Virtuoso distance learning: "Magic is in Teachers’ Hands" competition recognized by the European expert public

Vocational teachers were amongst the prize winners in first-ever pandemic championship for distance learning in Serbia.

A dozen winners were chosen from the over 700 entries from almost 400 schools nationwide for The Magic in Teachers’ Hands Awards. “The response was overwhelming,” said Dušan Vasiljević, economic development adviser for NALED, a Serbian non-governmental organization that played a central role in implementing the competition. “It was a problem to evaluate all of the applications.”

Award winners offered many imaginative approaches, including board and video games, the organisation of a news agency, website creation, and the compilation of Coronavirus stories.

NALED took the lead in implementing the program. It received support from Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, the Institute for Improvement of Education, the Republic Secretariat for Public Policies, and Serbian Radio and Television. The development agency of the United States, USAID, and several private sponsors provided additional backing.

Details of the commended entries are available on a website (https://jpd.rs/istaknuta-resenja). The top 20, including the 12 winners, are featured on the landing page. “In September, if we go to online learning again, people can search the examples,” said Vasiljević.

Happy with the result in Serbia, Todorović stands ready to help people elsewhere who would like to establish their own awards programs. “We are ready to share good examples,” she said. “If somebody needs help, we are available.”

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