The cooperation between Orthodox young people and the Albanian-Kosovars continues. This cooperation has become a tradition since 1999 when they came to Albania to two reception camps where the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania had established a vast humanitarian program which helped 33,000 Kosovars. In addition to the camps which offered educational and fun activities for the children of the Kosovar families, a close cooperation developed with teachers from six schools where camps are now held each year. And they have the opportunity each year to be part of a modern training on teaching children.It is now the sixth year that the teachers of the schools of the Municipality of Malisheva have come to Albania to participate in a training on modern teaching methods for children. This training takes place with the blessing and support of Archbishop Anastasios. These teachers teach the children of the schools of their municipality where the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania every summer holds camps for children.
This year the training was held 8-10 November 2013, on “The Multiple Intelligences Theory and its Application in Teaching”. Twenty-one teachers from six schools in Kosovo and seven teachers from Albania were participants in this program. The teachers from Albania are participants in camps in Kosovo that take place during the summer. This training was organized by the Central Children’s Office of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, the speakers were Dr. Kathy Koch (through videos) and M. Nathan Hoppe.
On the first day of the training the presentation was on the theory of Multiple Intelligences. The topic was presented that intelligence is multilateral and that everyone is endowed with some intelligence. The human brain is shaped and has plasticity characteristics. Intelligences can be formed. Intelligence is a dynamic product of experience and of genetic predisposition. On the first day the implications that multiple intelligences and brain plasticity have on our work as teachers and students was also discussed. After the first session, the work in groups took place in which the teachers shared with each other their thoughts and experiences about what was discussed during the session.
On the second day, the first chapter of the book ‘How Am I Smart?’ was discussed. Ms. Kathy Koch explained that identity controls behavior, and that if this is true, how does it affect our work with the students? How does the student change the perception of himself to the question How Am I Smart? rather that How Smart Am I? The more intelligence children use together, the more effective will be their learning and development. Children often have problems because of the misuse of their strong points. These and many other ideas were discussed in relation to teaching children.
The first two days of the training took place in Tirana, while the last day was an excursion to Durrës. They made their first stop in the beautiful Monastery of Saint Vlash, where they were welcomed by Mr. Dhimitër Qosja, who explained to them the Monastery’s infrastructure. The participants heard the story of the Monastery’s church, before and after communism and the reconstruction of this Monastery in the years of democracy. They heard that the Church of Saint Vlash was the first religious building that was destroyed by order of the Communist government. As always everyone was amazed by the beautiful scenery of the Monastery and its surroundings.
The participants were invited to visit the Children’s “Home of Hope”. Children live in this house that come from families with different problems and the Orthodox Church cares for their growth and education. The children presented some songs and poems to the participants and all the teachers were in tears while watching and listening to the beautiful voices of these children, who reflected how many have been trained in their various intelligences. Then they all had lunch in the Theological Academy canteen where songs echoed and the voices of the teachers united in singing so beautifully to Albania and Kosovo. After lunch the teachers visited the library of the Theological Academy and after this they went to see some historical sites in the city of Durrës.
Some of the teachers of the Malisheva Municipality: the director of the “Naim Frashëri” school, Mr. Izet Shala, and a teacher of this school, Mr. Agim Telaku, and a teacher from the “17 Shkurti” school, Mr. Rexhep Begaj, expressed on behalf of all participants that this training had been a great opportunity to grow in knowledge and to repeat once again firmly in our minds the multiple intelligences of children with whom we work. They were grateful to the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania and to Archbishop Anastasios for this wonderful opportunity. They did not forget to mention the fact that they began their journey from Malisheve with many greetings from children and parents for all the Albanian teachers, who every year conduct the children’s camps in Kosova. The director of the “Naim Frashëri” school, Mr. Izet Shala, said that the camps help our children in learning new things and get entertained during the holidays.
The Central Children’s Office
