„Technology is everywhere. Where is the balance?” – English
The project is implemented by the Personal Development Foundation "Przystań" in cooperation with the University of Valencia as part of the Erasmus+ Program, Action 2. Cooperation of Organizations and Institutions, Small-scale Partnerships.
The dynamic development of information and communication technologies challenges families and schools to counteract the effects that may affect primary school students who abuse technology.
The biggest challenges related to rapidly developing technology are:
- technologies are based on mobile, fast and universal Internet, as well as algorithms that personalize content for children and teenagers, which increases the risk of technology abuse by primary school students and experiencing negative consequences related to it
- as humans, we have been exposed to rapidly developing technology for a relatively short time and we do not fully know all the consequences of its intensive use, especially when it comes to the youngest, who have been in contact with it practically from birth
- abuse of technology may affect not only the health and well-being of primary school students, but also limit their educational opportunities and, in the future, professional development
- we all live in a digital world, which requires the use of technology. We can't completely disconnect because technology also has many benefits.
- abuse of technology limits the possibilities of developing social and personal competences in real life
- the dynamic development of technology will constantly create new challenges for us, but actions to eliminate the already known undesirable effects should start as soon as possible, because future of the youngest generation is at stake
Main goal
The main goal of the project was to counteract the deterioration of learning outcomes of primary school students resulting from the abuse of technology, in particular computers and smartphones, by developing an innovative set of teaching tools for primary school teachers focusing on the development of students' soft skills.
Specific objectives
- developing a teaching toolkit meeting the demands of the today's primary schools in the area of tackling learning disadvantage, early school leaving and low proficiency in basic skills
- strengthening the professional development of primary school teachers
- promoting the idea of greater involvement of parents of primary school students in the process of developing their children's soft skills
- strengthening the international cooperation potential of organizations involved in the project
The mission of the Personal Development Foundation "Przystań",the leader of the project, is, among others: supporting personal and psychosocial development, counteracting addictions and domestic violence, carrying out activities aimed at health prevention, as well as educational activities.
The Foundation aims its activities at children and youth, but also to adults.
The mission of the University of Valencia is to educate competent professionals to a European professional standard and to encourage prestigious research with international implications that will contribute to the development of society.
The University of Valencia educates future specialists in the field of education, including: in the field of pedagogy and social education. It provides advice to teachers of all educational levels in the field of inclusive education and conducts projects in schools aimed at increasing awareness of diversity in classrooms.
The partnership was created because of the need to combine academic knowledge regarding teaching in primary schools and practical knowledge in the area of preventing behavioral addictions among primary school students.
By implementing the project, the partnership has developed tools to help teachers and parents support the sustainable use of technology by primary school students so that they have the opportunity to develop their competences, including social and personal, in such a way that it has a positive impact on their future.
The most important result of the project is a innovative teaching toolkit developed by the partners to support teachers in preventing the deterioration of primary school students' learning outcomes due to the overuse of technology, in particular computers and smartphones, by developing their social and personal skills.
The developed teaching tools are aimed at two groups of primary school students:
- 6 - 9 years old
- 10 – 14 years old.
The toolkit consists of:
- a questionnaire aimed at determining how primary school students use technologies such as smartphones, computers and what is the level of students' social and personal skills
- teaching programs and lesson plans aimed at developing social and personal skills in the environment of existing technology, implemented as part of school classes
- a tutorial for teachers containing tips on using individual methods (e.g. tutoring, coaching) to develop students' social and personal skills in the environment of existing technology
- tutorials for parents containing tips on how to develop children's social and personal skills in everyday life in the context of existing technology
The project is a response to the situation in which there is no single universally accepted list of social and personal skills. Various approaches to teaching these skills are proposed in the literature, but the project focuses on social and personal competences, which are defined as soft skills in accordance with the Recommendations of the Council of the European Union of 22 May 2018 and which are key competences.
The developed teaching toolkit includes materials addressed to primary school staff, including psychology specialists, pedagogues, teachers, and school principals.
The developed tools also allow parents to increase their awareness of addiction prevention and the impact of technology on the development of skills and learning outcomes of their children. Using developed tools parents can acquire skills in supporting the development of social and personal competences and to maintain balance in the use of technology by their children. They also aim to motivate them to promote this idea among other parents.
However, the main beneficiaries of the activities carried out in the project are primary school students, especially students at risk of exclusion due to addiction to smartphones, computers and poor academic performance, who have a chance to develop their social and personal skills, as well as develop healthy and constructive habits in using technology and spending free time.
The materials contained in the toolkit are placed in an open repository on the website of both project partners, which is available to all teachers in the EU.
QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES
A tool that allows you to determine whether your child is using technology in a safe and sustainable way.
In the case of children aged 6-9 years, it is recommended that the parent completes the questionnaire together with the child. Children aged 10-14 can complete the questionnaire themselves.
After consultation with parents, teachers can also support children in completing the questionnaire at school.
Questionnaire on the use of NT-6-9 years
Questionnaire using NT-10-14 years
QUESTIONNAIRE OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL COMPETENCES
A tool that allows you to determine the level of personal and social competences of a child.
In the case of children aged 6-9 years, it is recommended that the parent completes the questionnaire together with the child. Children aged 10-14 can complete the questionnaire themselves.
After consultation with parents, teachers can also support children in completing the questionnaire at school.
Competence questionnaire – 6-9 years old
Competence questionnaire - 10-14 years old
TUTORIAL FOR TEACHERS
The tutorial is a tool addressed to teaching staff, in particular educators, pedagogues, school psychologists, providing group and individual support in the development of personal and social competences of primary school students in the context of dynamically developing technology. It contains knowledge about the balanced use of technology and social and personal competences, as well as practical tips and examples of how to work with students and parents involved in training with children. In the tutorial, teachers can find scenarios on working with students using the tutoring method and with parents using the coaching method.
LESSON PLANS
Lesson plans are a tool for teachers to use during group lessons. They contain scanrios of the lessons and define effective work methods. They are also enriched with tips on how to carry out group activities.
Lesson plans for 6-9 years old students - module 1
Lesson plans for 10-14 years old students - module 1
Lesson plans for 6-9 years - module 2
Lesson plans for 10-14 years - module 2
Lesson plans for 6-9 years - module 3
Lesson plans for 10-14 years - module 3
TUTORIAL FOR PARENTS – short version
The short version of the tutorial is a tool addressed to parents who, in a family environment, want to support their children in developing social and personal competences and shaping healthy habits related to the sustainable use of technology. The short version of the tutorial contains basic knowledge about the sustainable use of technology and social and personal competences, as well as basic assumptions on how to train with a child at home.
Tutorial for parents - short version for download
TUTORIAL FOR PARENTS – extended version
The extended version tutorial, similarly to the short version tutorial, is a tool addressed to parents who, in a family environment, want to support their children in developing social and personal competences and shaping healthy habits related to the sustainable use of technology. The extended version of the tutorial contains more detailed knowledge than the shortened version regarding the balanced use of technology and social and personal competences, as well as practical tips, examples, and exercises that parents can use when training with their child at home. In the tutorial, parents can find scenarios for conducting training aimed at strengthening specific skills and habits.
Tutorial for parents - extended version to download
To disseminate the project and its results, two papers on LifeComp and educational innovation have been published in a monographic journal, which are described in detail below:
Ancheta-Arrabal, A., Donato, D., Giménez, N (2023) La competencia digital y el uso responsable de herramientas digitales en la educación obligatoria. diseño de una propuesta pedagógica para la innovación. In Blanca Berral Ortiz; José Antonio Martínez Domíngo; Daniel Álvarez Ferrándiz & Juan José Victoria Maldonado (eds.) INVESTIGACIÓN E INNOVACIÓN EDUCATIVA EN CONTEXTOS DIFERENCIADOS (pp.869-880). Dykinson, Madrid.
Ancheta-Arrabal, A. y Uzarska-Bachmura, M. 2022. La realidad hipertecnológica de la infancia y el equilibrio con la LifeComp. Cuadernos de pedagogía, Nº 528, pp. 118-123.
Transnational Project Meeting in Spain
The first Transnationall Project Meeting took place on 13-14-th of October, 2022. in Valencia. During the meeting, representatives of the Foundation and the University of Valencia participated in working sessions aimed at developing common assumptions for creating a set of teaching tools enabling preventing the deterioration of primary school students' learning results connected with the abuse of technology, in particular computers and smartphones. Participants exchanged experiences in counteracting the abuse of technology by students. They also presented the specifics of the functioning of primary schools in their countries and developed assumptions and an action plan for creating tools.
Transnational Project Meeting in Poland
The second Transnational Project Meeting took place on 3-4-th of July, 2023. in Warsaw. During the meeting, representatives of the Foundation and the University of Valencia participated in working sessions devoted to discussing the implementation and evaluation of the pilot implementation of teaching tools developed as part of the project, aimed at preventing the deterioration of learning results of primary school students resulting from the overuse of technology, in particular computers and smartphones. The participants determined what changes should be introduced to the final version of the toolkit in order to improve it, and also discussed the assumptions regarding the implementation of activities disseminating project results, including organizational and substantive details related to conducting training as part of multiplier events.
Training in the form of workshops (Multipiler Event) in Poland
As part of the dissemination of the project results, a set of teaching tools for the sustainable use of technology and the development of social and personal competences among students was presented during the training that took place in Warsaw on 21-st of September 21, 2023.
The training was attended by representatives of primary schools, including principals, teachers, pedagogues and school psychologists.
The training was conducted by people representing the Foundation who were involved in the development of teaching tools, as well as teachers of the school that implemented the project on a pilot basis. During the training, apart from discussing the teaching tools created as part of the project, the effects of the pilot implementation in a primary school were presented, and at the end, the participants had the opportunity to discuss the possibility of implementing the tools in their own schools.
The participants asked many questions and were particularly interested in practical aspects related to the pilot implementation in schools.
The final evaluation by project participants of the created tools indicates that their implementation in schools can be effective in counteracting learning difficulties, early school leaving and low proficiency in basic skills. Participants also believe that the use of teaching tools created as part of the project will have a positive impact on their professional development.
Training in the form of workshops (Multipiler Event) in Valencia
As part of the dissemination of the project results, a teaching toolkit for the sustainable use of technology and the development of social and personal skills among students was presented during the training that took place in Valencia on 7-th September, 2023.
The training was attended by representatives of primary schools, including principals, teachers, specialists in pedagogy, psychology and social education in the school environment, as well as teachers from CEFIRE (teacher development center) and pedagogical coordinators of primary and secondary schools.
The training was conducted by representatives of the University of Valencia, who participated in the development of teaching tools, as well as teachers from the school that implemented the project in pilot mode (CRA Quart de les Valls-Benavites in the province of Valencia). During the training, in addition to discussing the teaching tools created as part of the project, the effects of the pilot implementation in a primary school were presented, and at the end, the participants had the opportunity to discuss the possibility of implementing the tools in their own schools to assess possible adaptations to the school reality.
Participants asked many questions and were particularly interested in practical aspects related to pilot implementation in schools.
The final evaluation by project participants of the created tools indicates that their implementation in schools can be effective in counteracting learning difficulties, early school leaving and low proficiency in basic skills. Participants also appreciated the fact that the use of teaching tools created as part of the project would have a positive impact on their professional development.
CEFIRE representatives expressed interest in the possibility of disseminating materials and designing specialized training for primary school teachers in cooperation with the University of Valencia.
