Príspevok DDD in source code je zobrazený ako prvý na PosAm.

Not only the CDI finalist, but all of the nominated teachers have one characteristic in common: for them, the classes definitely do not end with the school bell. They see their job as a mission and educate and prepare students for domestic and international competitions outside of regular classes. “All of these teachers deserve enormous appreciation. This year, we agreed on the three finalists quickly, but selecting only one of them was very difficult. Each of them could be the absolute winner,” says chairman of the jury Martin Plesch.

The jury finally selected Zdenka Baxová who teaches physics at the Ľ. Štúr Grammar School in Trenčín. However, she is devoted not only to ordinary physics, but specializes in astronomy. She has been helping her students discover the peculiarities of the Universe for nearly 35 years. At school, she managed to build a kind of astronomical observatory and raise top astronomers. “Today, three of my former students are studying at Cambridge. Peter Kosec, for example, was writing articles for scientific journals since first grade and today he is completing his doctoral studies there. I always say that maybe in several years we will have to rewrite physics text books because of him,” Zdenka Baxová praised her students.

The second finalist, Angelika Hanesz, teaches information technology in the small village of Buzica near Košice. After school, she builds unique Lego robots with pupils at the Primary School with Hungarian as the language of instruction, but also at a secondary school in Košice. With her students she then participates in robotics competitions all over the world. In 2018, they even filed a patent application for one of their robotic solutions. They have invented a method for detecting wall water pipe failures.

For nearly 50 years of his career as a teacher, Ivan Hnát raised many chemists, scientists, medical students and pharmacists. Approximately 10,000 students passed through his hands, he wrote several textbooks and collections of tests and worked for the Chemistry Olympiad right from the first year of its existence. Mr. Hnát is not resting in retirement either. He is working on a Collection of Chemistry Calculations and Tests intended for those preparing for entrance tests to universities. Even today he teaches students in private and both students and teachers call him when they are having difficulty solving demanding calculations.

The third edition brought some changes

The Dionýz Ilkovič Award has been awarded for the third time. In the first two years, it was awarded by the Slovak IT company PosAm, which was the initiator of the project. This edition was organized by the newly-established Dionýz Ilkovič Foundation (NDI). The foundation aims to support teachers of natural sciences devoted to out-of-school activities to a wider extent, in a way that would go beyond mere granting of the award. “Our desire is to help create such conditions in Slovakia that would motivate teachers to be fully devoted to developing talented children, where as many young people as possible would be interested in natural sciences,” says Marián Marek, chairman of the NDI Board of Directors. Activities of the Foundation are aimed at natural sciences including mathematics, physics, information technology, chemistry or even robotics. “Natural sciences move our society forward. They are behind every huge invention. If Slovakia does not want to be merely a country of assemblers, we have to support children who are interested in natural sciences. They are the ones who will bring added value in the future and, if we manage to keep them in Slovakia, then they will ensure jobs as well,” adds Robert Mistrík, member of the NDI Board of Directors.

The third annual edition of the Dionýz Ilkovič Award saw 36 high-quality nominations for 32 exceptional teachers, which is more than in the previous year. Finalists selected by professional jury will remember the ceremonial evening also thanks to a statuette named Flame of Knowledge, produced by academic sculptor Eva Ptfajová, daughter of Dionýz Ilkovič, as well as donations in kind. They also shared a bonus payment of € 6,000.

Award named after Professor Ilkovič

The award is named after a significant Slovak scientist. In 1934, Dionýz Ilkovič derived the relation between the polarographic diffusion current, the concentration of a solution and the characteristics of a dropping mercury electrode. Today it is known as the Ilkovič equation. At that time, he was a member of the team lead by Nobel Prize winner Jaroslav Heyrovský. Professor Dionýz Ilkovič was a significant Slovak physicist and world-renowned scientist whose teaching style became legendary for his students and colleagues.

The Dionýz Ilkovič Award is intended for teachers and non-educating staff members from primary and secondary schools who are devoted to out-of-school activities related to mathematics, physics, information technology and chemistry.

Príspevok The Dionýz Ilkovič Award 2019 went to a physics and astronomy teacher from Trenčín je zobrazený ako prvý na PosAm.

For the past two years the Dionýz Ilkovič Prize was a project of PosAm, a Slovak technological company. However, starting from 2019 the organization and development role will be assumed by the Dionýz Ilkovič Foundation.  Its aim is to reward and motivate outstanding teachers but also to emphasize the need for high-quality preparation of students.

Marián Marek, the CEO of PosAm and the promoter of the establishment of the Foundation, is inviting everybody who would like to help teachers not only morally but also materially to join the project. “CDI is close to our hearts and we want it to change gradually from mainly moral recognition to systemic help for both teachers and the school system. To achieve it, we need more partners who will bring inspiration and new ideas, as well as money. This is the reason why we have decided to create a foundation which everyone sharing the same belief may join.”

So in the future the Foundation may provide financial support to both students and teachers when performing their activities at home as well as at international competitions. “We have a lot of great teachers here in Slovakia thanks to whom students perform exceptionally well at international competitions, in spite of the fact that there is often a huge difference in the conditions and the background which various teams have. For example, if we could provide our students and teachers with better technical equipment and support them also with a suitable form of compensation for the time they spend developing young talent in their free time, it would be great news for Slovak science and for the whole of Slovakia as well since we desperately need smart young people,” says another member of the Supervisory Board, a scientist and former presidential candidate, Mr Robert Mistrík.

Alphabetical list of members of the Supervisory Board of the Dionýz Ilkovič Foundation:

Mgr. Michaela Benedigová, PhD., MBA – CEO of SEESAME Communication Experts

PaedDr. Jozef Beňuška, PhD. – teacher of physics

Dr. Radoslav Danilák – hardware architect and CEO of Tachyum

Ing. Marián Marek – CEO of PosAm, spol. s.r.o.

Dr. Ing. Robert Mistrík – Slovak scientist, CEO of HighChem s.r.o.

Eva Potfajová – academic sculptor and daughter of Dionýz Ilkovič

Lucia Šicková – co-founder of PIXEL FEDERATION

There are a lot of great teachers and they should be joined

Together with the Foundation, a teachers´ community called CDI Alumni is being formed which will associate both past and future CDI laureates as well as competition judges. “We want to keep building such a community of teachers around CDI which has the potential to identify challenges and to propose solutions based on verified positive examples. At the same time, we also want to provide an added value for the teachers themselves,” says the academic supervisor and the CDI jury chairman, Martin Plesch from the Institute of Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. “We want to offer the teachers in CDI Alumni the possibility to participate in workshops where they may learn new information and inspiration for work with talented youth at least once a year,” Martin Plesch continues. CDI laureates often do not know one another, so they will have a communication platform available only to them where they may share experience, ask their colleagues for advice, solve challenging tasks or just boast of their success and motivate others.

Nominations for the third year of the Dionýz Ilkovič Prize have been launched

The Dionýz Ilkovič Prize 2019 will be awarded to the winner at a ceremony held on 7 November 2019. In addition to material prizes, the finalists will share a financial reward amounting to EUR 6,000. Teachers may be nominated at www.cenadi.sk where all other information about the Prize may be found. “In the previous years we received almost 70 unique nominations in total. However, we know that there are many more exceptional teachers in Slovakia and we believe that their students, colleagues or families will find the time to appreciate their work,” Martin Plesch adds.

Príspevok High-quality platform for talented pupils, students and their teachers je zobrazený ako prvý na PosAm.

Early November was the time of culmination of the second year of the Dionýz Ilkovič Award, which is awarded to teachers of mathematics, computer science, chemistry and physics for their contribution to the development of extracurricular activities. These pedagogues not only teach classes, but they also dedicate themselves to the most talented pupils in their free time, often until late in the evening. The laureate was Ľubomír Konrád, a teacher from Žilina. We received multiple nominations in the competition with his name. “We have smart kids, we can find them, we can attend to them, but all this depends on the work of few enthusiastic teachers. We don’t see any significant support from the state here. It’s different abroad,“ says Konrád, adding that gratitude and appreciation is something very special and valuable for teachers who work with pupils above and beyond their duties. It’s a rare occurrence for them. “Winning the Dionýz Ilkovič Award is a motivation for me. A difficult, but also the most important part of a teacher’s work is to include into the teaching of new knowledge the familiarization of pupils with the practical use of the knowledge they learn in school, by developing their skills and cultivating critical thinking. And all this can be done only by a teacher who is not only educated and conscious, but particularly motivated.”

The best three

The expert jury assessing the applications of the nominated was chaired by a young Slovak scientist, the President of the global organization International Young Physicists’ Tournament, Docent Martin Plesch from the Slovak Academy of Sciences. “Teachers are used to working for low wages and without adequate social recognition. However, they can not be expected to work like this in the long-term beyond the scope of their duties, in their free time and in the field, which also requires them to educate themselves constantly and to work on themselves. This award is an attempt to appreciate such people at least a little bit, socially but also financially,” explains Martin Plesch.

The Dionýz Ilkovič Award received dozens of nominations this year. The jury chose three finalists. This year, in addition to Ľubomír Konrád from Gymnasium Veľká Okružná 22 in Žilina, also Iveta Štefančinová, who teaches physics at the Prešov Gymnasium of Ján Adam Rayman, and Jana Plichtová, who teaches computer science and robotics at Gymnasium Alejová 1 in Košice.

Ľubomír Konrád: A physics teacher well known beyond the school’s walls

He has been walking in the same hallways his entire life. On the blackboard, where he now explains his physics curriculum to the pupils, he once used to calculate maths problems as a pupil. He has been teaching for 25 years and occasionally reminisces about the beginnings – with a smile on his face, but the bitterness in his voice reveals that they were not the easiest. “It’s worth it to work with youth and to invest energy there. Unfortunately, the results take time. The beginning is difficult – you can’t see the work done, or any positives. But that comes with time. It’s enough that, after a couple of years, former pupils start to show up to thank you; they remember you, which is nice.”

What he sees today are the many faces of students who have succeeded in competitions in Slovakia and abroad. Over the past ten years he and his students have won several medals from the International Physics Olympiad and the European Olympiad. Students of Žilina Gymnasium were three-time members of the Slovak team that participated in the international round of the Experimental Physics Olympiad.

Ľubomír Konrád is well-known at the school for his friendly attitude towards students, but especially for his expertise. Some students who were interested in physics at primary schools chose Gymnasium Veľká Okružná 22 precisely because of how “Kony” teaches it. He says he has never stopped enjoying it over the years. Sometimes it was mechanics, at other times optics. Although in different forms, the friendship is for life. Even though it sometimes brings hard times. When I hit my fingers with something, at least I can explain it, he adds laughing. He also admits that there were times when he had to justify the decision to stand behind the teacher’s desk: “You have to know how to motivate yourself and convince yourself that it’s worth it. We all know how the education system works: it’s hard to change something from the bottom. So, you either want to do it, you explain it internally to yourself or explain it at home to your wife, or you have to leave.“

Jana Plichtová: A robotics teacher with awards from abroad

Although she studied Computer Science at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Pavol Jozef Šafárik in Prešov, she was always captivated by the teacher’s desk. So, she completed a pedagogic minimum and in 1994 she started to teach for the first time at the Gymnasium at Alejová 1 in Košice. She taught computer science, and when the school reform in 2008 provided schools with the opportunity to adapt educational programs, she began with robotics.

The unusual subject opened a whole new world for Jana Plichtová and her pupils. After classes, they stay in school almost every day, where they design, program, and prepare for competitions. Nineteen pupils were able to participate in them just in Slovakia last year. Protégés of Mrs. Plichtová are often able to reach international rounds of competitions. They have competed in Mexico, The Netherlands, the United States, and Portugal.

“It motivates me to see what they can figure out and how they solve problems when they occur.  Sometimes they are angry at me that I don’t help them, but I want them to learn to do things by themselves. I want them to leave the Gymnasium with practical experience,” explains Jana Plichtová.

Jana Plichtová was nominated for the Dionýz Ilkovič Award by the members of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik, where she studied and with which she still cooperates today. Another nomination was sent by a representative of Gymnasium Alejová 1, Beáta Vavrinčíková: “We don’t have many options within the school to appreciate teachers who enthusiastically do more than is expected from them. That is why it’s good and important that such a nationwide award has been created. We will show that we appreciate the work of such people.”

When we finally asked Jana Plichtová how she perceives the nominations, her steady face showed emotion: “I spend a lot of time on this. It was a nice surprise. It’s a little unusual, but a big thank you is often sufficient for a pedagogue. We don’t do it for the money.”

Iveta Štefančínová: A motivator with students at the best universities

She seems like she will never run out of energy, she teaches at a Gymnasium, she spends at least three days a week at the school club, and in addition to that she also lectures at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University. You can recognize Iveta Štefančínová thanks to her rapid rate of speech and a smile which is as wide at half past seven in the morning as at four in the afternoon.

She has been teaching since 2000 and it’s apparent that she was born for this job. She admits that she enjoys being surrounded by smart young people who are interested in new knowledge in physics. On the other hand, pupils talk about her as the great “motivator”, who seemingly possesses limitless energy. They respect her enthusiasm and zeal, all the more due to the fact that the teacher has three children at home.

According to Iveta Štefančínová, it’s very important for pupils to be aware of their qualities and abilities: “In the past, when I was still studying, we used to hear that everyone else is smart and talented except us. I am trying to convince my pupils that this is not true. Our country has a lot of good as well – even at the world-class level.” In hindsight, her words are confirmed by the fates of the graduates of Prešov Gymnasium. Several of them have studied or are studying natural sciences at prestigious universities.

Not only a knowledge of physics, but also independence and the ability to present in a foreign language or to speak in front of an audience are the things the pupils learn at international competitions. They prepare for them at the school clubs together with Iveta Štefančínová. In addition, the teacher is not opposed to individual projects. In 2017, for instance, at the instigation of one of the pupils from the club, they built a hydrogen car that they took to a twenty-four-hour race. She works in a way to find her own enjoyment in the lessons or whilst doing experiments at the school club. And that’s what she advises to new teachers: “Don’t lose your gusto and determination. Do what you enjoy and your pupils will return your efforts with positive feedback.”

An award as a thank you

The award, founded by the technology company PosAm, is intended for teachers of mathematics, computer science, chemistry and physics for their contribution to the development of extracurricular activities. “Many teachers, and also non-pedagogues, who are engaged in extracurricular activities at elementary and secondary schools have dedicated their lives to the transfer of knowledge to young people because they believe that they can grow into future scientists and prominent personalities. The Dionýz Ilkovič Award was created as a thanks, a tribute, and encouragement to these people, who work in education in the field of natural sciences,” explains Marián Marek, General Director of PosAm.

A renowned reputation in two years

The Dionýz Ilkovič Award is a young award, but after two years it has already become known in education circles and it has earned its name. According to the Chairman of the jury Martin Plesch, this is just one achieved goal: “The next step is to expand the partner base so that the award is not dependant on the generosity and willingness of a single company. We would like to establish the Dionýz Ilkovič Foundation and we will try to reach out to potential partners so that we can develop our activities in the long term.” He also adds that one of the future goals is to encourage the state and the public to take more interest in teachers and their situation. In his opinion, the state’s support for talent in the natural sciences has been stagnating for more than a decade, and it’s necessary to change its approach in this area.

The award holds the name of a prominent Slovak scientist.

In 1934 Dionýz Ilkovič deduced the relation between the polarography diffusion current, the concentration of the solution, and the characteristics of the dropping mercury electrode. Today it’s known as the Ilkovič equation.  At the time he was a member Nobel Prize winner Jaroslav Heyrovský’s team. Professor Dionýz Ilkovič was not only a prominent Slovak physicist and world class scientist, but also a great teacher, whose style of teaching became legendary for his students and colleagues.

Príspevok To make the word “teacher” evoke respect once again je zobrazený ako prvý na PosAm.

The winner is “Kony” from Žilina

The winner of the second year of the Dionýz Ilkovič Award, Ľubomír Konrád, teaches physics at the same gymnasium in Žilina, in the same classroom, where he himself started three decades ago. He devotes much of his spare time to students in the club, where he prepares them for various physics competitions. Over the past 10 years he has helped them to win several medals from the International Physics Olympiad and the European Olympiad; three times they were members of the Slovak team that participated in the international round of the Experimental Physics Olympiad.

But, as he confesses, it’s not always easy, “You have to know how to motivate yourself and convince yourself that it’s worth it. The beginning is difficult – you can’t see the work done, or any positives. But that comes with time. It’s enough that, after a couple of years, former pupils start to show up to thank you, they remember you, that’s nice.”

There are many of those who remember him. “He’s a modest and humble man. He has tremendous knowledge not only of physics but also of history, he’s well informed, he’s travelled a lot, he has great experience, and, especially, he is a very selfless man. He always helps me and is willing to spend time with me,” Mária Polačková, who is preparing for admissions at Harvard University where she wants to study physics, praises her teacher. She’s joined by the headmistress of the school, Adriana Randíková, who describes “Kony” not only as an extraordinary pedagogue but also person: “He’s a great expert, but first of all he is a man with a big heart who can find his way to anyone. He tries to find the good in people, and that’s what he teaches his students – in addition to physics.”

The great human dimension also dominates in other stories

The ladies, teacher Jana Plichtová from the Gymnasium at Alejová Street 1 in Košice, and teacher Iveta Štefančínová from the Gymnasium of Ján Adam Rayman in Prešov, also received the Dionýz Ilkovič Award for participating in the finals for their contribution to the development of extracurricular activities. This is not just about professional knowledge but about the all-round development of the personality of young people that the jury saw behind their work.

Mrs. Plichtová, who teaches computer science at the Košice Gymnasium, says it herself: “I want to teach students how to deal with obstacles without help.” She has been teaching since 1994. Initially, they refused to admit her to pedagogic studies due to her political opinions. But the place behind the teacher’s desk awaited her anyway. From the beginning, she has been leading computer clubs and preparing children for competitions. Her pupils have succeeded in entering the biggest international competitions on multiple occasions. Jana Plichtová remembers Atlanta, Lisbon, Eindhoven, but especially Mexico City, from where they returned with a title.

Patrik Rusnák, who has been pursuing robotics for 5 years and has already won several important European-level competitions with his team, recalls: “Professor helps us with almost everything. She loves technology and she can also see that we enjoy it and that we want to create something. That’s why she’s there with us and wants us to develop further, and to love it like she does.” Deputy of the Košice Gymnasium, Beáta Vavrinčíková, adds another dimension to the work of Mrs. Plichtová: “Robotics competitions are not just about the amount of time but also about the finances and I very much appreciate the fact that Mrs. Plichtová submits projects each year, requests grants, contacts sponsors – especially IT companies – and, thanks to this, children can travel also to the international rounds of these competitions. She is well-versed in programming, but she rather directs the pupils and leaves them to create by themselves. She is also able to unite the team, because robotics is primarily about teamwork.”

The third finalist, Mrs. Iveta Štefančínová teaches physics to Gymnasium students in Prešov. She’s like from a book of motivational quotes. She’s the person that these quotes want to make from you. In the most positive sense of the word. She has been teaching since 2000 and has been involved in many extracurricular activities since the beginning. Her enthusiasm is contagious: “If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t have been able to teach for so long. I am delighted that I am surrounded by young intelligent people, I enjoy physics, I enjoy the pupils.” She is rightfully proud of her students. They are able to reach high placements in the most prestigious international competitions. She argues that it’s important for students to know their qualities: “In the past we used to hear that everyone else is smart and talented except us. I am trying to convince my pupils that this is not true,” says Iveta Štefančínová.

Her words are proven correct by her former pupil Samuel Novák, who studies at the University of Edinburgh, which is one of the top 5 European schools. “She always supported us and tried to make us understand what we were doing. During classes as well as in the club. I would like to thank her mainly for the years she devoted herself to me, and for her willingness to stay with us for a long time in school in order to be well-prepared.” School headmistress Viera Kundľová only confirms: “She works very creatively with pupils, she enjoys responding to their inquisitive questions.  I think she provokes and satisfies their interest with her approach, encourages work with talented pupils, engages them in various competitions, and they often finish at an international level. She is literally a collector of successes and various awards.”

Successful second year

In the second year of the Dionýz Ilkovič Award, organized by the Slovak IT company PosAm, 26 quality nominations were received, from which the expert jury selected three finalists and decided on the winner. Award nominations could be sent by anyone – students, their parents, or colleagues from school. The winner and finalists received prizes totalling €6,000.

The jury, among other criteria, evaluated the outcomes of extracurricular activities, their scope, or the innovative approach of the supervisor. The jury was chaired by a young Slovak scientist, the President of the international organization International Young Physicists’ Tournament, Docent Martin Plesch from the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Other members of the jury are distinguished experts from Slovak and Czech universities.

“Although we received a smaller number of nominations than in the first year, we were pleasantly surprised by their quality. It was a delight to get to know all the stories and to meet the exceptional people who devote a great deal of their free time to young talented people and help them grow,” says Docent Plesch. “I was very pleased that Minister Lubyová strongly emphasized the importance and the benefit of our efforts and that the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic has taken patronage over the awards,” the chairman of the jury added.

Award named after Professor Ilkovič

The award bears the name of a prominent Slovak scientist. In 1934 Dionýz Ilkovič deduced the relation between the polarography diffusion current, the concentration of the solution, and the characteristics of the dropping mercury electrode. Today it’s known as the Ilkovič Equation.  At the time he was a member of Nobel Prize winner Jaroslav Heyrovský’s team. Professor Dionýz Ilkovič was not only a prominent world-class Slovak physicist and scientist, but also a great teacher, whose style of teaching became legendary for his students and colleagues.

PosAm also contributed to the creation of the award. “Many of the teachers, but also the non-pedagogues, who are engaged in extracurricular activities at elementary and secondary schools, have dedicated their lives to the transfer of knowledge to young people because they believe that they can grow into future scientists and prominent personalities. The Dionýz Ilkovič Award was created as a thanks, a tribute, and encouragement to these people,” explains Marián Marek, General Director of the company. “I have a very good feeling that our intention is successfully coming to fruition, which I personally experienced at yesterday’s award ceremony” he added.

More information:

www.cenadi.sk , https://www.cenadi.sk/vitazi-a-finalisti/

Príspevok Dionýz Ilkovič Award for another three outstanding pedagogues je zobrazený ako prvý na PosAm.

The first meeting which took place at the Campus coworking premises in Bratislava was attended by more than 50 interested persons, who were attracted by the themes Filozofia Domain-Driven Design and Architektúra Microservices. Their presentations were recorded for those who did not have the possibility to participate at the first meet-up.

Zdeno Jašek, Solution Architect at PosAm, besides Domain-Driven Design (DDD) philosophy, has devoted himself to the key DDD notions: “Bounded Context“ and “Ubiquitous language“. He showed how by ignoring Bounded Context he ended up with an unsuitable application design, or how the principles of the Ubiquitous language are violated and how they contribute to unclear and barely maintainable code.

Miro Rúčka, Solution Architect at PosAm, spoke about his experience regarding the development of an application based on Microservices Architecture. What were the reasons for application of this technology, what expectations and to what extent were they fulfilled and to what extent not, which complications he encountered and which we would avoid in the future?

Who or what is the DDD community

The Domain-driven design (DDD) community is a society of programmers, architects, analysts and other people involved in software development. Its target is usage of up-to-date procedures and technologies in the implementation of applications. The common aim is to set up the design of an application based upon the domain-derived concepts.

The ambition of the DDD community is to share knowledge and experience of the individual community members in the area of Domain Driven Design, as well as in the related technological topics. This community currently acts as a free association without official membership. Its functioning is based on free participation at occasional meetings. Thereby, the term “community member“ is to be understood as any person who takes part in any of the meetings.

See more at:

Web: http://www.dddcommunity.sk/

Videos: http://www.dddcommunity.sk/videos

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dddcommunity.sk

Príspevok Solution Architects becoming PosAm leaders of the DDD Community je zobrazený ako prvý na PosAm.

PosAm Full-stack Academy is about a comprehensive view of software development

PosAm Full-stack Academy offers young people the opportunity to acquire comprehensive theoretical and especially practical knowledge of the development of enterprise solutions. The Academy is focused on the development of modern JavaScript front-ends connected to cloud-scale Java back-ends. Unlike theoretical courses, PosAm through the Full-Stack Academy offers the opportunity to test the e-learning gained knowledge directly in the implementation of a real project, covering all the taught topics of the Academy.

As the name suggests, the scope was really broad. From the development environment (SCRUM, JIRA, GIT) through various application frameworks (REST, Spring, JPA/Hibernate, Angular 2), script languages (Advanced JavaScript/Typescript) to design (OOAD – UC, CD, SD, TDD, DDD) and implementation of applications themselves (Java best practices, Responsive design). The training program took the form of lectures, workshops, and work on practical tasks.

More about PosAm Full-stack Academy at www.facebook.com/PosAm.FullStack.Academy

Príspevok Successful graduates of the PosAm Full-stack Academy are already involved in attractive projects je zobrazený ako prvý na PosAm.

This teacher is just one of the 43 nominated educators, mentors and volunteers from all over Slovakia who were nominated for the Dionýz Ilkovič Award last year. The stories of four of them were captured in videos, which feature their former students, current pupils and colleagues.

“I think people should return what they have learned to others. Then society will prosper and progress further,” one of the main protagonists, Matej Badin, a volunteer from the Juro Hronec Gymnasium, who prepares students from all over Slovakia for the selection session of the Young Physicists Tournament, tells us about his mission.

“We don’t know these clever pedagogues and enthusiasts. They don’t receive adequate rewards for their dedicated work and effort in the field of extra-curricular preparation of the most talented students”, explains Marián Marek, CEO of PosAm, the company behind the Dionýz Ilkovič Award. “This award is a form of social recognition for them. They deserve to be talked about more.”

That is the reason for creating the series of videos with their stories. They are published on the website of the award at www.cenadi.sk and on Facebook. Within the frame of gathering stories about people who run extra-curricular clubs, the film-makers visited a primary school at Krosnianská Street in Košice, the Gymnasium of J.A. Rayman in Prešov, Žilina Gymnasium Veľká okružná 22, and an educational course for secondary school students, led by a volunteer from the Gymnasium of Juro Hronec in Bratislava.

Nominations for the second edition are in full swing

Anyone can nominate a head of an extra-curricular club in the subjects Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry or Informatics – students, parents, headmasters, or colleagues. All you need to do is complete the form at www.cenadi.sk by the end of July 2018. This year the award is carried out under the patronage of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic.

The winner of the first year of the Dionýz Ilkovič Award in 2017 was Jozef Smrek from the Gymnasium of Pavel Horov in Michalovce. During more than 35 years of teaching he attracted dozens of talented students to physics. Among the finalists were also Miroslav Kozák from the Gymnasium of Vavrinec Benedikt Nedožerský in Prievidza and Pavol Kubinec from the 1st Private Gymnasium in Bratislava.

Príspevok Pupils and former students thank teachers and mentors from all over Slovakia for their dedication je zobrazený ako prvý na PosAm.

We will bring more stories from Slovak schools

We want to capture stories like theirs in a video series with other nominated personalities. The aim is to highlight the work and contribution of these people and to transfer the experience from various extra-curricular clubs across Slovakia. At the same time, we want to motivate new nominations of teachers and volunteers who also deserve the award.  “We don’t know these clever pedagogues and enthusiasts. There is no adequate reward for their selfless work and efforts in the field of extra-curricular preparation of the most talented students. This award is a form of social recognition for them. They deserve to be talked about more,” explains Marián Marek, General Director of the Slovak technology company PosAm, which initiated the giving of the Dionýz Ilkovič Award.

As part of the project to gather new stories about people who run extra-curricular clubs, we will visit a primary school at Krosnianska Street in Košice, the Gymnasium of J.A. Rayman in Prešov, Žilina Gymnasium Veľká okružná 22, and an educational course for secondary school students, led by a volunteer from the Gymnasium of Juro Hronec in Bratislava. Video stories will be published on our web site www.cenadi.sk and on social networks.

You can also watch the story of the Dionýz Ilkovič Award itself in a short video. This year the award is carried out under the patronage of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic.

The end of the deadline for sending in nominations is near

In the opening year of the Dionýz Ilkovič Award, 43 teachers, mentors, and volunteers from all over Slovakia were nominated for the competition. Anyone can nominate a head of an extra-curricular club in the subjects Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry or Informatics – students, parents, headmasters, or colleagues. All you need to do is complete the form at http://www.cenadi.sk by the end of July 2018.

The reason for giving the Dionýz Ilkovič Award

Hundreds of teachers and mentors in Slovakia work with students outside of school hours, during their free time and at weekends. They are helping them to develop their potential and preparing them for prestigious international competitions, from which students win medals for Slovakia. However, according to the expert guarantor and chairman of the jury Martin Plesch of the SAS Institute of Physics, the potential in Slovak schools is much higher. “We have two to three times less best students compared to developed countries. I think the only way to motivate talented students and elevate them among the global student elite is to work with them individually. Such an award represents at least some small satisfaction for the people who do this voluntarily to the detriment of their free time.”

The award is named after a prominent Slovak scientist, who laid the foundations of the most important physical science institutes in Slovakia. However, students remember him primarily as a great educator. The Dionýz Ilkovič Award carries not only his name but also his legacy. “Little attention is being paid to the upbringing of future secondary school teachers. If secondary schools fail to deliver high-quality graduates, we will not be able to educate high-quality professionals, engineers, or other new scientists in a reasonable amount of time,” said Professor Dionýz Ilkovič in an interview for Slovak Television in 1967.

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We continue to search for selfless teachers. The end of the deadline for sending in nominations for the second year of the Dionýz Ilkovič Award is near. Help us discover unknown heroes – enthusiastic teachers as well as non-pedagogues. All you need to do is complete the nomination form at www.cenadi.sk by July 2018.

Nominations: http://bit.ly/chcemnominovat

Príspevok The Dionýz Ilkovič Award continues to search for selfless teachers je zobrazený ako prvý na PosAm.

According to last year´s results in PISA tests, Slovak 15-year-old students dropped below the average of OECD countries also in mathematics and natural sciences. However, according to M. Plesch, the quality of education in this area used to be excellent in the past. The failure is also evidenced by a decreasing number of gold and silver medals from international competitions. “It used to be a common trophy in the past; now it is rather an exception. In spite of that, there are volunteers here who shape future scientists in their extra-curricular activities.”

Award criteria and schedule

Individuals – teachers and non-teaching volunteers who actively participate in developing extra-curricular activities for students of primary and secondary schools in subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and informatics – may be nominated. The jury will assess the nominated persons based on four criteria, which are the length and sustainability of the extra-curricular activities, results of the extra-curricular activities, extent of the extra-curricular activities and innovative approach. Members of the jury chaired by Martin Plesch include:

prof. Ing. Ivo Čáp, CSc., University of Žilina

doc. RNDr. František Kundracik, CSc., Comenius University in Bratislava

prof. RNDr. Tomáš Opatrný, DrSc., Palacký University, Olomouc

Mgr. Milena Partelová, Primary school with nursery school Sibírska, Bratislava

prof. Mgr. Radovan Šebesta, DrSc., Comenius University in Bratislava 

Award schedule for 2018

Who is behind the Award?

Promoting talents and personalities in the area of natural sciences is a part of the mission of PosAm which has funded the Award. “The Award has been created to express gratitude, respect and encouragement to people who work at schools and specialize in natural sciences”, explains Marián Marek, the company´s CEO. “We believe that businesses active in the area of information technologies should also have a broader social dimension.” After a successful first year in which 43 teachers and non-teaching employees of schools from throughout Slovakia were nominated, the Award is now held under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of SR.

Who was Dionýz Ilkovič?

This legendary teacher and enthusiastic scientist, physicist and physical chemist was born in 1907. Professor Ilkovič had an exceptional gift when explaining complicated science also to young students. He established and managed the Institute of Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava. In 1934, as a member of Nobel Prize winner Jaroslav Heyrovský’s team, he derived a relation between polarographic diffusion current, solvent concentration and the characteristics of a dropping mercury electrode. This scientific discovery is now known as ´Ilkovič´s Equation´. More information about the life and message of Professor Dionýz Ilkovič may be found at www.cenadi.sk.

More information for media:

kontakt@cenadi.sk

Príspevok The second year of the Dionýz Ilkovič Award is just starting je zobrazený ako prvý na PosAm.