About Art and Technology in Education
Omar SEGUNA –Poet, Educator, Social activist
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 he is responsible for integrating technologies into teaching and learning. He used to manage the prestigious “Embed” Digital Literacy Awards, overseeing the directorate’s 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 of experience as a teacher, and 3 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 three books: “Mal-Ħoss Qawwi tar-ragħad” (2001), “24, Triq Ħad-Dwieli” (2011) and “Xehir fis-skiet” (2019). 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. Served 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. Seguna is the editor of the literary page of the popular local newspaper “It-Torċa”. 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 “Xehir fis-Skiet” 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.