Experts confirm that the first 7 years of childhood are the most key for development of competences, and overall personality development. Therefore, the learning process in the early childhood should be supported through variety of impulses. The pre-schools support child development in the social, emotional, intellectual, physical, moral, and aesthetic aspects, while supporting skills and setting up the bases for further education. The variety of impulses in pre-school and first grades of primary school is key for the development of child’ cognitive abilities. In Serbia, neurologist Dr. Ranko Rajovic, founded Nicola Tesla Centre (NTC), using the approach of supporting child´ cognitive abilities, through variety of physiological impulses provided in early childhood, emphasising the relation between the number and variety of impulses and the development of cognitive abilities. According to Dr. Rajovic, functional thinking supports higher number of synapses of brain cells and improvement of child´ intellectual abilities. Child´ mental capacity increases. Unlike traditional approach of facts repetition, functional thinking, which NTC uses, supports the ability to understand and use acquired knowledge in problem solving of new situations. NTC educational approach supports: - Development of child´ cognitive abilities - Prevention of concentration disabilities and the of lack of attention ability - Development of coordination, motion and motorics - Development of fast thinking and argumentation (functional thinking) - Increase of the neurological synapses and also increase of the brain capacity - Each child can benefit from NTC, and, additionally it also supports intellectually gifted children while further developing their talents - Increase of language and communication skills - A keenness to participate — motivation and concentration of children With support of UNICEF, NTC approach has been successfully applied in 17 countries of the world. As one of few approaches, it is based on medical knowledge transformed into modern pedagogy. For better understanding of NTC methodology, please see abstract of Dr. Ranko Rajovic lecture: https://youtu.be/6Ps3zOM3xC0. In Europe, NTC methodology is guaranteed by MENSA – the high IQ international society. FANTAO SK, project applicant, applies the NTC approach in Slovakia. During the long-term cooperation with Dr. Rajovic, series of public presentations, lectures and workshops on NTC methodology were implemented. In cooperation with Strom zivota (NGO), there was a publication “IQ of children – responsibility of parents” issued. However, apart from lectures and workshops, there is no complex training programme available to cover this topic and support teachers´ skills in NTC practical implementation. The situation with implementation of this NTC approach is similar in all other partner countries: there are efforts of partners from Serbia, Slovenia and Czech Republic, involved in proposed project, in implementing NTC in pre-schools, however, the lack of complex NTC educational programme and missing support materials is a common problem. Therefore, project reacts to concrete needs of project partners from SK, CZ, SI and RS of developing new, complex teacher`s training programme, based on NTC methodology, with the aim to support functional thinking and „Sustainable increase of intellectual abilities and skills of pre–school children”. Also, project reacts to interest of SK pre-school teachers in NTC approach, confirmed through online research, carried out in February 2017, with 186 teachers interested. Project should be carried out transnationally in order to use expertise of Serbian partner, most experienced in NTC approach, as well as experience of two Montessori pre-schools (Slovenia and Czech Republic), representing direct target group, while combining it with FANTAO and INAK, to hit common need and developing basis for NTC based teacher training programme, benefiting as many children aged 3 – 7 as possible, in all mentioned countries. Project is addressing educational sector of ECEC and complies with specific SECTORAL PRIORITIES, e.g. Supporting efforts to increase access to affordable and high quality early childhood education and care (ECEC), through: developing project outputs enhancing implementation of NTC approach in pre–school environment and professionalizing the use of this teaching approach in all project countries (SK, CZ, SI, RS), through O1/ Handbook for teacher with standards for NTC methodology, O2/ Inspirations for educational NTC concrete activities, O3/ Training programme about NTC methodology, with the aim to increase knowledge of target groups on above topics and supporting practical skills of implementing this knowledge in practice. NTC approach implemented from early childhood ensures the benefits of early childhood education are carried through to other school education levels and throughout the life.
The NTC for All project met the expectations of the project team and, thanks to two international NTC workshops, three project outputs and four national conferences, it brought a unique source of inspiration in the form of NTC activities, supporting the development of child functional thinking. Through NTC for All project, three main outputs were created: O1 - NTC Handbook, O2 - NTC Inspirations for activities and O3 NTC Training Program. Thanks to these three outputs, the information portfolio of the NTC program has been significantly expanded, making it more accessible to a wide range of target groups. O1 - NTC Handbook for teachers, is available for free on the project website www.ntcforall.com in five language versions (Slovak, Czech, Slovenian, Serbian and English). The English version of the handbook provides opportunities also for dissemination to other countries, not directly involved in the project. The NTC Handbook was designed to provide teachers with comprehensive information on the NTC Methodology, focusing on children aged 3 - 7. The NTC Handbook was created by the author of the NTC programme, Dr. Ranko Rajović and his team, with active involvement of all the project partners, based on many years of his experience in the field of interlinking medicine and pedagogy. It provides teachers with instructions on how to create playful activities that develop children's intellect in a kindergarten or school environment. The O2 - NTC inspirations are a collection of 163 practical ideas for NTC activities, published in pdf format at www.ntcforall.com, in five language versions of the project partnership. Activities include methodical recommendation, so that reader can understand and apply them easily in kindergarten, school or home environment. Other, similar activities, based on NTC methodology, will be possible to create after a longer training and practical workshops, that teachers, interested to use this program, need to pass. NTC inspirations and activities based on them, using NTC methodology, support development of motor skills, ability to create abstract associations, support creativity through play, problem solving, divergent and convergent thinking, functional thinking, imagination, communication skills and other important intellectual abilities of children. Activities include methodical instruction, the name, description of the activity, recommended time and frequency of play and materials and equipment needed. The O3, NTC Training Program, provides a complex material aimed at enhancing the educational skills of teachers. It contains the NTC program methodology (O1 Handbook), database of activities - inspirations (O2) aimed for preschool teachers, as well as for all the educators and students interested in NTC. All the materials are available on the project website. The O3 output focuses on target group of preschool teachers as well as staff of partner institutions involved in the project. At the same time, it is also opened for other teachers and students in all the partner countries. The program was pilotly tested during two 5 – days long NTC workshops, held in Prague and Lublana, with the aim to use it continuously in other regions of involved countries, too. On the project website, O3 is available through 3 online modules, in 5 language versions. During the project, an international team of 25 pre-school teachers was trained during two NTC workshops in Prague and Ljubljana. Graduates received 1st and 2nd degree NTC certificates that entitle them to use NTC activities in their kindergartens and schools. Both workshops focused on practical training of developing NTC activities and examples applicable in pedagogical practice. The advantage was that both workshops were led by the author of the NTC program, Dr. Ranko Rajovic, in cooperation with his team. The acquired skills were verified by final tests on the basis of which the project team evaluated the success of workshops and training programme. Another important dissemination activity were national conferences, promoting the program, held in all the countries of the project partnership. The interest in these events was high and the project team was pleased with the number of people interested. Based on the statements of the conference participants, „we obtained a database of educators interested in further education in the NTC program“. This group will be the first to address when specific NTC events in individual countries will be held after the project. Thanks to the NTC for All project, NTC program has become more accessible to a wide range of target groups. Although its implementation is primarily based on the personal contact of the trainer with the trainees, the project website www.ntcforall.com and all the outputs will facilitate the understanding of the basics of this program, which will be further developed at the upcoming workshops planned to be held in the project countries after the project, on the long term basis.