Culture Goes Digital: Training Course on Robotics for Educators Report

It’s not often that you get the opportunity to learn from the best on how to teach robotic skills to young children. It is even less often, though, that you get to do it while visiting a new, lovely, hot country in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. That was exactly  the case of Culture Goes Digital last training course in Cyprus: giving 6 adults the opportunity of expanding their knowledge on robotics. Do you want to know more about their experience?

The world is in permanent mutation and keeping up is not always easy. That’s why CGE has been focusing several of its activities on digital skills, from robot programming to digital competences in youth work, including virtual badges and coding schools, with the aim of being a contributor to a better society, where everybody can fully exploit the potentialities of new technologies. Culture Goes Digital is a big project in this area, which just had its second activity: a Training Course on ICT and robotics, in Nicosia, from the 4th to the 13th of November. After a Job Shadowing activity in the beginning of September, more focused on administrative issues, it was now time for 6 members of the CGE community to learn how to use robotics as pedagogical materials for kids, in other words, to learn how to teach these subjects.

The schedule consisted of one week dedicated to learning how to explore the capabilities of learning robots, such as Edison, Lego Boost and Lego Mindstorms, in a way that could be used for other projects in the future. The knowledge provider and longtime partner, Emphasys Centre, is a reference when it comes to teaching robotics to the civil society, especially children. They have more than 20 years of expertise and are, therefore, very capable of transmitting the information in an engaging and pedagogical way. Starting with small tasks, soon afterwards the group was solving some complex problems, like follow the line, or sumo fighting, all with an interactive group dynamic that fostered learning. The week was not only intense, but also extremely rewarding, as everybody could see the progress they had made in such a short period of time.

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Cyprus had a lot more to offer than just robotics and programming, though: being inhabited since ancient times, the island has some rich and complex history, supported on a vibrant and deeply-rooted culture. It was no surprise, then, that the group dedicated most of its free time to trying out the delicious delicacies and to visiting the wonderful landscapes that the island has to offer. From the divided city of Nicosia to the beaches in Ayia Napa, Cyprus has a lot of was of impressing you, it’s hard to imagine how “heaven and hell” can be so close to each other. In food therms, the Middle Eastern and Greek influences are not only noticeable, but also mouth-watering and heart-warming, usually served together with some great wine as well. Everybody in the group was in love with the country after the trip, the Cypriot welcoming culture did leave a lasting mark.

Culture Goes Digital did not end here, though, there is still plenty more to come! The project will feature a second Job Shadowing activity in April 2019 and a Training Course later in July, which will for sure feature some more great memories for the participants. Keep checking this blog for all the updates on CGE’s activities.

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The project is financed by the Nationale Agentur beim Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung.

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