Visiting different schools to observe how they innovate in their spaces.
The first school we visited was “DOMUS” in Godella, a town in Valencia close to our institute. It is a school that has from pre-school education to high school, therefore 4 different educational stages coexist in it.
They have been modifying spaces over time and have given great importance to the colour as well as to the creation of common and reflective spaces.
The outdoor space is also very relevant, with spaces for debates and outdoor meetings.
Visit to the Secondary School “Tirant lo Blanc” in Gandía, where we were very interested in the DOME designed and built by students and teachers of the wooden training cycle.
Visits to European Schools during InnovaRoom meetings and courses.
Nicosia-Cyprus.
Visit to Center to Visual Arts and Research (CVAR): It is a museum in which special importance is given to the manipulation of objects and the modification of spaces and furniture with certain frequency. Therefore, there are displays with drawers and wheels, as well as movable panels.
The A.G. Leventis Gallery: It is a museum for all ages, in which the manipulation of the objects is allowed. We visit several rooms, to highlight the mobile panels that were accessed from the side and allowed to show or hide some works.
Youth MakerSapce Larnaka: It is a center divided into several rooms depending on the design and creation stages, which can be used by anyone. They have a large number of technological objects, such as printers and 3D glasses, as well as meeting or debate rooms.
St. Luke’s Elementary School: We visit the school and they show us the different resources that the center has. One of the teachers shows us the work he does with his students related to new technologies
Stelios Ioannou Learning Resources Resources: Finally we visit the University of Cyprus, a very recently built university, where there is a beautiful and very functional library with ample spaces for individual study, small group and even a section for a children’s library.
And the architecture department of the University of Cyprus, site of many of the meetings and presentations that were made.
Verona-Italy
Scuola Virgo Carmeli: This school was the venue for our meetings in Verona, Italy, in a room on the first floor which was accessed through the gymnasium.
Visiting the new school of Bosco Chiesanuova: This is a newly built school located in a rural setting, quite far from Verona. This will host the course to be held in November and hosted by Italy again. We were able to visit its facilities, to highlight classrooms such as technology, music, the gym or the flipped classroom.
Here is where we discovered and adapted the idea of decorating the steps to our institute. In our case, the annotations are oriented to reading animation.
Roskilde-Denmark
Visit of an external learning space: a library located in a train station in Lejre. Travelers, and especially young people, can enjoy an offer of books and spaces where they can be read before and after their trip
Second Training Course in Verona.
Visiting the hosting school Instituto Comprensivo Di Bosco Chiesanova.
The school opened its doors two years ago. The most impressive fact about it is that it was designed by its principal, teachers and local people. Building a school is a way of preventing the depopulation of the area and it is also a means to Prevent students from having to move to the city to course higher studies.
After that, we went on a tour around the school. The first thing you can see when entering the building are the stairs which are decorated with the key words that define the school and represent its ideology
The school is located next to the town’s sports centre. The idea was to make the most of the sports centre and its swimming pool so both adults and students can use the facilities. The students have access to the sports centre but the sports centre users cannot enter the school.
The students create their own furniture in the technology room. They are allowed to use all its tools since early ages.
The flipped classroom is made to boost the flexibility of the lessons. In this room the students can sit individually, in pairs or in groups thanks to the wheeled tables and the whiteboards, which are used to separate the seats.
After that, we had a seminar about the psychology of the relationships and the spaces from Cyprus University. In order to warm up, we had a brainstorming activity. We had to write down our sharings, our concerns and our expectations. After that, we had a seminar about creating new classrooms from University of Cyprus. We were divided into groups of 4 people, one from each country. We assessed our own school, we analysed our needs and we planned and drew our ideal school.
After having created our ideal school we have presented it to our classmates. After the presentations, we have compared our ideal schools with the ideal schools designed by 8-years-old children.
After lunch, we had a talk titled “the class and the dream” by a Primary teacher, Serafino Caloi. He spoke about preparing innovative lessons in old spaces.
Next day we packed our bags and headed to Verona city. On our way we visited the school of Rovere, where we saw how they worked with robots. Their school team won the first Lego League last spring. In the afternoon we had a training course with other Italian teachers in Scuola Virgo Carmeli (Verona). They explained us how they use robotics in pedagogy in order to prevent bullying.
Two last sessions we visited the Castel Vecchio Museum where we could enjoy a guided visit and description of the workshops and the activities for schools. Finally, we had a final feedback and evaluation of the training. We exchanged final conclusions and we said goodbye to our colleagues.
Here you are some of the presentations made during those days by lecturers from University of Cyprus and our Danish team.
Innovaroom gives an impulse to the project of inclusive playgrounds.
On Wednesday, September 25, a meeting was held between the participants in Innovaroom and the representation of some of the ESO and Training Cycles departments of the center. The purpose of the meeting was to inform and show the educational spaces that had been visited in Copenhagen and reflect on the possibility of incorporating some of the initiatives that are carried out there.
The previous course created different work groups, among which the one of inclusive courtyards stands out. This course has devoted hours to carry out some of the proposals presented the previous year and also, with the new initiatives that have been proposed from the experience in Denmark, the possibility of incorporating innovative initiatives in the open spaces that the center has.
One of the aspects that will be worked throughout the course will be mobility and access to the center on bikes and skates and try to find the most optimal way of living among the educational and environmentally friendly community.
Innovaroom is presented at the «Classroom of the Future» organized by Cefire.
Manuel Garcia, coordinator of the Innovaroom Project, presented last Tuesday, September 17, a presentation under the title “Flexible spaces in ESO”.
García shared with the attendees the work in which the center is immersed through the Erasmus + Innovaroom Project. After disseminating the activities that are being carried out, a climate of interest and motivation was created that led many of the attendees to form a group to reflect on educational spaces and the need to adapt them to new needs.
The presentation was framed in the «Classroom of the Future» Conference that took place in the Valencian Community on September 17 and 24. The event was organized by the Cefire of Valencia, which was attended by 50 people of primary and secondary education with a common goal, to know the innovative proposals that are being made regarding educational spaces. Throughout the Day there were several centers that explained their proposals with a common objective: to outline what could be the Classroom of the Future.
Environmental awareness and open spaces mark the stay at Innovaroom in Copenhagen.
On September 12, 13 and 14, the second meeting of the Innovaroom project took place in Copenhagen. Throughout the three days, different activities and meetings were held that showed good practices regarding educational spaces in the Danish country.
During the first day, an assessment was made of the meeting in Verona and the guidelines were set to finish consensus on the issues to be discussed in the next course, which will take place in Verona from November 3 to 8.
Later participants learned first-hand how the spaces are developed in a public center, specifically the Absalom center in Roskilde, which had not only a large number of open spaces in harmony with nature and the environment, but also a very interesting proposal have doors or walls in the center. After the activity, there was a guided tour of the city, Roskilde, the former capital of Denmark.
The next day was developed in open environments. On the one hand, a curious library that was born at train station located in Lejre was visited. Travelers, and especially young people, can enjoy an offer of books and spaces where they can be read before and after their trip. On the other hand, a practical example of what is known as Open School was visited. A very interesting proposal that is made outdoors and where students learn in a manipulative way and in contact with nature the ancestral origins and the way to relate to the environment as respectfully as possible.
The experience was highly rewarding, as all participants showed great interest in the practical examples and the possibility of applying some of them in their respective countries.
Introducing InnovaRoom to teachers and student’s families
Thanks to these meetings the InnovaRoom Project managed to form a working group of teachers interested in the subject of space innovation. It was formalized with the teacher training center (CEFIRE) and we held one seminar in the 2018-19 academic year and another during this 2019-20 academic year.
First Innovaroom meeting in Verona
After the course held in Cyprus, on May 17 and 18 the meeting scheduled for Verona took place. During these days, the balance of the course was taken and the lines for the next one that will take place there were outlined. In addition, administrative issues were reviewed as well as the dissemination of the project and centers were visited where good educational practices are carried out.
During the first day three sessions were dedicated from the organizational point of view. An analysis of the dissemination activities that were being carried out in the respective countries of the Innovaroom project was made. During the second session the documentation of the Cyprus course was collected, on which a very positive assessment was made. Regarding the third session, work began on the Verona course and changes were agreed on the dates of both the Copenhagen meeting and the Verona course. The second day was more practical since the Bosco Chiesanuova primary and secondary school was visited, a center located in a very special place that has interesting facilities and working methods. Finally, there was a guided tour of Verona
The first Innovaroom course takes place in Cyprus
From March 1 to 6, the first of the two courses to be developed in the Innovaroom project took place. The University of Nicosia by Andreas Saavides was in charge of organizing an interesting agenda in which four members of the Spanish team participated.
After a first meeting of the participants, the course objectives and their development throughout the days were announced. The next day began with three presentations by the organizing team.
On Sunday 3, Saavides made a theoretical presentation on innovative spaces both from an architectural and bioclimatic point of view and subsequently, a practice was carried out in which all the participating members by groups made an educational space proposal without losing the point of creative and functional view.
From an indoor job, you will see practical examples of the city. Different museums were visited throughout the stay: the Center Art Gallery, or Leventis Gallery and the Youth Makerspace Larnaka. All of them with a common element: they are an innovative space bet in which mobile partitions are played and functional furniture adaptable to multiple work methodologies.
On Tuesday 5, participants continue to visit places where good practices are carried out regarding innovative spaces. This time in the field of teaching is the ST primary school, Luke’s Elementary and the Stelios Ioannu Learning Resource library (located at the University of Cyprus). In both there is an interesting commitment to innovation in furniture and arrangement in space and in both of them, it is possible to carry out some activities in which the visiting group interacts with Cypriots.
The last day we work on a plan of a new building in which participants can contribute ideas and suggestions they have observed and shared during the stay regarding the layout of the space and the importance of natural lighting, as well as versatile furniture and colorful that allows adapting to the multiple methodological needs of an educational space. It should be noted that the participants were very satisfied with the experience both from the point of view of the organization led by Andreas Saavides and the cultural exchange and good practices that the first course of the project has meant.
Here you are some of the presentations made during those days by lecturers from the Department of Education and Architecture of the University of Cyprus
The InnovaRoom Project starts with the Kick-off Meeting in Moncada.
Last 17 and 18 December 2018 the kick-off meeting of the InnovaRoom project took place. For two days, representatives from each participating country (Romania, Cyprus, Italy, Denmark and Spain) shared different sessions to develop the agenda proposed by the hosts. Those aspects that needed to be specified and decided for the proper development of the project that will last 18 months were also discussed.
There were two intense days of meetings that began with a presentation from each of the project’s partner institutions, as well as a brief explanation of the project, mainly emphasizing the aims of the project, expected results and road map.
The explanation of the budget assigned to each of the countries was also very important, as well as the study of the cooperation agreement between the partners.
After the meal, three architects from the Polytechnic University of Valencia attended the meeting. They made a presentation about their work, related to innovation in educational spaces. Some
students from our high school also attended the presentation.
Examples of good practices and discussion by:
Sentieri Omarrementeria, Carla
Profesora Titular del Departamento de proyectos arquitectónicos de la Escuela de Arquitectura de la UPV
Mejía Vallejo, Clara Elena
Profesora Contratada Doctora del Departamento de proyectos arquitectónicos de la Escuela de Arquitectura de la UPV
Cardells Mosteiro, Paula
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Técnico Superior de Programas de Intercambio |
Internacional de la Escuela de Arquitectura de la UPV
On December 18 the InnovaRoom team was received by the Mayor of Moncada at the City Hall, there, she welcomed us and was updated on the project and its proposed objectives.
After that, a working session was held to continue dealing with the more formal aspects of the project, such as communication activities and impact, quality plan and risk management, definition of last project roles…
To finish, the different countries presented some possible logos for the project and it was agreed to carry out a vote via google drive to choose who would represent our project. In the case of our IES, the logos presented were designed by a group of our secondary school students.
The Government Delegate receives the Innovaroom team from El Tierno
Last week (december 2018), the Delegate of the Government of the Valencian Community, Juan Carlos Fulgencio, received a representation from the Innovaroom team at the Government Delegation to receive information about the Erasmus + project coordinated by the IES Enrique Tierno Galván de Moncada.
Fulgencio was very interested in the information of the new innovative tendencies on the educational spaces. He received a dossier with the proposals intended to be developed together with the partners of the five countries that make up this group and that will take place over the next 18 months. The Government delegate announced that he will do his best to attend the first project launch meeting to be held in Moncada on December 17 and 18 and which will probably feature the prestigious designer Rosan Bosch, one of the most prominent representatives in the architecture and design sector.
Entrepeneurs and Traders from Moncada participate in Innovaroom
aders from Moncada participate in Innovaroom.
On Thursday 15th November, the first meeting among members of the team Innovaroom, entrepeneurs and traders, took place. To the event, attended Paco Camps and Diego Romá, president and manager, respectively, of the entrepreneur association AEMON, the president of the trade association, Rafael Albert and the secretary of the association Susana Traver.
At the beginning of the meeting there were different groups of students, who explained to the attendants the ideas and proposals in which they are working to transform some spaces of the educational centre .Afterwards, they were informed about the project Innovaroom. Content aspects and developing strategies were treated as well as objectives proposed, and in a special way funding possibilities of the project beyond the approved funding for its development.
The members of Innovaroom explained the different proposals and seminars that are being developed for the next Kick Off that will take place 17th and 18th December where there will be a seminar of the architect Rosan Bosch. Entrepeneurs and traders showed a great interest for the project, not only for its own contents but for the projection that could involve their own business. Faced with the necessity of co-financing that was exposed, there was an agreement of presenting a proposal of advertising collaboration in the third next numbers of the newspaper “ El Tierno” so as the advertising posters that will be made for the project and the commitment for all the attendants , to give all the information to the entrepeneurs and traders, to involve them and participate under the economical point of view or endowment fund in the project.
The” Generalitat Valenciana” celebrates the Erasmus + Project Day
On Thursday 25th October the Erasmus+ Project day took place in the Valencian Community, in the Ministry of Education. Members from all the Valencian Community , who participate in Erasmus + in all its different modalities, attended the presentation ceremony. The preponderant category of the centres was the one with exchange of students KA229. Nevertheless , in the category of the project KA 201 of strategic association, there are only 36 projects statewide, from which 8 are in the Valencian Community , and only 6 are the coordinators among those in which we find the project Innovaroom.
Rubén Trenzano, managing director of linguistic policy and multilingualism management, presided the ceremony and thanked the work in the centres in the Erasmus + Project,” in which Valencian Community is leader of participation “, claimed Trenzano. Afterwards he presented awards in order to accredit each center as a member of the Erasmus + Project.
Members of Innovaroom attend the initial working days Erasmus +
During the days 18 and 19 October, the initial support meeting of Strategic association Erasmus+ projects, took place in Almeria.
Two members of the project Innovaroom from IES Tierno Galván: Maria Belenguer and Alberto Martinez attended the meetings to collect information about the work lines needed to develop the project.
To begin with, they congratulated all the participants, since from 121 requests in the call of 2018 only 36 projects have been selected .Afterwards they informed about the commitments of being a part of a strategic association in the Erasmus+ program, as well as the management lines both from the economic point of view and administrative, dissemination and the impact analysis of the project.
The second working day was geared towards specific sessions depending on the modality of the education sector where the participants belong. School education ( KA 201) is the modality in which the project Innovaroom is involved, that along with vocational training (KA 202 ), Higher education (KA 203 ) and Adults education (KA 204) are the ones that represent the four specific categories.
El Tierno coordinates the European Project Innovaroom
The project Innovaroom is framed within the actions KA 201 of the Erasmus program+, and has as a main aim the innovation of all the educational spaces towards a more flexible and creative model that can include different learning methodologies ,as well as spaces more dynamic and collaborative focused on the student. The project led by the IES Tierno Galván will count four European partners.
The project starts with the willingness of reflecting on new educational spaces within the European schools. Innovaroom involves training teachers to create new educational spaces where the students can have an active role in their own educational environment and in their learning planning.
The main goals are the training of future professionals in new educational spaces, the gradual introduction in a new learning methodology based on projects that can be developed in creative spaces , as well as researching new innovative and more dynamic teaching concepts and sharing them in different levels, including the partnership with other European centres.
The axiom “ learning by doing “ will be the starting point. For this reason the reflections and proposals will be implemented in pilot initiatives in the respective training centres of each partner of the project.
Innovaroom has the following partnerships:
IES Enrique Tierno Galván , Spain.It has been the promoter of the initiative through their teachers and has worked together with the other partners in the definition of the project. The school centre has experience in different European projects. It is involved in the net Escuelas creativas( creative schools) de Ferran Adrià, fostered by “ Telefónica Foundation”, which means a direct contact with other institutions highly motivated in school innovation.
Cyprus University,Cyprus. Contributes its academic knowledge in teaching methods of the future professionals who work in primary and secondary education furthermore they add its knowledge about architecture thanks to the involvement of the architecture departments. The university has many years of experience in the investigation and formation of the future teachers in this field. Besides, the Cypriot institution relies on a remarkable experience in projects related to the thematic debate of education, having participated in a project within the programme HORIZON 2020.
Instituto tecnológico Grigori Moisili, Rumania. It has a long profesional path in regard to the formation in profesional capacities and entrepeneurship for their Young students , and besides, it has an excellent relationship with its local environment. In this sense, they will contribute with their experience, focused on the training given to the teachers, apart from the vision of how to program an education open to establish synergies with the different local actors and how this can improve the quality of formation.
Polo Europeo della Conoscenza, Italia. Through its different experiences in European projects, they add information and practical experience on how to transform the classroom in “ Innovative ecosystems “ or “ Creative Ecosystems”. It has experience in the re-definition of the educative spaces through practical laboratories where the students bring about their ideas of the classroom transformation through designs.
Muserumm, Dinamarca. They have the purpose to promote museums as learning places, being at the same time creative and entrepreneur spaces. Their main goal is to transform them in places considered more for its educational value and its potentiality in the traditional education. In these sense Muserum has prepared sensorial exhibitions for children under seven years old, where they can stimulate creativity and intelligence, having the freedom of expressing themselves freely.
