Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, an organization associated with C Líder: Centro Asociativo para el Liderazgo Educacional, led by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, is executing the third version of the Diploma in Leadership for Continuous Improvement for JUNJI VTF Kindergarten Directors. In this opportunity, the program is training a total of 49 professionals, of which 22 are part of the Local Public Education Service of Valparaíso. In addition, professionals from DAEM San Felipe, Santa María and San Esteban are also participating.
The objective of the program is to develop leadership skills for continuous improvement in directors and educators of kindergartens and nursery schools via transfer of funds (VTF) and coordinators of kindergarten education, belonging to the participating sponsors. The Diploma is developed in hybrid mode, with virtual and face-to-face meetings.
"Educational communities face important challenges in this stage of learning reactivation. This diploma course allows us to broaden the tools available to principals and their teams to prioritize these challenges. By addressing an urgent challenge, new learning is achieved that allows them to move forward to address the next priority," said the executive director of C Líder and Líderes Educativos PUCV, Carmen Montecinos.
Currently, the participants are executing the second module of the program. In the first module, they worked on the identification of a real problem and carried out an analysis of the causes, using institutional instruments of kindergarten education. In the current module, they identify ideas for change or actions that will allow them to improve a pedagogical need in their kindergarten or nursery. In addition, they create indicators to monitor their implementation and make decisions that promote the gradual but sustained improvement of the prioritized needs.
According to Lorena Espinoza, academic coordinator of the Diploma Course of the Transfer Area of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, "it is not possible to improve that which cannot be measured, this is a phrase from the book "Learning to Improve "*. Decision-making based on data is fundamental, from the interpretation of these data, reflections are generated, lessons are learned and planning is promoted to generate adjustments and changes. Therefore, we believe it is important for the directors to have the tools to interpret the data, make decisions and promote change".
The course lasts 75 chronological hours and the directors participate in theoretical and practical sessions, mentoring and reflection and design activities. The 3 face-to-face sessions, which take place throughout the program, allow participants to strengthen reflection on the progress of their improvement projects, and to share experiences in order to make adjustments based on the learning that emerges from the design and execution of the projects.
According to Solange Fredes, technical pedagogical coordinator of the VTF kindergartens and nursery schools of the Local Public Education Service of Valparaíso, the diploma course is an excellent opportunity for the educational teams "because, as educators, we must be constantly improving our educational practices, whose impact will directly benefit our children".
