The Roberto Rocca Technical Schools Network hosted a new edition of the Ongoing Training program (FoCo in Spanish), an opportunity to reflect on the changing role played by teachers in the classroom, the challenges presented by pedagogical proposals today, and how to continue enhancing students’ learning processes. Additionally, over ninety teachers and coordinators from the Roberto Rocca After School program in four countries were also able to attend a week’s training at the FoCo.
FoCo (Formación Continua in Spanish) is the Ongoing Training program held for teachers working at the Roberto Rocca Technical Schools (ETRRs), an initiative designed to help them strengthen their teaching approach, reflect on teaching practices in general, and grow together as an educational community.
The course itself is held in February and various aspects of the issues covered are deepened throughout the year in learning communities.
Efrén Castillo, Director of the Pesquería ETRR, pointed out that, “Dedicating a full week to this initiative is a game-changer for our institution, as it helps us to evolve and consolidate our identity as a learning community. The continuous professional development we offer our teachers directly translates into student growth, equipping them with the skills they need to pursue impactful projects in the future.”
Teachers and staff of the ETRR Campana.
Mariana Albarracín, Director of the Campana ETRR, shared her view that, “At our technical schools, students embark on different trajectories, according to different interests and their own objectives, building knowledge from their experiences as they grow. Their journey is designed in collaboration with their teachers, as together they can co-create projects and find meaning in every question asked.”
Teachers and staff of the ETRR Campana.
360° education
The teaching role at the Roberto Rocca Technical Schools transcends the mere transmission of theoretical and practical knowledge. Grounded in professional and human excellence, with a deep understanding of their discipline and core values, the role of the ETRR educator is to create positive, vibrant and engaging learning environments, encouraging children to develop critical thinking skills and create new ideas. Equally important is the space given to nurturing social-emotional skills, such as teamwork, autonomy, responsibility, communication and leadership.
The FoCo proposal is based on three pedagogical lines common to the ETRR Network: Community learning, Active learning and Social-emotional learning. “As part of this program, we create opportunities to engage with specialists who inspire and collaborate with us, focusing on the pillars of our pedagogical model,” commented Academic Vice Director, Tatiana Gadea.
The curriculum includes practical workshops offering teachers the opportunity to put into practice everything they have learned, followed by instances for individual and collective reflection where they can reflect on their learnings.
Mónica Martínez, Deputy Academic Director of the Pesquería ETRR emphasized that, “FoCo 2024 Week was designed to boost collaboration among academic, technical, and staff teams, reinforcing a unified vision of our identity as a school network. The initiative underscores the impact we have on our students while encouraging us to pursue a strong commitment to continuous improvement.”
At the Campana ETRR
The agenda of activities included presentations by education experts who shared the latest trends and developments in the field with the school’s teachers. One such expert was Cecilia Veleda, who has a PhD in Sociology of Education, and is an expert in educational governance, educational inequalities and teacher training. “Continuous training is crucial for teachers, as the initial years of education merely lay the groundwork for a profession facing global challenges. Four years of training is insufficient, making ongoing professional development vital. Particularly, school-based continuous training enables educators to connect and collaborate in order to enhance teaching methodologies," she said.
Bermando Blejmar, a graduate in Educational Sciences and a fellow at the Brandeis University of Boston, gave a talk on the co-creation and management of transformative projects in the learning space. “This proposal is about trying to see students as individuals, in the understanding that we as teachers have a duty to recognize and nurture the desires and talents lying within each child. This approach ensures that, beyond the mere acquisition of knowledge, students develop a deep motivation to learn,” he noted.
Other speakers included Graciela Cappelletti, who has a PhD in Education and Master’s in Didactics, and Cecilia Cancio, a Pedagogical Sciences graduate with a Master’s in Cognitive Psychology and Learning.
FoCo on the ETRR Campana.
At the Pesquería ETRR
During the week, the efforts made by the community centered on encouraging reflection about the social-emotional aspect. The emphasis was on creating and practicing engaging and meaningful educational experiences that bolster social-emotional learning. This approach actively involves students, giving them a voice and opportunities for collaboration.
The event featured presentations by external experts, such as Éder Estrada, who teaches at the Tecnológico de Monterrey and gave a highly dynamic and practical talk, providing participants with generative AI tools from the educational field to enhance student learning. The talk was also an opportunity to reflect on current teaching practices and the advantages offered by working with this technology in daily life.
Towards the close of the FoCo, teachers and technicians toured the Ternium Research & Development Center, visiting the laboratories to find out more about different industrial processes. The main aim was to see how students can learn about these processes in the subjects taught at school through the development of impactful projects.
Rethinking and recreating
The meetings brought together teachers from Technical Areas, Math, Language Practices and Physical Education, and even members from the admin areas, who were invited to sit down together to rethink the adventure of educating children in a world in constant change.
FoCo made it possible for the teaching, pedagogical and guidance teams to share best practices and expand their outlook, with the aim of continuing to build a better school for everyone.” Paula Perticari, Pedagogical Coordinator of the Campana ETRR."
“From global planning between networks to the local construction of experiences, this edition focuses on further strengthening our institutional vision. We’re emphasizing training in social-emotional strategies so that we are better able to address the issues that our teenagers are struggling with. We’re also exploring active methodologies and new educational scenarios involving AI, while challenging existing paradigms to embrace these new trends. To achieve this, we created spaces for collaborative work among academies as well as opportunities for individual reflection, all designed to foster socialization and enrich the week’s learning experiences,” explained Jéssica Acosta, the Pedagogical Coordinator at the Pesquería ETRR.
Darío Pena, who teaches in the Technical Area of the Campana ETRR, added that, “This program gives us the chance to share our classroom and workshop experiences and to listen to each other, which is immensely enriching for everyone involved. For example, as a Technical area teacher, interacting with theater or art teachers has allowed me to discover and develop new skills, such as how to integrate the recreational aspects of a project to facilitate specific learning outcomes for students.”
FoCo on the Pesquería ETRR.
The space that the FoCo week offers for training and collaborative work between teachers and academies helps to build a solid and cohesive educational community. We take advantage of every opportunity to further our skills, exchange knowledge and create projects that encourage our students to develop their interdisciplinary potential. Karina Lara, Academic Language Coordinator of the Pesquería ETRR."
Roberto Rocca After School teachers and coordinators joined the latest edition of FoCo
In February this year, over ninety teachers and coordinators involved in the Roberto Rocca After School Program received Ongoing Training at the program’s facilities in Argentina (Campana and Ramallo), Brazil (Pindamonhangaba), Colombia (Cartagena) and Uruguay (Montevideo), exploring the most important aspects of the program's educational model.
For Project-Based Learning (PBL) activities, a hybrid training scheme was rolled out to give participants access to the material available on the Roberto Rocca Educational Campus before taking part in face-to-face group activities at each location.
During the week, the topics dealt with the challenge of strengthening the effectiveness of PBL, Reading Club, Literacy, and Math teaching methodologies, an approach that also involved sharing success stories from the communities.
The Roberto Rocca After School team from Pindamonhangaba (Brazil) attended FoCo.