TEK-COURSES

TRAINING AIMED AT PARTICIPANTS RECEIVING

A GRANT FOR EITHER COMENIUS OR GRUNDTVIG TARGET GROUPS

LANGUAGE USED FOR THE TRAINING

English

EDUCATION SECTOR OF THE TRAINING PARTICIPANTS

• SCHOOL AND PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION
• Primary
• General secondary
• Vocational/Technical secondary
• ADULT EDUCATION
• Adult education provider
• Second chance or remedial education
• Higher education institution offering outreach courses for adults
• Organisations working with migrant groups/ethnic minorities
• Centres for guidance, councelling or accreditation
• Other sectors of adult education

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Teachers (Pre-school, primary, secondary, vocational, adult, special needs)
• Teacher trainers
• Careers officers, educational guides and counselors
• Headteachers/principals/managers of schools/organisations offering adult education
• Members of students/teachers councils in adult education
• Other, namely: Perspective Teachers

DESCRIPTION OF TRAINING CONTENTS

Preparation

Participants are expected to have at least a basic Information Communication Technologies (ICT) user level. They will be requested to complete an online questionnaire about their personal and/or academic profile as well as with their expectations from the course. They will also be requested to prepare a short presentation about the Mathematics curriculum in their countries as well the teaching methods they use in their teaching. Before starting the course, documentation related to the course will be sent to all participants by e-mail, including information for travelling, accommodation, local culture and points of interest. A specific Web page will be launched before the course so that all participants get the whole detail. Additional information will be available via the course’s website.

Objectives

• The presentation of various teaching strategies and techniques for the teaching of mathematics in accordance with modern perceptions about Teaching and Learning.
• Analysis of the concepts of Information and Communication Technologies, educational software and open source educational software.
• Participants’ awareness about the possibilities of using educational software in order to improve their performance and enhance the learning outcome in the process of teaching Mathematics.
• Participants’ awareness of available educational software for mathematics education, including free and open source software.
• Analysis of the criteria for designing and developing educational activities as a necessary ingredient of the utilisation of educational software in the teaching process.
• Participants’ training in particular, in the use of two selected titles of educational software for Mathematics, one for Dynamic Geometry (Sketchpad or Cabri) and one for Algebra and Functions (Function Probe or other equivalent).

The intended course outcomes are that the participants:

• Acquire a positive attitude towards new technologies and realise the possibilities of enhancing learning outcome by the utilization of educational software in the process of teaching.
• Acquire additional qualifications which empower them in their job.
• Analyze study and discuss evaluation, didactic and functionality aspects of the educational software for Mathematics and the criteria used for elaborating didactic activities.
• Familiarise themselves with the design of didactic activities using educational software.
• Acquire a positive attitude towards searching, evaluating and modifying educational software applications in a self – learning context.

Methodology

The course, based on the principles of adult education, will be focused on content presentation and practicing activities. Collaborative Learning and hands-on experience will be used.

The best examples of educational software used by mathematicians teaching in schools will be presented along with basic evaluation principles for educational software. The participants will analyze study and discuss evaluation, didactic and functionality aspects of the educational software for Mathematics and the criteria used for elaborating didactic activities.

Possibilities of using this software in the lessons, advantages and difficulties will also be discussed.

Participants will attend a lesson in a Greek high school classroom, using educational software, for the teaching of a certain topic of the Mathematics curriculum. The total duration of the course will be 30 training hours, distributed over 5 days. Coffee and lunch break included on a daily basis.

Follow-up

Participants will continue to have access to the course training portal and be supported by a tutor for a pre-determined period of time. They will be in touch with lecturers by e-mail and questions concerning the application of the course contents will be answered. The participants will be also encouraged to continue to cooperate with each other, via course's webpage, in order to share experiences or produce and submit new applications and activities.

PROGRAMME OF THE TRAINING ACTIVITIES (DAY BY DAY)
Total course hours: 30

Day 1
Welcome activity
Administrative issues
Presentation of the course and the methodology
Presentation of participants and the Mathematics Curriculum in their countries

Cultural evening. Participants present their countries

Day 2
Presentation of the theoretical context using specific examples. Presentation of various teaching strategies and techniques
Analysis of the concepts of educational software, ICT, open source software and the possibilities of their utilisation in Mathematics teaching
Analysis of the evaluation criteria for educational software
Hands-on experience in various titles of software for Mathematics. Free exploration while trainers support each individual trainee
Discussion about the application context (infrastructure, methods, class management), the benefits and the difficulties of using educational software
Analysis of the criteria for designing and developing educational activities
Designing a lesson plan and authoring a learning activity

Patra’s City Tour

Day 3
Teaching the basic functions of a representative of Dynamic Geometry software through learning activities
Teaching the basic functions of a representative of Algebra software through learning activities

Day 4
Teaching the basic functions of a representative of Algebra software through learning activities
Practice in the use of the software presented earlier. Getting familiar with the software environments
Practice on the design and implementation of learning activities for mathematics using the presented software. Presentation of participants’ work and discussion

Excursion in the surrounding area

Day 5
Educational visit in a Greek High School in order to attend a didactical application using educational software for Mathematics, in a real class
Course evaluation. Follow up guidelines

Farewell dinner. Presenting participant's certificates.

INFORMATION ON COURSE SESSION/S

SESSION 1

DATE OF START:	12/10/2009		TIME OF START:		11:00
DATE OF END:	16/10/2009
Deadline for registration:	11/09/2009

SESSION 2

DATE OF START:	08/03/2010		TIME OF START:		11:00
DATE OF END:	12/03/2010
Deadline for registration:	08/02/2010