Trainings
Training and the creation of computer literate human resources in Armenia make up an integral part of our mission. Training of the site staff, teachers, pupils, and community members in reality is the first step towards all educational reform efforts. It is through the trainings that we plan on enhancing the application of ICT resources in the educational process, and giving access for networking, collaboration, and professional development opportunities.
“Harmony” Information Technologies and Education Development Foundation has undertaken the implementation of technical trainings of the site staff working in the Internet Computer Centers (ICC) created within the framework of ASCP. We organize, facilitate, monitor, and evaluate three types of technical trainings: Web Design, Network Administration, and Basic training, all of which consist of practical and theoretical components. “Harmony” Foundation has one Regional Trainer in each region of Armenia, who performs the administration of Basic trainings out in each region.
Web Design training consists of 12 comprehensive classes, which are being held in Yerevan. The objective of Web Design trainings is to enable the creation of school websites and the development of the Armenian language web resources. The training incorporates such topics as browsers, screen resolutions, advanced HTML editors, digital images, color modes, image processing software, DHTML, Flash technology, hyperlinks, encoding, web servers, and etc. Our staff have trained more than 500 people in Web Design, as a result 195 schools throughout Armenia have started to create and currently continue to develop their school web sites. “Harmony” Foundation not only conducts, monitors, and evaluates Web Design trainings but beyond all that provides intensive support and consultations to the site staff in the creation and development of school web resources.
Network Administration training consists of 15 comprehensive classes, which give the participants basic knowledge about network setup, network troubleshooting, and security. The course focuses on Network and Desktop OS installation and configuration, hardware support, OS and Network management tools, different file systems, printing services, DHCP, DNS and WINS servers, network services and security, connectivity devices, RAS, domain administration, mail servers, Windows active X, and etc. According to the statistical data, our specialists have trained more than 350 people in Network Administration.
Basic computer skills training is being conducted by the Regional Trainers out in the regions. The training consists of 10 comprehensive classes and has the objective to give knowledge to the participants in basic MS Windows and MS Office operations (MS Word, MS Excel, MS Power Point), Internet Explorers, antiviral and archiving programs, and e-mail. The training also incorporates such topics as Windows 2000/XP installation, Local Area Network, working with network devices and types, file and printer sharing, workgroups, installation of the Network card, drivers, TCP/IP protocol, etc.
Our Regional Trainers have trained more than 450 site staff, who in their turn are facilitating such like trainings in their school ICCs and are training school teachers, pupils, community members in basic computer operations. The number of trained people in Basic training for 2003-2005 constitutes more than 160,000 people. Basic computer literacy opens Internet Access to the attention of educational community with all its educational resources.
To estimate the effectiveness of the trainings at the end of each training sessions we do testing and evaluation, which helps us to estimate the measurable outcomes of our efforts.
Computer literacy of school faculty and the availability of school web resources may serve as a solid foundation for collaborative international work and for establishing partnerships with schools and curriculum developers throughout the world.
“Harmony” Foundation plans on considerably increasing the number of trained people in the prospect of coming years.
