. Then you need to find an individual approach to it, clarify whether everything is clear, what to help with, and provoke the listener into action. Sometimes a regular joke is enough, but in order not to focus attention on someone concrete, it should be understandable not for one person, but for the whole group. This kind of motivation works great. Of course, there are cases that this does not save, a person simply does not have the vitality to do something. In my practice it is rare, but it happened that people just asked for leave from classes.
Case from the practice of teachers of the training center
In the year of 1996 a listener came to us from the Kuban village. He is told that the group has not met - August is in the yard, a holiday period, and it would be better to take a course at another training center. “No,” replies, “a guy from our village has studied with you, and I want to. Specially even took a vacation. We thought and agreed for him to read the course alone. In vain that a man tried. The stanichnik was delighted and decided that once the luck had smiled, one must take the bull by the horns and ... bought roller skates. Planned not only to learn, but also to see the capital.
“Asphalt in Moscow is good,” he reasoned. - It is necessary to have time.
The next day our Kuban Cossack came with a plastered hand. Rollers he bought, but about protection, apparently, did not think.
But the broken arm did not embarrass him, and if someone was interested in the cause of the fracture, he replied without a shadow of a smile: “Well, I didn’t do my homework.” Then we corresponded with this Kuban, sometimes he sent gifts from the south - nuts and apples.
Olga Tsapovskaya, teacher
What is it like to teach adults? Did you ever have to teach someone?
I used to work at the institute with ordinary students. I find it more interesting with adults because you don’t have time to get used to the group, more unexpected situations happen, a lot of variety.
Students have a habit of learning, i.e. a kind of learning stereotype. Adults are all different, each with his own charter: someone was forced to go to study at work, someone consciously came to the course, someone wondered, someone just had not studied for a long time and was interested in the process itself. Of course, when a person came for specific knowledge, he is motivated. It’s easy to work with such people.
What helps you conduct classes?
Now we are developing simulators. Interactive learning allows you to consolidate skills and test knowledge. The direction of gamification is gaining popularity - we are watching this, but we are not yet applying it in our curricula. Now we are working on the creation of an interactive component in distance learning. It is important for the listener to answer questions, do exercises and additional tasks, and not just watch the video.
How did you start teaching information technology? How many years have you been doing this?
I am an engineer by my first education, I worked in a scientific research institute. When my daughter went to the first class, and the question arose of what to do to be in time, I got a job at the institute at the department of information technology. I worked there for about six years, after which I began to think about pedagogy. I once had a desire for this, but I did not dare. In the end, it turned out that all the same came to this.
Olga (left) with colleagues during the solemn presentation of certificates of the training center to the best in the profession for the year.
Many people at a certain professional stage think about the possibility to go to the teachers. Do you think it is worth doing or not?
I advise you to try. For example, I know people who left school. Why not do it in the opposite direction. Here the inner attitude is important.
We have a reference book for teachers. In fact, this is a textbook that outlines the main differences in the process of adult learning. For example, it says that you need to respect the professional experience of students. If a person learns, this does not mean that he is not competent. Some, for example, are generally afraid to learn, because they did it last time a long time.The task of the teacher is to provide a comfortable environment. It is important to understand how a person feels among colleagues. Often adults are afraid to show that they don’t know something, they don’t know how to do it, or they think slowly. It is necessary to see such uncertain and support, so as not to hesitate to ask questions.
Teachers can teach not only in IT
. Which student question do you most often have to answer?
At the end of training, as a rule, they are interested in how to get even more knowledge, what courses we still have. People try to find something useful for themselves, some then continue to learn.
A source
Congratulations to all teachers on Teacher's Day, and we invite readers along with us to take part in a flash mob.
Right from these lines one can prepare to choose two out of ten facts about the “Network Academy LANIT” , which are fiction. The first ten participants who answered correctly, on October 5, on Thursday, we will present certificates for free training at one of the remote MS Office courses. We are confident that the gift will be useful to your colleagues, who probably often turn to you with requests in the spirit of "#yyprogrammer". Answers can be posted under this post.
10 facts about the "LANIT Network Academy". Which two of them are not true?
- In the "Network Academy" teach only information technology.
- "Network Academy" has already released more than 350,000 people.
- The symbol of the loyalty program of the training center is a circle.
- For all 22 years, “Network Academy” has never changed its address.
- In the "Network Academy" conducted the first in Russia training SCO UnixWare 7.
- "Network Academy" - the author of the format "Personal Education" in Russia.
- The “Network Academy” has employees who work from the moment of opening the center to this day.
- In 2010, in Washington, Steve Ballmer personally presented the Network Network Academy LANIT award as the most influential partner of Microsoft in the field of educational projects.
- The training center taught the “cyber pensioners” to work with the GIS utilities.
- The "Network Academy" has its own video studio.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/339346/
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