The active and value-driven utilization of digital media and technologies offers high prospects for development and advancement of key competences in an open society. In light of a proceeding digitization it is essential that vocational training and further education of pedagogic staff in the field of pre-school education will specifically strengthen key competences in the utilization of digital media. Before this background the project contributes to the improvement of digital integration into teaching and learning activities in the field of vocational training and further education of pedagogic staff in pre-school education in the digital era. The project will develop, test and evaluate concepts for vocational training and further education of pedagogic staff in pre-school education in the field of an active and creative usage of digital media in nurseries and pre-school settings, that will be transferable and usable throughout Europe. Associated with this, vocational training modules as well as innovative didactic methods such as the concept of "Challenge-based Learning" will be deeply rooted at professional training of pedagogic staff and consquently contribute to the improvement of quality in early childhood education institutions.The project includes a training of trainers for pedagogic staff in pre-school education. These trainers will afterwards train in their own countries around 500 child care workers during the course of the project. On a hosted online platform they will exchange information about good practice , ideas and suggestions as well as information on project results .With this, essential and central application skills in the active utilization of digital media and technology are sustainably provided and supported to staff in pre-school education. Two international symposia about utilization of digital media in pre-school education as well as the provision of the developed learning and teaching materials, will contribute to the professional exchange of stakeholders engaged in early childhood education and the prospects and challenges of digitization in the education sector. Thus, new impulses for education practice and practice-lead research and studies will be enabled.
In most European countries, media pedagogy has a secure place in the education and training of pedagogical professionals in early childhood education. Therein pedagogical professionals acquire knowledge and skills on media use as well as critical questioning. Creative competencies in the media field, which are a prerequisite for the responsible active use of digital media, are rather not promoted. Hence, our surveys on the use of digital media in institutions of early childhood education showed that pedagogical professionals have a great need for training to provide competent support for children in the digital age. Against this background, the project "Digital media competence for educational staff in early childhood education" developed concepts for the education and training of educational professionals for the active and creative use of digital media in kindergartens and preschools. Five partners from Germany, Denmark, Belgium & Norway worked together in the project: three institutions for the education and further training of pedagogical professionals in early childhood education, one institution for child and youth research, an out-of-school educational institution with a focus on STEM-ICT and a company for organisational development and quality improvement in day-care centres. In the course of the project, an advanced training institution, an advanced training provider and day care providers from Austria, Germany, Denmark and Sweden were also involved in the project. Through the project partners' access to makerspaces in some of their institutions, they were able to identify possibilities & potentials of tools, learning environments & methodical approaches of the maker spaces as well as to adapt them for application in further education & training concepts. Thus, the method of "challenge-based learning" as well as a co-constructive pedagogical basic attitude could be identified as methodical core of educational offers for children as well as of further education and training concepts for pedagogical professionals. On the basis of their survey results, the partners developed a training course on digital media in early childhood education. In order to communicate the contents of the training course, they trained pedagogical professionals from their institutions or childcare providers to become trainers. After its testing, reflection and further development, pedagogical contents, methods and didactic approaches of the advanced training concept were integrated into existing training curricula of the participating training institutions. The further educated trainers and their from them further educated pedagogical professionals learned approaches and methods for the use of digital media in early childhood education in the project. They apply them in the daily practice of day-care centres & pass them on in their plus other institutions. They can develop or create learning offers & learning environments in the form of makerspaces. By sensitising, educating and advising parents about the opportunities and limitations of digital media in early childhood education, they give important impulses for parental work in their institutions. The participating educational institutions use the new impulses for linking theory & practice in their educational practice and for the (further) development of their teaching in the field of digital media. The children in institutions of early childhood education are supported by the trained and advanced pedagogical professionals in their technical, production and information literacy - which were identified as building blocks of digital media competence in the project. This enables them to deal critically and age-appropriately with digital media and supports them in their ability to analyse and evaluate them. In addition, they acquire knowledge and skills in dealing with digital tools. By using various tools, their analytical skills and understanding of scientific interrelationships are supported. Finally, they will be prepared for the use of digital media & tools in school. The project website www.mini-maker.eu summarises in German & English learning & teaching materials (texts, lectures, tutorials, projects carried out by trained or advanced pedagogical professionals). Here you will also find the reviews of the expert days, including workshops, inputs and documentation. The website is permanently extended with contributions by all those involved - including the advanced & trained pedagogical professionals. The training course & the education concept are available as digital resources in German & English & can be used by institutions interested in the development of an active & creative use of digital media in early childhood education.