Από τα Απορρίμματα στο Θησαυρό: Σχέδια Μαθημάτων Ανακύκλωσης για Κωφούς και Βαρήκοους Μαθητές Νηπιαγωγείου

The goal of the Ecosign program was to address the lack of educational materials for the environmental education of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in preschool and early school ages. Our object...

The goal of the Ecosign program was to address the lack of educational materials for the environmental education of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in preschool and early school ages. Our objective was to develop a comprehensive educational program that introduces deaf and hard-of-hearing toddlers to the processes of recycling and environmental conservation. The program was designed using modern educational technological tools, storytelling, educational games, and lesson plans to ensure that the content is easily accessible and understandable by the children.

In the framework of the program, we implemented a series of actions exactly as proposed in the original funding application. Initially, we conducted a detailed needs analysis and then developed an educational guide for teachers, including instructions, theory, and detailed lesson plans. We also designed electronic educational applications, games, and stories focused on recycling. Furthermore, we developed a web portal and various communication materials to disseminate the program, using the Media Toolkit we designed. We conducted two trips for the implementation of the program, between Greece and Cyprus, and organized a final event to present and disseminate the developed materials.

As part of completing the program, we developed a rich and accessible digital educational material. Specifically, we created stories on paper and battery recycling and a story addressing the three basic principles of environmental awareness, focusing on reuse. These stories were developed in print, multimedia, and Greek Sign Language formats, with some presented as animations with sign language interpretation. We also developed flash cards for environmental vocabulary, which were made available on the program's website in an application featuring images and sign language. Additionally, two digital games were designed for vocabulary and three digital interactive games for basic concepts, available in print, multimedia, and Greek Sign Language. We also completed an educational guide for teachers that includes a theoretical framework and lesson plans.