Building an Eco-Friendly Future with Robots

The aim of the GREENCODE project was to improve the skills and training opportunities of pre-service preschool teachers in order to equip them with the necessary skills to stimulate children's int...

The aim of the GREENCODE project was to improve the skills and training opportunities of pre-service preschool teachers in order to equip them with the necessary skills to stimulate children's interest in the future world and develop their environmental awareness. The project focused on strengthening the capacity of the education sector to provide high-quality environmental education and algorithmic thinking training using educational robotics at the preschool level in partner countries.

Project partners in all member countries met with pre-service and in-service preschool and ICT teachers in various events, such as focus groups and discussions, roundtable meetings and workshops, and collected data, teachers' opinions, insights, and experiences, promoting the exchange of information that was later used in the development of the project results. The literature review also supported the content development process, based on both individual and team contributions. The effectiveness of the project results was tested in a pilot process in which 97 preschool teacher students were trained. In countries where no pilot activities were carried out, the materials were distributed to universities and existing preschool teachers, (more than 50 teachers in Germany, Ireland, Turkey, and Italy). Volunteer teachers were encouraged to use the teaching materials in their teaching practice. The materials were also tested in several events and in several preschool institutions, together with children and with the support of preschool teachers.

Concrete outputs and results of the Greencode project that were delivered: 1. Preparing Future Educators: a Digital Handbook on Robotics and Environmental Education 2. Preparing Future Educators: a Higher Education Course Curriculum on Robotics and Environmental Education 3. Preparing Future Educators: Lesson Plans - Supporting the Higher Education Course Curriculum on Robotics and Environmental Education 4. Activity Book - Educational Robotics and Environmental Education in Early Childhood Education & Activity Book: Printable pages 5. Video Tutorials for Preservice Teachers and Current Teachers: 1) Inquiry-based Learning Approach 2) Creating Eco Friendly Habits 3) Creating Engaging Contexts 4) Algorithmic Thinking 5) Learning Robots and Spatial Skills (The project's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GreencodeProject) 6. Dream City: Set of Cards & Manual of the Set of Cards for Storytelling with Educational Robotics All results have also been published on the project website (https://www.greencodeproject.com/).