Super User

Super User

UNESCO data reveals that 1 in 4 children aged 5 worldwide has never experienced pre-primary education. Despite the proven benefits of ECCE, only half of all countries offer free pre-primary education.
The World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education aims to reaffirm children's right to quality care and education and advocate for increased investment in the early years.
ECCE is crucial for brain development and provides opportunities for lifelong success. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the ECCE crisis, leaving millions of children without essential services.
Access to ECCE has improved globally, but regional disparities remain. Teacher shortages and working conditions need attention.
Policy fragmentation, lack of public provision, weak regulations, and chronic underfunding are obstacles to quality ECCE.
Let's work together to transform ECCE systems, ensuring every child has a strong foundation for lifelong learning and development.
There has been significant cultural loss that can occur when heritage sites are damaged or destroyed. Technology can help mitigate this loss by aiding in the restoration and preservation of these sites.
One key technology is 3D scanning and printing, which can be used to create highly detailed replicas of cultural heritage sites and artifacts. This technology can be especially useful in cases where the original site or artifact has been damaged or destroyed.
The use of virtual and augmented reality technologies creates immersive experiences of cultural heritage sites, allowing visitors to explore and learn about these sites in a more interactive and engaging way, along with other digital tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). There is also potential in using drones for site mapping and monitoring, as well as using smart sensors to monitor environmental conditions that may impact the preservation of cultural heritage sites.
Finally, the importance of balancing technological solutions with the need for cultural sensitivity and community engagement in heritage preservation efforts is emphasized.
Overall, the potential of new technologies to aid in cultural heritage restoration and preservation is highlighted, but the need for a holistic and community-centered approach to this work.
Monday, 05 June 2023 07:09

3rd Transnational Project Meeting

Third Meeting of our Project in beautiful Istanbul!??
The meeting was very important to analyze the progress of the development of the results and to plan the next activities.

Students from the Administrative Economic College from Iasi, Romania have created a tester for an app for their primary school classmates, an orientation video game designed to help children with additional information if they take a walk around Iasi with their class or family. Knowing through a rigorous documentation of the city's history, the high school students focused on two topics of interest to young schoolchildren, such as religious architecture and public buildings, as well as public monuments in Iași. Thus, primary school pupils can use the app when visiting the city and get additional information about the statues that adorn the city.

The information in the app primarily refers to the historical personality that the statue represents. The primary pupils' greatest satisfaction is related to learning how to use the street orientation app, and this gives them autonomy and confidence that they can do it themselves. Learners noted the increased ability of young children to focus on a particular target in the presence of many disturbing factors, as well as distributive attention.

For the teaching of history, films and fictional stories are preferred resources by history educators arund the world, however, Historical Video Games are also a rapidly growing media to be used in the teachiing of history. History-based video games allow their players to engage with the past in completely new ways. A large number of video games are set at different times and places in history, making them potentially valuable teaching tools. The reflection aspect of the historical games have been gradually recognized by the history teaching providers.
Playind and Learning from the Past Project also aims to provide technological tools containing gaming elements to be used in the teaching of history and traditions. Although not (yet) as common in history classes as other tools, video games are attracting the attention of educators, particularly among the young generations, and academics too. Teachers who have experience using historical video games in class have started recommending them to their colleagues.
What are some benefits of learning through gaming?
→ Students often are more comfortable in gaming environments, so are more proactive and open to making mistakes
→ Higher engagement and concentration among students
→ The opportunity to think outside of the box – tasks are no longer just about filling in a worksheet
The Playing and Learning from the Past project outcome involve the creation of digital educational games (one for each partner country) based on game-based learning, utilizing the cultural identity of each partner country with the use of internet applications. The produced games will comprise a basic educational tool not only in the hands of primary school educators but also for the learners and their guardians.
How can education be made more fun and interesting through technology? Gaming!?
Games are a fun and interactive way for students to understand new information better, by putting it into action. They provide hands-on outlets, reinforce lessons and promote problem solving. Gamification in learning involves using game-based elements such as point scoring, peer competition, team work, score tables to drive engagement and test their knowledge.
‼ Playing and Learning from the Past is an intercultural project that aims to contribute to the support and development of emerging cultural and digital literacy of learners, along with the improvement of literacy skills, by utilizing the cultural identity of each country using online applications. ‼
Saturday, 29 October 2022 10:42

2nd Transnational Meeting

The Directorate of Primary Education of Trikala participated as a coordinator in the 2nd  transnational meeting held within the framework of the ERASMUS+ KA220 Program entitled "Playing and learning from the past" (2021-1-EL01-KA220-SCH -000027810) that took place at Crhack Lab in Foligno, Italy from 20 to 21 October 2022. The Italian partners, who were our hospitable hosts, welcomed the participating partners, the Directorate of Primary Education of Trikala, the Developmental Centre of Thessaly (AKETH) Greece, the Governoship of Istanbul (Istanbul-Turkey) and the Inspectoratul Scolar judetean Iasi (Iasi Romania).

On the first day, the partners presented the chapters of the guide and the members of the Pedagogical Team of the Directorate of Primary Education of Trikala made the appropriate interventions and provided guidelines for their design. The partners from Turkey presented the actions of disseminating the results of the program and the partners from Romania presented the way of managing and ensuring the quality of the program. The day ended with a visit to Spello, an ancient town in the province of Perugia.

On the second day, AKETH presented the interactive information and tour map of the main cultural and historical monuments of the city of Trikala. A discussion followed to determine the next steps of the program and then certificates of attendance were awarded to the participants. The meeting closed with Crhack Lab holding a hands-on demo of the mobile app in the historic center of the city of Foligno.

All the participating partners obtained useful information about the methodology for the effective organization and implementation of the project and the next meeting was set to take place in May 2023 in Istanbul.

Friday, 29 July 2022 10:39

1st Transnational Meeting

The Directorate of Primary Education of Trikala, having the role of the coordinator and within the framework of the approved European program ERASMUS+ KA220 "Playing and learning from the past", welcomed on Tuesday July 5 and Wednesday July 6 2022 in Trikala the partners of the program from three European countries (Italy - Folinio, Turkey - Istanbul and Romania - Iasi). The Developmental Centre of Thessaly (AKETH-Trikala) also participates in the specific program as a partner.

During the first day of the 1st transnational meeting, each organization presented their profile and field of action of their organization and discussed the workplan of the project and the responsibilities of each partner. On the second day, the “Guide of integrating Game-based learning” was presented and discussed and the chapters were split among the partners. The partners also visited the offices of the Primary Education of Trikala and were informed about the operation of the Directorate. They also visited the Regional Unit of Trikala where they were welcomed by the Deputy Regional Governor Mr. Christos Michalakis, and the Deputy Regional Governor of the Environment Mr. Konstantinos Mpardas and the Deputy Regional Governor of Culture Tourism and Lifelong learning Mr. John Boutinas.

The meeting ended with a tour of the city centre of Trikala, where the partners found out information about some of the historical monuments through an application created by AKETH. The Meteora complex was the final destination of the day and our last chance to help us not only cultivate bonds of friendship among the participants but also lay the foundations for the second mobility that will take place in Italy in October 2022.

Monday, 29 August 2022 14:14

Erasmus Day 2022 at Trikala

In Trikala, the activities for Erasmus Days 2022 took place at the Tsitsani Museum on Friday, October 14, 2022.

In the presence of the Minister of Education NIKIS KERAMEOS in Trikala, at the Tsitsani Museum, students and teachers of Primary and Secondary Education, of the Regional Directorate of Education of Thessaly, presented hybrid, with a physical presence as well as a video conference, the European Programs of their schools, within the framework of the Pan-European Action ERASMUS DAYS 2022.

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