About Art and Technology in Education

Dr. Omar Seguna is from Cospicua and was born on the 25th July 1977. He holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of Sheffield. His research focuses on the pedagogical affordances and challenges of portable devices. He also earned a Masters in Information Technology Degree. Omar Seguna works as an Education Officer within the Ministry for Education in Malta. Among his main duties, is the integration of technologies into teaching and learning. He was a co-author of the Digital Education Strategy. He previously managed the prestigious “Embed” Digital Literacy Award and developed the directorate’s former website (https://digitalliteracy.skola.edu.mt/). He has organised and delivered numerous sessions on Microsoft 365 and other education online tools. Seguna has 12 years’ experience as a teacher, and three years as an eLearning Support Teacher, working on several projects including Internet Safety and delivered several courses to adults including EU funded courses aimed to provide training in ICT as an entrepreneurial tool in business, for individuals who are employed with or own a microenterprise business, or are self-employed. He also served in the Information Management Unit for 2 years and was responsible for the logistics of the hardware refresh of desktops in school labs and offices.
Omar Seguna is a poet and published four books: “Mal-Ħoss Qawwi tar-ragħad” (2001), “24, Triq Ħad-Dwieli” (2011), “Xehir fis-skiet” (2019) and “Labirintimi” (2024) with Jesmond Sharples. Some of his writings also appeared in several anthologies including “Arkadja”, “Il silenzio della montagna e le voci del mare”, “Premi Letterari Citta’ Di Pontinia XIII Edizione”, “Kritika Prattika”, “Minn Fomm il-Kittieb”, “Raddiena ta’ lwien” and in several newspapers. Winner of several poetry contests organized by the Maltese Poets Society (2008, 2009), Citta’ di Pontinia (2008), Concorso letterario DE FINIBUS TERRAE (2022), 41° Concorso Internazionale di Poesia Città di Quarrata (2023), and also Premio Juan Montalvo (2014) with a photo. From 2013 till 2024 Seguna was the editor of the literary page of the popular local newspaper “It-Torċa”. He also erved as vice-president of the Maltese Poets Society and member of “Akkademja tal-Malti”, “Għaqda tal-Malti (Universita’), and The Writers Club. As from March 2024, Seguna was appointed as a member of the National Book Council, and currently serves as Deputy Chairperson. Omar Seguna is also a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, one of the most esteemed Catholic orders which falls under the direct protection of the Pope. He is married and father of three children.
Passionate about retro computers. Social Activist and interested particularly in narrowing the digital and social gap and environmental issues.
Dwari
Dr. Omar Seguna gradwa fl-Universita’ ta’ Sheffield permezz ta’ Dottorat fl-Edukazzjoni u l-ispeċjalizzazjoni tiegħu hija dwar x’vantaġġi u sfidi pedagoġiċi joffru t-teknoloġiji portabbli bħala għodda diġitali edukattiva. Twieled Bormla fil-25 ta’ Lulju 1977. Studja fl-Universita’ ta’ Malta fejn kiseb Baċellerat bl-Unuri fl-Edukazzjoni, Baċellerat bl-Unuri fit-Teoloġija u l-Istudji Umani u Maġisteru fl-Informatika. Jaħdem bħala Uffiċjal Edukattiv fid-Direttorat tal-Litteriżmu diġitali fi ħdan il-Ministeru tal-Edukazzjoni. Minbarra “Labirintimi” (2024) u “Xehir fis-Skiet” (2019) huwa wkoll awtur tal-ktieb “Mal-Ħoss Qawwi tar-Ragħad”(2001), ġabra ta’ poeżiji b’daħla ta’ Ġuże’ Chetcuti u “24, Triq Ħad-Dwieli” (2011), ġabra ta’ poeżiji b’daħla ta’ Mario Azzopardi akkumpanjata minn ktieb interattiv fil-format ta’ CD. Bosta kitbiet tiegħu dehru wkoll f’bosta gazzetti u ġurnali oħra, kif ukoll f’xi antoloġiji varji. Fost ir-rikonoxximenti li ngħata Seguna nsibu l-ewwel premju, kategorija Poeżiji bit-Taljan, Konkors Nazzjonali tal-Poeżija organizzat mill-Għaqda Poeti Maltin fl-2008 u fl- 2009 kif ukoll Citta’ di Pontinia (2008). Huwa wkoll membru ta’ diversi għaqdiet letterarji fosthom l-Akkademja tal-Malti, l-Għaqda tal-Malti (Universita’) u għal numru ta’ snin serva bħala Viċi President tal-Għaqda Poeti Maltin. F’Marzu tal-2024 Seguna nħatar bħala membru tal-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb. Seguna huwa wkoll l-Editur Letterarju tal-ġurnal it-Torċa. Miżżewweġ lil Mary Grace u huwa missier ta’ tliet itfal.
Dilettant ta’ kompjuters retro. Attivist soċjali u interessat speċjalment fit-tnaqqis tad-differenzi soċjali u diġitali, u temi ambjentali.
Bibliography
The comprehensive bibliography is currently being compiled.
Academic Writings
Seguna, Omar (2020) Pedagogical affordances and challenges of tablets: How can the Charter for 21st century literacies support tablet-mediated teaching and learning? EdD thesis, University of Sheffield.
Seguna, O. (2021). How can the Charter for 21st century literacies support technology-mediated teaching and learning? Malta Journal of Education, 2021, 41-56. Institute for Education. https://mje.ife.edu.mt/index.php/pub/article/view/83
Seguna, O. (2023, April 22). It-Traġitt fil-ħsieb edukattiv: Ħarsa analitika lejn il-kitbiet ta’ Ugo Mifsud Bonnici u Evarist Bartolo. Il-Qawwa tal-Kelma: Ir-Retorika Politika, 64-73. L-Università ta’ Malta.
Seguna, O. (2024). The use of technologies in learning Maltese for the early years. The Educator: A Journal of Education Matters, (9). Malta Union of Teachers.
Others
Seguna, O. (1999). Education and women in ancient Greece : an account of their portrayal by ancient Greek authors and contemporary critics (Bachelor’s dissertation). Unpublished.
Seguna, O. (2010). Mobile technology in the teaching and learning of basic skills mathematics (Master’s dissertation). Unpublished.
Seguna, O. (2024, November 19). Malta: A new digital education strategy adopted. CEDEFOP. https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/news/malta-new-digital-education-strategy-adopted
Literature
Seguna, O. (2001). Mal-Ħoss Qawwi tar-Ragħad. Self-Published.
Seguna, O. (2011). 24, Triq Ħad-Dwieli. Self-Published.
Seguna, O. (2019). Xehir fis-skiet. Horizons.
Sharples, J., & Seguna, O. (2024). Labirintini. Midsea Books. ISBN 978-9918-25-046-2
Others
Seguna, O. (2004). In need of friends and Is-Saħħa għadha f’idejk. In Għaqda Poeti Maltin (Ed.), Arkadja: Ġabra ta’ Poeżiji mill-Għaqda Poeti Maltin (pp. 74–75). Għaqda Poeti Maltin.
Seguna, O. (2013). …eċċ…eċċ. In E. Psaila (Ed.), Leħen il-Malti: Issue 32 (2013). Għaqda tal-Malti – Università
Seguna, O. (2015). Jiena jien and Nimxu ‘l quddiem. In Għaqda Poeti Maltin (Ed.), Raddiena ta’ lwien: Antoloġija f’għeluq l-40 anniversarju tal-Għaqda Poeti Maltin 1975–2015 (pp. 58–59). Għaqda Poeti Maltin.
Seguna, O. (2018). Fi spażju bla lqugħ. In S. Francalanza (Ed.), Leħen il-Malti: Issue 37 (2018). Għaqda tal-Malti – Università.
Seguna, O. (2019). Libertà, Diqa, Talba. In A. Sciberras (Ed.), Il-poeżija Maltija (It-tieni volum) (pp. 15–17). Merlin.
Seguna, O. (2020). Issa. In J. P. Portelli, K. Azzopardi, & S. Inguanez (Eds.), Tgħanniq ieħor: Poeżiji mill-iżolament (p. 140). Horizons.
Seguna, O. (2023). …Jaqaw insejt li l-Ħajja Rota? In K. Attard(Ed.), Leħen il-Malti: Issue 42 (2023). Għaqda tal-Malti – Università.
Seguna, O. (2023). Pellegrinaġġ li jixhed l-Imħabba lejn l-Immakulata. In T. Muscat (Ed.), Muża Karkariża 3 (p.97). Kunsill Lokali Birkirkara
Seguna, O. (2023). Now. In K. Barokka (Ed.), Modern Poetry in Translation, Call the sea a poet: Focus on Malta (No. 2, p. 109). Modern Poetry in Translation
Some of my contributions in the Literary page of the Maltese newspaper “It-Torċa”
Seguna, O. (2017, October 8). Vandalism, It-Torċa
Seguna, O. (2015, May 3). Ġrajjet it-tagħlim f’Malta – L-ewwel volum. It-Torċa.
Seguna, O. (2015, May 17). Konvinzjoni u esperjenza: Ugo Mifsud Bonnici. It-Torċa
Seguna, O. (2019, January 20). Anton Grasso…40 sena ta’ waħx u aktar. It-Torċa, p. 34.
Seguna, O. (2019, March 17). Mabel Strickland. It-Torċa, p. 26.
Seguna, O. (2023, February 12). Il-fluwidità fil-metafora. It-Torċa.
Seguna, O. (2024, January 7). 2024: X’nixtieq nara. It-Torċa.