Speaker 1:
Prof. RNDr. Ivan Kalaš, PhD., Department of Informatics Education, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Ivan Kalas is a professor of Informatics Education. For more than 20 years, he concentrates on developing Informatics (Computing) curricula for preschool, primary and secondary stages, developing textbooks and other teaching/learning materials for Informatics and ICT in education. Professor Kalas is also interested in strategies for developing digital literacy of future and in-service teachers and enhancing learning processes through digital technologies.
Professor Kalas works at the Department of Informatics Education, Comenius University, Bratislava where he leads educational research and doctoral school in the field of Technology Enhanced Learning. Professor Kalas is co-author of several educational software environments for children, which have dozens of localizations throughout the world and are being used in thousands of schools.
Since 2008, professor Kalas is a member of the International Advisory Board of the Microsoft Partners in Learning programme. Since 2009, he is a member of the Governing Board of the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education. In 2010, professor Kalas conducted an analytical study for UNESCO titled Recognizing the potential of ICT in early childhood education. Since 2013, he is a Visiting Professor of the Institute of Education, University of London.

Lecture: TEACHERS CAUGHT IN THE DIGITAL NET

Annotation. I will pursue the topic, which is rather annoying – sometimes discussed too much, sometimes ignored, but always crippled by education policy makers and misunderstood by media: I will talk about understanding and discovering the potential of digital technologies to support the learning processes and complex development of our children (in particular, in kindergartens, primary, and secondary schools).
Productive integration of these technologies to support learning (on purpose I did not say teaching) does not advance as smoothly and quickly as we believed (and promised to everybody) some ten or twenty years ago. Is it good? Is it wrong? Did we overestimate the importance of new technologies? Did we fail in convincing others of their potential? Or did we completely miss the point?
I will ponder on the reasons, which obstruct and retard more vigorous exploitation of that potential. I will comment on actual trends, successes and failures in some other countries. I will also briefly present some of the projects I am currently involved in. My plan is to fiddle with one or two provocative ideas and give time to discuss them with the audience.

Speaker 2:
Assoc. Prof. Iveta Scholtzová, PhD., Faculty of Education University of Prešov in Prešov, Prešov, Slovak Republic

Associate professor in the Department of Mathematical Education, Faculty of Education, University of Prešov. She teaches mathematical disciplines in the field of Preschool and Elementary Education, Bachelor's degree program of Preschool and Elementary Education and Master's degree program of Teaching in the Primary Education. Her research interests include: comparative study of primary mathematics in Slovakia and abroad, philosophical and curricular transformation of mathematical training of pre-elementary and elementary teachers, cognitive aspects of mathematical education, incorporation of combinatorics, probability and statistics to primary education.

Lecture: DETERMINANTS OF PRIMARY MATHEMATICS EDUCATION - A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT

Annotation. The results of the international surveys TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) and PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) indicate average or even below average performance of Slovak students in mathematics or numeracy compared with the OECD countries and other partner countries. Curricular transformation of primary education bring about some open issues and challenges also for primary mathematics education. The ever present question is: who, what, how and why determines the mathematical education on the primary level. To find the answers, it is necessary to analyse the existing situation in Slovakia in comparison with the data obtained from abroad.

Speaker 3:
Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Mária Kmeťová, PhD., Faculty of Natural Sciences Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic

Mária Kmeťová is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics of Faculty of Natural Sciences Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. She teaches geometrical disciplines as Analytical and Constructive Geometry, Computer Geometry and Geometric Modelling for students of mathematics teaching and applied informatics. Her research interests are Mathematics Education, Geometry and Computer Graphics.

Lecture: FROM PROJECTIVE GEOMETRY TO COMPUTER GRAPHICS

Annotation. In the lecture we will study the segment of geometry dealing with concept of infinity, the origin of the projective geometry and follow-through the way which leads to geometric modelling of special curves and surfaces in computer graphics.