EXTERNAL SEMINAR-MEETING ON PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICE AT SCHOOL

On February 22, 2019 Gymnasium No. 81 “Astana English School” hosted an ENU’s seminar on the theme: “NEW DIFFERENCEs IN THE ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT OF PEDAGOGICAL PLACEMENT IN TERMS OF UPDATED EDUCATION”. The purpose of the event was to identify the requirements and tasks of the updated educational content and to discuss topical issues that arise during the period of professional practice of ENU students.

The seminar was organized by the Career and Business Partnerships Department of the Department of Academic Affairs and the Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department of the L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. The seminar was attended by representatives of the university, schools, partners and employers. The event was held on the basis of the branch of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department – Gymnasium No. 81 “Astana English School”, headed by Gulnar Sadykova.

The seminar-meeting touched upon issues on student teaching practice in the framework of the updated educational program, opportunities, problems and ways of their solution. 

The program of the seminar-meeting was opened by the Deputy Director of the Department of Academic Affairs of the L.N. Gumilyov ENU Sholpan Akhmetova with her welcoming speech during which she invited all the participants of the seminar-meeting to active discussions. The representative of the university management told the school teachers about the innovations and changes that are taking place today in the system of higher education and at the L.N. Gumilyov ENU, in particular, in the development of education programs for training teachers.

Further, the representative of the management of Gymnasium 81 – Deputy Director for foreign languages Kuanysh Kozhanova presented to the audience a video about the gymnasium for gifted children and made a presentation on the requirements of the school for students attending teaching practice in specialized secondary education institutions.

The work of the seminar-meeting was continued by Head of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department of L.N.Gumilyov ENU Zhanargul Beisembaeva with her report “Topical Issues in the Organization and Conduct of Teaching Placement.” The report covered all types of professional practices reflected in the ENU educational program for training school and university teachers of foreign languages within undergraduate and postgraduate programs, as well as the problems faced by the departments and schools that take students to practice in the process of organizing and conducting all kinds of professional placement.

Then, the following representatives of higher and secondary educational institutions made their reports: “Teaching Students to Practice in Terms of the Updated Content of Education”  by Sagynysh Chukeyeva, a Computer Science Teacher of School-Lyceum No. 54 of Astana; “Features of the Organization of Training Based on the Updated Program at School” by Orynbasar Sharipova, a Senior Lecturer of the Social Pedagogy and Self-Knowledge Department of the L.N. Gumilyov ENU; “New Methods of Teaching Practice at School” by Shakhnoza Ibragimova, an English teacher of School-Gymnasium №74 of Astana; “Strengthening Ties between University and School” by Kulziya Bekisheva, a Computer Science Teacher of School-Lyceum No. 56 of Astana.

Head of the Career and Business Partnership Department Laura Aldasheva, moderator of the seminar-meeting, invited all participants to active discussions on the current issues being discussed in organizing and conducting professional practice at school. The discussions were attended by ENU teachers in charge of the professional placement of Computer Science and History of Kazakhstan departments. Russian language and literature teacher of Gymnasium 22 – also a branch of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department – Aihul Rakhimova noted the interest of ENU students of specialties “Russian Philology” and “Foreign Languages” in school work and their willingness to become school teachers.

The head of the ENU practice Ural Kilibayeva announced to the participants of the seminar-meeting suggestions and recommendations that were made in the reports and discussions, namely:

1. In order to organize and conduct professional practice on the basis of secondary schools, we recommend partner schools to consider the possibility of opening a “trainee room” for university students equipped with personal computers and free access to the Internet space. The trainee room or office will allow students to conduct not only the whole day at work, but also to prepare for classes, use Internet resources, conduct methodological seminars and discussions under the guidance of a teacher-mentor.

2. We suggest introducing a “school day” / “day of practice” into the academic calendar of educational programs for training university and school teachers for better organization of professional practice in secondary schools, for more in-depth involvement of students of pedagogical specialties in the educational and pedagogical process at school.

3. We propose to consider the organization of all types of professional practice with a separation from the educational process, as a rule, before the start of the academic semester. Such an approach will also allow students to take a more detailed approach to professional practice as well as will allow them to take an active part not only in organizing the educational process at school, but also in extracurricular, educational and social work with school students.

4. It is recommended to involve experienced teachers of secondary schools, the bases of ENU professional practice for reading for students of pedagogical educational programs some compulsory and elective courses on the organization of the educational process in the system of secondary education, assessment criteria and school documentation. 

After a joint photo, all participants of the seminar-meeting were offered a tour around the Gymnasium.

Municipal and public institution “Gymnasium No. 81“Astana English School” under the Astana Akimat was founded in 2015 and specializes in subject training of schoolchildren in English. The staff of the gymnasium includes 12 foreign teachers – native English speakers, who work with schoolchildren both in elementary and graduate classes.

The cooperation of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department with Astana English School began in February last year, when the best students of the gymnasium became winners of the IELTS Olympiad held by the Department on February 2, 2018 among schoolchildren from 25 secondary schools in Astana. On April 6, 2018, the foreign teacher of the gymnasium Robertus Hendricus Murrer made a presentation at the annual International seminar of the department.

     The close cooperation resulted in negotiations between the leadership of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department and the management of the gymnasium on the possibility of signing an agreement on cooperation in organizing professional practice and opening a branch of the department in Astana English School.

    The gymnasium currently has 12 speakers of English and other foreign languages. The management of the department suggested the gymnasium signing a cooperation agreement to organize training, teaching and pre-diploma practice on the basis of the specialized gymnasium, as well as to consolidate cooperation of the two structures by signing an agreement on opening a branch at Astana English School.

     By order of Rector of L.N. Gumilyov ENU No.147-p dated February 04, 2019 “Gymnasium No. 81 “Astana English School” was approved as a branch of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department.