The uncontrolled use of digital technology and its effect on students was the main focus of a three-year Erasmusplus project called Smart Kids of Digital World in which St Francis School, Cospicua participated, together with partner schools in Spain, Poland and Turkey. . and that came to an end in August.
The project sought to address a number of issues, including saving children from Internet addiction and encouraging them to use it responsibly; support children’s mental, physical, and social-emotional growth and provide guidance to parents in this regard; empower children to adopt good habits and support them to grow up healthy with universal human values.
The final mobility of the project took place in May when the participants from the associated schools, including Josephine Mallia, Tiziana Loffreda and Shirley Ann Gauci from the Cospicua school, were received by CEIP Mata Linares in Spain.
Various activities took place during the visit, including those related to robotics and coding to learn about insects and plant life through tangible resources; writing stations; as well as traditional Spanish dances that transmit a valuable culture. The partners watched the young learners play sensory games, were shown a video of a children’s game against the backdrop of children’s drawings, and participated in creating videos using digital backgrounds related to the project.
Primary school students presented the participants with information about the main traditions and characteristics of Cantabria, including through digital questionnaires in which the students responded with coded answers that were then deciphered by the teacher using a mobile phone. They were also presented with a visual presentation summarizing Cantabria’s historical, traditional and demographic information, and used the students’ digital educational tablets and apps to enter a quiz.
As part of the training sessions, the participants attended a conference on Internet security by Lieutenant D. José Manuel Martín Arias, focused on the current situation, the increasing dangers and the related collaborative preventive program. Associate Professor Javiér Barbero gave a lecture on American culture, highlighting the use of language in highly-watched television series to convey American values. The conference was followed by a visit to the Impact Assessment Research Center (CRIE) and the Environmental Education Center (CEAm) – Educational Environment Center – where students from various schools attend weekly gatherings with their teachers to learn how to work . in collaboration and be more independent.
The European Union Program Agency (EUPA) in Malta supported the participation of the Cospicua school in the project.
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