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.
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
