Improving the Pedagogical and ICT skills of Pre-School Teachers and Educators in the Digital Era

To cope with the sudden change brought about by the closure of schools and kindergartens during the Covid pandemic, teachers formed support communities and sought help to deal with the abrupt change to online learning. Teachers had to adapt to online teaching and keep students' interest and the relevance of their classes to the new context. This is how the idea of this project was born, from the need to provide much-needed support to other kindergarten teachers. The project’s idea is even more relevant as it is based on EuroEd primary school’s institutional approach to Covid preschool education. The PreEdTech project aims to fulfil such teaching and parental needs and fill the gaps in teacher knowledge regarding online teaching methods and tools. The needs identified arised from the challenges the kindergarten teachers were facing when teaching at a distance: lack of training in designing attractive and interactive activities to stimulate the interest of all the children; technical difficulties; lack of educational content/digital resources; lack of time allocated for understanding and using educational-digital tools and resources; common assumption that using technology and the internet when very young is inappropriate.

We came to the current project after considering the dynamics and unpredictability of the contemporary context, how the project's partner institutions adapted to online learning, and the difficulties they encountered during the epidemic. Given the current challenges of distance and digital teaching and learning, the project aims to strengthen the profiles of educators, empower and equip them with digital and pedagogical skills, as well as provide them with essential and logically structured open educational resources (OER), necessary for the developmental needs of preschool children. The project supports educators as they successfully adopt cutting-edge teaching strategies that are pertinent to the digital transformation of school culture.

The pandemic brought about the forced digitization of education, which will stay. This project is aimed specifically at kindergarten teachers in order to develop their digital and pedagogical skills and to provide them with the most appropriate resources to work with kindergarten students - aged 3-6 years. The PreEdTech Project focused on the following actities: - Strengthening the professional profile of preschool teachers by developing an innovative guide on remote learning, by PR1, in the first year of the project - Increasing the competences of kindergarten teachers on Digital Education Readiness in the field of School Education, through production of a free access online course and implementation of training sessions for educators, by PR2, in the second year of the project - Increasing access to quality education for kindergarten children by providing adapted educational resources and frameworks, structured lesson planning, integration of digital resources, and iterative evaluation processes, by PR3, in the second year of the project. - Reaching a profound impact of the piloting activities in classes within PR3, on teaching and learning practices, leading to improved learning outcomes, increased teacher confidence, positive student experiences, enhanced collaboration and professional development, and strengthened partnerships within the preschool education sector. - Raising awareness among educators, policymakers, parents, and other stakeholders about the importance of integrating technology into preschool education. By organising dissemination activities during the project period, was highlighted the benefits and potential impact of digital resources and online learning materials, encouraging broader adoption and investment in technology-enhanced teaching practices.

R1 results - Teaching in the Digital Era - Guide on teacher-student-parent cooperation, 98 pages, available in 6 languages (EN, RO, IT, LT, TR, ES) - 20 Staff members involved in development of the guide - 40 members of Expert Board Team who offered input for production of the guide - 40 evaluations from partners members or associated partners - Availability of the R1 Guide at: https://preedtech-project.eu/teaching-guide.php R2 results - Course available online for 4 disciplines (Math, Environmental, Communication, English), available in 6 languages (EN,RO,IT,LT,TR,ES) - 3 Theoretical Modules - 1 Practical Module, 34 video tutorials, receiving 318 views - 3 Evaluation Test - Certification - Feedback and suggestions from the Expert Board Team: 40 members - 5 training sessions, 151 educators (ES-17, IT-15, LT-29, TR-30, RO-60) - 154 registrations on the online course (ES-31, IT-17, LT-34, TR-30, RO-42) - 40 evaluations forms on the impact of R2 resources. - Availability of the R2 Course at: https://preedtech-project.eu/about-the-course.php R3 results - 4 Curricula on Math, Environment, English, Communication - Total of 120 lesson plans, available in 6 languages (EN,RO,IT,LT,TR,ES). - Lesson Plans for Math https://preedtech-project.eu/mathematics.php - Lesson Plans for Environment https://preedtech-project.eu/environmental-education.php - Lesson Plans for English https://preedtech-project.eu/english.php - Lesson Plans for Communication https://preedtech-project.eu/english.php - 15 Piloting activities, 26 educators and 247 children in the piloting activities, over 300 parents informed - Peer-reading: 40 users (partners members and associated partners) read and commented on the PR3 results. Dissemination: - Project website: https://preedtech-project.eu/index.php - Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/Preedtec, 106 followers - YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PreEdTech , 318 views - Associated partners: 58 - Local participants in the Multiplier events: 178 - Over 7800 public at large, reached through over 300 dissemination activities. The Teaching in the Digital Era Guide stands out as a comprehensive resource that not only supports preschool educators but also addresses the broader needs of teachers, parents, and children in navigating the complexities of online teaching and learning. Its structured approach, clear presentation, and practical insights make it a valuable asset in enhancing the quality and effectiveness of preschool education in the digital age. The Teaching in the Online Era Course provide educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to effectively implement online teaching strategies across diverse educational settings. Its adaptable design, multilingual accessibility, comprehensive content, structured learning units, accessible resources, and ongoing support and feedback mechanisms ensure that educators can transfer and apply their learning in various contexts to enhance the quality of online education. The Online Interactive Annual Plan Handbook lies in its holistic approach to integrating technology and online learning materials into preschool education, supported by collaborative development, alignment with educational frameworks, structured lesson planning, integration of digital resources, and iterative evaluation processes. By providing preschool teachers with comprehensive and ready-to-use materials, the project aims to inspire innovation and enhance the quality of early childhood education worldwide.