FOCUS ON CHILDREN'S FUTURE.NETQ6 / NEWSLETTER N° 5

NetQ6 is a project funded with support from the European Commission

Lifelong Learning Programme / 517837-LLP-1-2011-1-ES-COMENIUS-CNW

NETWORKFOR THE QUALITYIN EARLYCHILDHOOD EDUCATIONFROM 0-6 YEARS

EDITORIALDear friends!

Here we are again with a new issue ofnetq6 newsletter. In this number, wehave for you very interesting articlesand news of the work done by ourpartners with the youngest.

We share best practices, newapproaches, sites of education in ourcountries... and we would bedelighted you to share yourexperiences and ideas on EarlyChildhood Education with us too.

Besides, all information related to theConference we are preparing atPadua (ITALY) for next September,

11th and 12th. The Conference topicis “Netq6 best practices andstrategies on Early Childhood andPreschool Education, Challenges andPerspectives”.

We will be glad to meet you there,and all of you are invited to come,participate and contribute with yourexperiences, or participate in ourpractical workshops. I am sure youwill find very useful tips, exercises andideas to put in practice in yourworking place that kids and parentswould love as well.

Don’t be shy and contact us with anyquery on our Facebook page, our site

or our e-mail addresses (on the lastpage)

And after summer break, see you atPadua!!

Maria FlamariqueNetq6 Coordinatorwww.netq6. orghttps://www.facebook.com/Netq6

WHAT IS NETQ6?NetQ6 - Network for the Quality in Early Childhood Education from 0-6 years - is a cooperative network participated by educative and training institutions in Europe, aiming at comparing, analyzing and facing the socio challenges that arise in the growth of early childhood 0-6 years, and lead their steps to find solutions for the new realities and special needs found out in their education systems.

NetQ6 partners are major institutions operating in pre-school, school and vocational education and training and in distance learning education from Spain, Turkey, Italy, Great Britain, Germany, Romania, Northern Ireland and Poland.Each partner brings to the project its own knowledge and on-the-field expertise, thus contributing to build a consistent and synergic database of the best practices for such a delicate matter that today still lacks specific answers and methodology.

NetQ6 is a project funded with support from the European CommissionLifelong Learning Programme (517837-LLP-1-2011-1-ES-COMENIUS-CNW)

PADUA CONFERENCE – INTRODUCTION

The Third international NetQ6 conference on

“PRACTICAL APPROACHES TO EARLY CHILDHOOD AND PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION, CHALLENGES ANDPERSPECTIVES STUDENTS INCLUDING DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN"

It will be held on the 11th. of September in Italy - Palazzo del Bo – Padua University ( Via 8 Febbraio 1848, 2, Padova ) at 8.30 a.m. and on the 12th. of September 2014 in Hotel Europa ( Padova) (http://www.hoteleuropapd.it/)

Everyone is welcome

The conference aims to promote original articles of basic research results and experimental development, case studies and best practices, critical analysis and commentary, statistics, assessments and forecasts on early education, with a special eye on disadvantaged.

For more details visit our official webpage:http://www.europole.org/netq6/paduaconference/

PADUA CONFERENCE – Germany/1a greeting from the German partners

The 3rd international NetQ6 conference on

“PRACTICAL APPROACHES TO EARLY

CHILDHOOD AND PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION,

CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES STUDENTS

INCLUDING DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN"

will be held on the 11th and 12th of

September in Padua in Italy.

We expect participants and guests from

numerous countries.

We from Germany will be two participants

from the project partner organization LEB

Thüringen e.V. and we will be accompanied

by two experts in the field of early

childhood education.

Our experts are interested in basic research

results and experimental development, case

studies and best practices, critical analysis

and commentary, statistics, assessments

and forecasts on early education that result

from the work within the project but also

from contributions to our international

conferences. They will come in active

exchange with other experts and present

their knowledge and experiences in early

childhood education and the support of

disadvantaged children.

The conference will also offer several

parallel workshops that will participants

encourage to explore the practical ICT and

innovative techniques, approaches and

concrete activities, already proved and

experimented to be effective for special

needs and disadvantaged children inclusion

and integration in classrooms in order to

prepare for them the field for a

development and valorization of their

compensative abilities in any educational.

In this context we will offer two workshops

to present two good practices from

Germany.

Beatrice Bojarra-Schachtzabel will introduce

the conference of the children. It is an

approach used in kindergartens to support

child focus learning. The method is closely

connected to the situational approach

which was developed for the educational

work in kindergartens in Germany.

The main intention of the conference of

children is to include all children especially

those who don’t experience activities at

home. That means that children who do not

PADUA CONFERENCE – Germany/2a greeting from the German partners

experience activities at home like

communication, playing with others etc.

have the possibility of participation,

interaction and communication at the

kindergarten.

During the workshop the participants will

experience how projects within the

kindergarten for children are created by

children in kindergartens. They will learn

what it means to be included from the first

moment of identifying a topic they want to

work at until the moment of representing

their results to the group.

The implementation of such a process will

be introduced.

Furthermore Beatrice will make the

participants acquainted with what it means

to implement pedagogy from the point of

view of children to assure successful

learning from the very first.

The Thuringian educational concept for

children at the age of 0-10 is a legal

regulation tool which describes the claims of

every child upon the society as well as the

pedagogy form the point of view of children.

In a practical way it will be introduce what

pedagogy form the point of view of children

means. During the workshop we will use a

given situation and place around the

conference location to experience how

children can organize their learning

processes on their own with the support of

a pedagogue. The participants will

experience that playing is education and an

important way not at least for children to

develop personal, social and objective skills

to become a self-responsible part of the

society. The participants will furthermore

get an impression of what the personal

social and objective dimensions are and

how they indirectly and informal structure

learning processes.

Read more:Beatrice Bojarra-Schachtzabel

LET'S TALK WITH... – Spain/1Interview with José Manuel Marcos

My name is José Manuel Marcos and I am a

specialist teacher of therapeutic pedagogy

and speech therapy qualified in the

University of Saragossa. Nowadays, I

combine my work as a speech therapist in

the CEE Alborada, Saragossa, Spain with my

responsibility for contents in the website of

augmentative and alternative

communication ARASAAC

(http://arasaac.org/). I also participate in

different projects related to information

technology applied to the field of

augmentative and alternative

communication and I collaborate with the

School of Engineering and Architecture of

the University of Saragossa in the design,

making and testing of applications for the

region of Aragón – free software, which has

national and international prestige (Project

Comunica, Arasuite, Araword, TICO project

and Araboard)

Now, let’s speak about the project. I want

you to tell me, briefly, the story behind this

project. How did this initiative/project

come about?

ARASAAC is an augmentative and alternative

Communications system (SAAC) based on

the use of pictograms, which is hosted in the

Aragonese website of Augmentative and

alternative communication

(http://arasaac.org/), together with other

resources for Communications such as

adapted materials, online Tools, software,

examples of use.

It is freely distributed, and at present an

extensive catalogue of pictograms adapted

to different levels of language acquisition

exists; there are descriptive and schematic

pictograms, which are simple, easy to use

and understand which evolve parallel to

social changes.

For several years, Special Education schools

in Aragón participate in experiences of

LET'S TALK WITH... – Spain/2Interview with José Manuel Marcos

innovation and investigation, with other

institutions, in the design and making of

resources and technical help related to

communication and the personal and social

autonomy of pupils.

Through this collaboration, applications

such as the Project TICO

(http://sourceforge.net/projects/arasuite/) y

the Project Vocaliza (www.vocaliza.es),

required the incorporation of the catalogue

of pictograms to complement the initial

functionality. Considering communication as

a universal right, these applications, and the

pictograms which support them had the

premise of free distribution

In 2008, the Department of Education,

University, Culture and Sport set up the

website ARASAAC, technically supported by

the Aragonese Centre of Technologies for

Education (CATEDU), financed by the

Department of Science and Technology and

University of the Aragón Government.

At present this Project is coordinated by the

Aragonese Centre of Resources for Inclusive

Education (CAREI), technically supported by

the Aragonese Centre of Technologies for

Education (CATEDU) and financed by the

Fondo Social Europeo.

Can you please say something about the

entire ARASAAC team?

The team is made up of a graphic designer

Sergio Palao, who designs the pictograms,

David Romero (consultant of CATEDU) and

myself.

David and I are school teachers with a post

in educational centres in Aragón, we

develop the design of the pictograms,

maintenance of the website, dissemination

in social networks

(https:// twitter .com/ arasaac /,

(https://www.facebook.com/arasaac,

http://www.pinterest.com/arasaac/),

services for users , resource catalogue,

LET'S TALK WITH... – Spain/3Interview with José Manuel Marcos

conferences in congresses, courses, and

different collaborations with businesses and

associations in favour of accessibility of

communication in different fields of daily

life.

But I would like to insist in the idea of a

collaborative and open Project in which

many professionals, families, users and

institutions share their experiences, ideas

and materials with the rest of society in a

completely altruistic way.

The Government of Aragon funding meant

the start of the research or did the team

need funding to make the project viable?

The Government of Aragón has directed and

financed the ARASAAC project from the

beginning, only requiring users to respect

the Creative Commons licence (BY-NC-SA)

and the conditions of use for all the

resources of the ARASAAC website. In this

way, the Government of Aragón has

supported the universalization of the

pictograms and the right for communication

for everyone, with no cost for the families or

the institutions.

In your opinion, how important is to solve/

improve the communication issue for those

who benefit of educational services?

Functional communication is essential for

everyone. People who, for different reasons

(functional diversity, accidents, degenerative

illnesses or lack of knowledge of a

language), can not use communication to

interact and modify their immediate

surroundings are going to have inadequate

behaviour (aggression, isolation,

dependence, etc) which will hinder their

integral development of their personal and

social autonomy, and therefore, their

integration in the society where they live on

a daily basis.

The rest of the society has the obligation de

find practical solutions and adaptations in

the environment to make their integration

possible, real and effective. At present,

ARASAAC and the technological tools that

have been generated through the project

allow us to give an answer to this basic need

that all people have.

At the same time...

Click and keep reading this article on our blog!!!

SITES of EDUCATION – North Ireland/1‘How Does Your Garden Grow’ Project

Fermanagh Branch of Early Years

successfully applied to ‘Awards for All’ for a

gardening project aimed to upskill early

years practitioners and parents, in the

practical know how of developing,

maintaining and utilising outdoor space for

the benefit of young children. The

participants came from a range of Early

Years member groups – day cares,

playgroups and parent and toddler groups in

the Fermanagh and Omagh areas.

When young children learn to respect and

care for all living things, using in particular

the natural and outdoor world around them,

we nurture better citizens with the potential

to become positive contributors to society.

The demonstration garden at Fermanagh

Early Years Centre, Trory, developed over

the lifespan of the project provided

inspiration, skills and knowledge to

practitioners. They then began to develop

their own outdoor spaces within their early

years settings into areas for exploration for

the benefit of the children and parents

within their local communities. Fermanagh

Early Years Centre offers facilities to

accommodate the delivery of training,

conferences and meetings and so will

become a hub of activity to visitors as an

example of best practice.

This project included three full day Saturday

workshops in Orchard Acre Farm,

Irvinestown, Co Fermanagh, and four

seasonal workshops carried out in the

demonstration garden at Fermanagh Early

Years Centre. These were all planned and

creatively facilitated by Teresa O’Hare from

Orchard Acre Farm.

The workshops were designed to give

participants an easy to follow engaging

introduction to the world of gardening and

growing both for fun and its educational

values within early years and to ensure that

SITES of EDUCATION – North Ireland/2‘How Does Your Garden Grow’ Project

local children can grow up with an

awareness of the importance of the

environment. The objective was to

recognise broad plant types and to

introduce the concepts of propagation,

plant care and plant handling. The

workshops were designed to suit a range of

experience from the complete novice to

those with gardening experience.

During the Saturday workshops early years

practitioners considered the appropriate

location, plant variety selection and plant

care of the following plant groups –

perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees. The

benefits of perennials from the perspective

of colour, texture, scent and their

attractiveness to wildlife as well as their

value for money were specifically

considered. The broad perennial plant types

under closer examination during this day

were herbs, flowers, fruit and climbers. The

avoidance and treatment of common pests

and diseases was also discussed.

Throughout the project and into the future

we can see at first-hand how limited space

can be transformed outdoors into an

exciting prospect of exploration and learning

for children, their families and the local

community. The project has promoted

active and healthy lifestyles, boosting

emotional health and well-being for all the

participants and ultimately better outcomes

for the children.

The launch of the outdoor area at

Fermanagh Early Years Centre and a

celebration of the work carried out in the

many early years settings in Fermanagh and

Omagh took place on Tuesday 6 May 2014

in Fermanagh Early Years Centre.

SITES of EDUCATION do you want to share a place or an event that is

concerned with education 0-6?do you wish to tell us about your place of work or a

particular activity that you organized?send us your contribution, we'll be glad to share it

with all the world!http://www.netq6.org bechelli@europole.org

PADUA CONFERENCE – Location A Touch of History

Sala dei Quaranta, Palazzo del Bo, where, among others, Galileo Galilei has taught

See more: http://www.unipd.it/en/university/cultural-heritage-0/palazzo-bo-and-anatomical-theatre

Cattedra Lignea used by Galileo Galilei

PADUA CONFERENCE – PolandKeynote Speaker

Anna FranczykSpecial education teacher, speech therapist, dog-therapistMunicipal Kindergarten No.206 with Integrative Branches in LodzFoundation JiMAssociation dogo4logo Verbal and communicational games with using of Logodogo – from a word to a sentence, from a letter to reading.

By taking everyday educational and

therapeutic activities we shape the person,

whose development, achievements and

successes are the dimensions of our work.

Positive attitude, acceptance and

implementation of current needs is a way to

stimulate the comprehensive development

of the child.

The aim of workshop will be a presentation

of the activities that relate to this thesis.

Showing the assumptions and the main

objectives of logodogo as well as ways of

their implementation will be at that same

time a presentation of the opportunities

offered by logodogo. There will be

presented examples of games, exercises and

selected aids to the chosen sphere of child’s

development with particular emphasis on

communication and language skills.

Since always the world of humans and

animals attempt to mutual agreement.

Through observation and experience, better

and better we are able to read the signals

transmitted to us from the animal world, as

well as the animals are able to...

Keep reading: Anna Franczyk

PADUA CONFERENCE – ItalyKeynote Speaker

Read more: Daniela Lucangeli

Daniela Lucangeli

Lucangeli is a full professor on Developmental Psychology in the University of Padova, she had the PhD in Developmental Psychology at the University of Leiden (1997) following an international project (Erasmus/Socrates). She spent many study periods abroad at the Faculty of SocialSciences of Leiden, at the Faculty of Psychology of Ghent, and at Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (UCL) of London. She carried out teaching activities with a temporary teaching position at the Faculty of Educational Science and Medicine in Padova. She teaches at University of Padova:from 1998 to 2001 she was Assistant Professor on Developmental Psychology; from 2001 to 2005 she was Associate Professor and from 2005 she is Full Professor in Educational and DevelopmentalPsychology. Moreover, she has held several lessons at national and international universities. She was invited for lectures on 2009 and on 2010 in the University of Valencia

From 2007 she is vice-president (pro-rector) in Tutoring and Counseling for the Universityof Padova.

She obtained many grants from Departmentfor Education, University and Research –Scientific Research Program of NationalRelevance (MIUR).She is president of a teacher nationalassociation (CNIS) and she is member ofother national and international researchassociations (IARLD, AIRIPA, AIP-Sviluppo).She is author of about 50 researchpublications on peer-reviewed journals andseveral books and chapters. She is in theeditorial board of many educational journalsas Journal of Learning Disabilities andreferee for many other internationaljournals such as Journal of ExperimentalChild Psychology or Journal of EducationalPsychology.Her main areas of research are:mathematical cognition, metacognition,developmental dyscalculia (assessment andtreatment) and learning disabilities.

PADUA CONFERENCE – EnglandKeynote Speaker

Read more:Sarah Forester

Sarah ForesterDeputy Head Early Years and Early InterventionLondon Borough of Wandsworth, UK

Having completed an integrated nursing andsociology degree, Sarah started out as a health visitor working in Inner City London ( Brixton). After a period of travelling in the USA and Canada Sarah undertook a range ofhealth visiting based roles including workingwith Homeless young people in the West End of London and developing an interest in interagency working and groupworkShe then lived in Africa for 3 years working voluntarily in a school for Blind and visually impaired children and also having her first child. On return to UK she became a Community Nurse Lecturer Practitioner working with pre and post registration nurses specialising in child development communication and health promotion. She then took up a position as a National Professional Officer with CPHVA a professional body and trade union for healthvisitors and community nurses running a national programme of continuing

professional development and advising on education policy and practice During this period she gained her MSc researching community development approaches withinpublic health practiceIn 2003 she started work in Wandsworth setting up a SureStart local programme and gained her NIPQCL leadership qualification. She then went on to develop Children Centres across the borough which are ‘one stop shop ’ services providing integrated early education, health and parenting support for all families with children under 5. She now is the strategic lead for Children Centres and locality services, heads up the 2year old Early Education offer and is involved in commissioning community health services in WandsworthWandsworth is a diverse inner city borough of London with 25,000 children under 5 of which 46% live in areas of disadvantage There are 14 Children Centres in the borough which offer free universal and targeted services based on the needs and outcomes of their local communities.

PADUA CONFERENCE – TurkeyKeynote Speaker

Keep Reading:Esra Ömeroğlu

PRE-SCHOOL SOCIAL SKILLS SUPPORT PROJECT(PSSSP)

Prof. Dr. Esra ÖMEROĞLUGazi University, Faculty of Gazi EducationDepartment,of Early Childhood Education ANKARA

Shewasborn in Ankara After completion ofher elemantary, middle and highschooleducation in Ankara she got her Bachelorsdegree in Philosophy Major from HacettepeUniversity Child Development and EducationDepartment in 1983. Then, she got herMasters degree from Hacettepe University,Institute of Health Sciences in1986, and herPh.D. degree after finishing the program ofHacettepe University, Institute of HealthSciences in 1990. She has been working as aresearch assistant at Gazi University inAnkara between 1984-1990, assitantprofessor between 1990-1991, assosociatedprofessor between 1991-1996 and professor1996- still. She got the AssosciateshipDegree at London University Institute ofEducation .In She was visiting professor atPerdue University in USA in 1991.She has

several studies and papers published invarious academic journals in English and inTurkish on her primary research interests,which are including drama in earlychildhood education parents education,character education in early childhood,cognitive development in earlychildhoodperiod, social and emotional developmentin childhood, She gives lectures: drama inearly childhood education, visual arts inearly childhood education, parenteducation.

INTRODUCTIONThe threats on public finance equations intoday’s global world highly limited thegovernment’s social expenditure. Market-based philosophy of liberal state mentalityhas put a pressure on many groups,primarily families, with social risk. Thegroups which are mostly effected by that arefamilies and children. Besides these threats,social and demographic conditions whichhave changed due to other factors such asmigration, agricultural changes,urbanization, and population increasebrought together the participation of

women in labour. Therefore, support inchild-care became more significant, and as aresult of this need, there was an upsurge inthe number of pre-school educationinstitutions. It is found out that the participation in pre-school education programs increasestudents’ adaptation to social rules andnorms, provide readiness for primaryeducation, and decrease the rates ofrepeating classes or dropping-out. One ofthe two studies on the long-term effects ofpre-school education is Perry Pre-SchoolProject, and the other is “Early SupportProject” in our country. Among the findingsof “Early Support Project”, a horizontalresearch of twenty two years, are the factthat ...

New Pedagogical Approaches – North Ireland/1

‘Moving to the Countryside’

The Rural Respecting Difference Programme has exclusively revealed an exciting new cartoon as part of the ‘Media Initiative Respecting Difference Programme’.

The latest message features a new character, Lucy, who welcomes existing character Bukola as he begins a new life in the countryside. The cartoon message was premiered on St Patrick’s Day at a number ofhigh profile events, including the final of theUlster Schools Rugby Cup at Ravenhill and the MacRory Cup Final in Armagh Athletic Gaelic Grounds.

This latest episode follows the same format as the previous messages and themes of theprogramme, but this message introduces a brand new setting from a rural perspective. The new message features many aspects of rural living while highlighting the importance of farming life, shared

education, sporting and community activities.

The new feature has been developed as partof the Rural Respecting Difference Programme, which involves the unique partnership of the Rural Development Council (RDC), Early Years – the organisation for young children, and the Border Counties Childhood Network (BCCN). The Programmeis based on the Media Initiative for Children (MIFC) Respecting Difference Programme and is aimed at rural based primary schools and after-school clubs along the border in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The content of the cartoon was developed by a steering group consisting of representatives from the three partners, which alongside the GAA, Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Southern Education and Library Board, South Tyrone Empowerment

Programme and South Armagh SureStart, helped develop the new character.

Teachers, after school leaders and parents participating in the programme will be introduced to Lucy and a range of new resources over the next few months.

New Pedagogical Approaches – North Ireland/2

‘Moving to the Countryside’

Teresa Canavan, Chief Executive Officer of RDC, stated “While the new cartoon focuses on rural life, its overall aim is to foster inclusion and respect for people from rural and urban areas and from different cultural traditions. The new message provides excellent opportunities for schools and afterschools across Ireland to engage children in discussions about respecting difference. Rural areas are changing and it was important for us that the cartoon and characters reflected the diversity and vibrancy of rural living and we are absolutelydelighted with the outcome. We thank the steering group for its invaluable contributionin helping to bring Lucy to reality and look forward to developing her character and importantly introducing her to the children.”

Siobhán Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive Officer, said “Early Years is delighted with this new rural message and rural focus which provides an important development to the Media Initiative Respecting Difference

Programme. The evidence-based Media Initiative for Children Respecting Difference Programme was developed in Northern Ireland as a result of a partnership with Pii (the Peace Initiatives Institute) in the USA and Early Years in 2003 and since then has been rolled out across Northern Ireland and the border counties in the Republic of Ireland. The programme is targeted at children aged 2-8, their parents and teachers and is aimed at creating a culture of respect for all forms of difference.”

Denise McCormilla, Chief Executive Officer, BCCN, commented “Working with the Rural Development Council and Early Years to extend the Respecting Difference Programme into primary schools and after school services in the border counties in the Republic of Ireland has been a very worthwhile experience for all involved. BCCN is delighted with the addition of this new rural element to the programme and looks forward to further engagement in

promoting rural development and respecting difference.”

The new cartoon ‘Moving to the Countryside’ will be shown on national television in the near future.

The Rural Respecting Difference Programme is part financed by the European Union’s Peace III Programme, managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by the Pobal Consortium.

For further information visit:

www.early-years.org/rural-rd/

PADUA CONFERENCE – Spain/1Introduction to the contribution workshop in Padua

ARASAAC project.- GOVERNMENT OFARAGÓN

http://www.catedu.es/arasaac/

NOT ONLY FOR CHILDREN WITHDISABILITIES OR LEARNING DIFFICULTIES-

ARASAAC WEBSITE WORKS FOR ALLCHILDREN IN MAINSTREAM INFANT

EDUCATION OR LANGUAGE LEARNING

For many years, Special Education centres inAragon have had experiences involved in innovation and research, along with other institutions for the design and development of resources and technical assistance relatedto communication and personal and social autonomy of their students.

Through this collaboration, which emerged as the TICO Application Project (www.proyectotico.es ) and vocalizes Project(www.vocaliza.es), which required the addition of a catalogue of pictograms to supplement its initial functionality. As the main premise of these two applications was

the free distribution, the icons added to both have the same characteristics.

The result of this need, the Aragonese Centre for Educational Technologies (CATEDU), with funding from the Department of Science, Technology and University currently Department of Industry and Innovation of the Government of Aragon, launched an initial working group formed by designer Sergio Palao, advisors and professionals of CATEDU and the CPEE Alborada (Zaragoza).

The initial objective of this working group was to create a bank of pictograms to offer support and is a facilitator of visual communication processes for those who support their processes of interaction with the environment, both in the field of instrument disability, hospitals, nursing homes or on the intercultural front.

Meanwhile, the department established another fundamental objective, the dissemination and universal access to the educational community and society in

general, of all the work done through a website.

Although originally the website of ARASAAC was devised for children with disabilities, disorders and other types of difficulties suchas within the field of communication , it has been seen that the website ARASAAC is a powerful tool which promotes developmentand learning in general within Infant Education or the teaching and learning of foreign languages.

The extensive range of different applicationscan be applied to the cognitive area of development directed to activities to improve attention, memory, reasoning skills,vocabulary building, pre- reading and pre-writing and semantics.

PADUA CONFERENCE – Spain/2Introduction to the contribution workshop in Padua

The area of mathematics, numeracy andbasic concepts such as grouping and series

also is catered for with a wide range oftools.

PADUA CONFERENCE – Spain/3Introduction to the contribution workshop in Padua

Click and keep reading this article on our blog!!!

The area of play is supported by a widerange of downloadable games. The rangeincludes board games, bingos and many

others.

Within the aspect related to improving thecomprehension of routines and personalautonomy of children of Infant Education

the number of materials aimed atstructuring activities and anticipation has

grown over the years.

PADUA CONFERENCE – IndiaKeynote Speaker

Read More: Swati Popat Vats

Swati Popat Vats

Designation- President Podar Education Network and Early Childhood Association- IndiaKindergarten School- Podar Jumbo Kids- Podar Education Complex- India

Role of developmentally appropriate technology in early years education.

As adults we know about the shortcomings of technology and the drawbacks then it becomes important that we help kids understand the real use of technology and keep them away from its abuse. At Podar Jumbo Kids we introduced ipads to our and 5 year olds with a difference; we made the ipad another medium of learning. we based the entire project on Howard Gardner’s eight intelligences and also used scaffolding,ZPD theory base from Vygotsky.

Before we introduced ipads we prepared our technology position statement so that teachers and parents are made aware of how, when and how much technology will

be used in the education. Our decision was about making kids netizens, practice netiquette and technology literacy. The goal is, to enable children to develop their own ‘creative and critical capacities in relating to technology, not to train them to be machineoperators’. So before we introduced the ipadwe exposed kids to a presentation and learning about safe use of all kinds of technology.

We then introduced ipads and integrated its use with the learning goals for our kids, our first project was called - ipad-Van Gogh-sunflower project.

We ensured that the entire project was cross curricular, multi dimensional and involved all mediums of learning. The children were able to learn about-Color mixing, Plant parts, Body parts, Types of flowers, Learn dialogues for a drama, Be part of a short animation poem, Do voice over for the animation, Explore books and encyclopedias, Counting activities, Enhanced language skills, Learn about

paintings and painters, Learn about Van Gogh, And use the ipad!

The project helped parents understand thatKids are fascinated with all kinds of technology not only because it fulfills their need for ‘exploring’ but also fulfills their need for ‘independent exploring’. It also helped teachers develop curriculum that is developmentally appropriate in its use of technology.

PADUA CONFERENCE – ItalyKeynote Speaker

Keep Reading: Immacolata Nappi

Immacolata Nappi

In a Children’s Hospital like in School..Let’s do Robotics!Hands-on Teaching methods in the School in Hospital Gaslini, Genoa, Italy

Allowing hospitalized children pursuing theireducational curriculum is essential both educationally and therapeutically. Educational robotics in Hospital School allowteacher to ensure the needed educational continuity, which is often interrupted by therapies.

Today, many hospitals have teachers working on the wards, and in some instances teachers and children work in their own hospital school. In Italy, the Hospital School is part of the public school system. Hospital Schools provide educational support for students whose physical or mental health prevents them from successfully participating to the regularschool programs. Often, Hospital Schools are located in the hospital’s ward.

The Nursery Hospital School “Giannina Gaslini and the “Giannina Gaslini” Hospital School is located inside the Children’s Hospital “Giannina Gaslini” in Genoa, Italy. Their activities ensure that little patients are not deprived of their schoolwork or exams. School in Hospital allow inclusion process and the caring of Educational Special Needs.

In the Hospital School “G. Gaslini”, the school year 2008/2009, started one of the most loved projects called “Robotica Creativa” (Creative Robotics, CR). It was inspired by the constructionist/constructivist methodology adopted by the Author. At the beginning, it worked as following.

1) The teachers provide kids with many electronic components resulting from the recycling of old pc’s, telephones, and other electronic material. Teachers have cleaned and selected all these material so kids can safely use them.

2) Teachers ask kids to imagine and tell some stories about robots. For the little patients, this is a very healthy activity, where they can free their imagination using some robotics character and figurine as their avatar (object substitution);

3) The creativity unleashed by these tales feeds the task of...

GOOD PRACTICE – North Ireland/1Keynote Speaker

Heuristic play “consists of offering a group ofchildren, for a defined period of time in a controlled environment, a large number of different kinds of objects and receptacles with which they play freely without adult intervention”.Elinor Goldschmied and Sonia Jackson 1994

What is Heuristic Play?Heuristic play is a term used to refer to the kind of games that encourage children’s active exploration through the senses. Children instinctively seek to investigate objects which interest them exploring by taste, touch, smell and sound. The word ‘heuristic’ derives from the Greek ‘eurisko’ which means serves to discover or gain an understanding of. The materials offered to children during a heuristic play session are not conventional toys. They are a range of everyday objects and containers that children can explore by themselves and for themselves without active adult intervention.

Heuristic play can be for all ages of children; the baby discovering the content of a treasure basket, the pre-school child discovering the outdoors; for this article the focus is on the toddler 12 to 24 months. Organising Heuristic Play Play materials:

Twenty types of material, each in itsown drawstring bag/container; thereneeds to be about fifty items in each.

Appropriate storage space, eg row ofhooks, labelled with the type ofobjects, is needed to hang up thebags when not in use.

A shelf above the hooks should beprovided to store tins (each childshould have at least three tins forthe activity).

Time: A limited period of the day should be

selected and reserved for heuristicplay.

A heuristic play session may last upto 45 minutes, a third of which needsto be used for clearing up.

It is important to select a time whenthe maximum number of staffmembers are present so that onemember of staff can devote her fullattention to a small group (eight atmost).

Preparation of area: A clearly defined space is needed,

large enough to allow children tomove about freely.

All other play materials should beput away during the period chosenfor this activity.

To avoid the children crowdingtogether, the whole space availableshould be used. The adult preparingthe session distributes around theroom or play area tins of varyingsizes. How many tins are neededdepends on the number of childrenin the group, but there should neverbe less than three per child and

GOOD PRACTICE – North Ireland/2Keynote Speaker

these are always provided at eachsession.

The adult then selects a number ofbags of objects (say five) to make agood combination, for example,chains, cardboard tubes, pom-poms,tin lids and curtain rings.

These items are placed in separateor mixed heaps from which thechildren will make their own choice.

Adult support: The adult sits quietly as the children

come into the prepared space, thereis no need to direct or encourage thechildren to choose what they wantto use.

Children need time to consider howthey will play with the material.

A large cardboard box nearby can behelpful if a child begins to kick orthrow material. The adult can thenencourage the child to place, ratherthan throw, items into the boxdirecting his/her energies to morepurposeful ‘filing’.

During the session the adult remainsquiet.

At tidy-up time the adult names theitems to be collected.

GOOD PRACTICE – North Ireland/3Keynote Speaker

When the child places the object inthe bag, the adult will add shortclear comments connected with theactivity of collecting the objects,such as ‘there’s one by your foot’,‘bring me another …’, ‘look justbehind you’ and so on.

Through their play the children gaindirect sensory experience of thenature of each object so that itsname acquires real meaning.

“Heuristic play is an approach and not a prescription, there is no right way to do it and people in different settings will have their own ideas and collect their own materials.” Elinor Goldschmied 1994

Suggested list of materials for the collection

Different types of containersLarge tins with smooth edgesCardboard or wooden boxesUsed cansSlide boxesBiscuit tinsEgg boxesPlastic bottles

Different objects which rollWoollen pom-poms (primary colours) Cotton reels Ping pong balls Electric cable spoolsTubes (plastic, cardboard, metal)Hair rollers

Other objects to buy or collectWooden laundry pegsAssorted ribbonsLengths of chain (bath tap type)Pine cones Wooden door knobs Rubber/metal door stops

Seashells Large buttonsJar lids (metal and plastic)Used keys Curtain rings with kitchen roll rod

Professional Development – North Ireland

Former US President Bill Clinton visits Northern Ireland

On behalf of the International Network on Peace Building with Young Children, Early Years – the organisation for young children with support from the International Centre for Education and Human Development (CINDE) in Colombia, launched a new Masters Programme on Applied Peace and Conflict Studies with early years, in partnership with the International Conflict Research Institute (INCORE) at the University of Ulster.

The MSc. in Applied Peace and Conflict Studies builds upon participants' understanding of the origins, context and changing nature of conflict by providing a particular focus on child development issues

and the impact of conflict on young children, their families and communities.

In March 2014, former US President Bill Clinton visited Derry-Londonderry, demonstrating his ongoing commitment to the peace process in Northern Ireland. Deirdre McDaid, a student on the Early Yearsand INCORE (International Conflict ResearchInstitute) MSc in Applied Peace and Conflict Studies, welcomed President Clinton on his fifth trip to the city.

For further information on the Master’s or to apply please visit http://study.ulster.ac.uk/prospectus/course/201415/2795

EU PROJECTS – North Ireland

IMPRES Project Final ConferenceImelda Madigan, HighScope Trainer and Curriculum Development Advisor at Early Years, was invited to participate at the final IMPRES (Improvement of Pre-school Education in Serbia)conference which was held in Belgrade on Friday25 April 2014 in hotel Zira (Ruzveltova 35).

More than 160 participants attended the conference which demonstrated the results of the project. Representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, the EU Delegation to Serbia, representatives of pre-schools and local governments which participated in the project, the representatives of the pre-school institutions included in the UNICEF project ‘Kindergartens without borders - more opportunities for learning and development of young children’ and institutions included in the project ‘Schools of Life – together for childhood’

with Novak Djokovic Foundation, professional associations of pre-school institutions, as well asrepresentatives of non-governmental organisations and representatives of SOFRECO and partners of the consortium which implemented the project, were all there.

HE Ambassador Michael Davenport, Head of theDelegation of the European Union to Serbia, said that the IMPRES project is one of the most successful EU funded projects as part of education reform in Serbia. “We made a real foundation for progress not only for the seven kindergartens we built, but for the whole modernisation of the pre-school system in line with the best European and global practices. The EU will continue to be your main partner in the modernisation of the education system as we were until now,” said Mr Davenport.

The project started in February 2011 and finished at the end of April 2014. Since 2000 the European Union has invested around €62 milliondonations in the education sector in Serbia. The IMPRES project is the first project in the field of pre-school education in Serbia, funded by the EU with €3.75 million.

For more information please visit the project website at www.impres.rs/news/project-impres-finished/

NETQ6 PARTNERSCoordinator Institution

Aragón Government, Department of Education, Universtity, Culture and Sport, General Directorate of Educational Policies and Lifelong Learning, Zaragoza, Spain.Coordinator: Melanie Scott Taylore-mail: netq6@aragon.es

Partners

Mt Servicios Educativos, S.L, Zaragoza, Spain.Contact Person: Maria Flamariquee-mail: mflamarique@mtgrupo.com

Polo Europeo della Conoscenza-I.C. Lorenzi,Fumane, Italy.Contact Person: Stefano Cobelloe-mail: europole.stefano@europole.org

Ankara Milli Egitim Mudurlugu-Amem, Ankara, Turkey.Contact Person: Türkan Öztürk e-mail: turkan_ozt@hotmail.com

Wandsworth Council – Lifelong Learning Service, London, UK.Contact Person: Fragola Santinoe-mail: sfragola@wandsworth.gov.uk

LEB Thüringen e.V, Weimar, Germany.Contact Person: Evelyn Sittige-mail: Evelyn.Sittig@leb.de

Wyższa Szkola Informatyki-Pedagogy And School4Child, Łodź, Poland.Contact Person: Gerard Siekierske-mail: project@wsinf.edu.pl

University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania.Contact Person: Bogdan Logofatu e-mail: logofatu@credis.ro

Early Years – The Organization For Young Children, Belfast, UK-Northern Ireland.Contact Person: Marleen Collinse-mail: marleenc@early-years.org

Disclaimer

This project has been funded with support from the European Commision. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.