Rapid digitalization and Industry 4.0 processes, which we are now witnessing in many spheres of life (not only in advanced industry), has created a great challenge for educational systems and their most important representatives, teachers. EU has started to adjust their policy and took many initiatives to support the implementation of new technologies. As part of its new Digital Single Market Strategy, the European Commission wants to help all industrial sectors exploit new technologies and manage a transition to a smart, Industry 4.0 industrial system. The Teacher4.0 project concentrates on Industry 4.0 didactic competence of teachers of non-IT subjects. This competence, due to development of technology, became the key competence in today's world. Teacher4.0 project answers the priority of enhancing teachers professional development and strengthening teaching professions through fulfilling its aim which is to strengthen and acquisition of new professional skills and knowledge related to concept of Industry 4.0 and affiliated technologies among Teachers teaching non-IT subjects in primary and secondary schools. To achieve these, the following specific objectives are foreseen in the project: Specific Objective 1: To extend and develop Non-IT subjects teachers competences needed for effective teaching in Industry 4.0 context; Specific Objective 2: To support the implementation of Industry 4.0 didactic possibilities in primary and secondary schools programs. Specific Objective 3: To strength the capacity of Non-IT subjects teachers to develop pupils’ critical thinking and creativity through integration of innovative approaches into teaching process; Teacher4.0 demonstrates significant innovation, if compared to the previous projects, as it is designed for the new target group, non-IT subjects teachers, developing an innovative training course and guidance in terms of awareness and the ability to use Industry 4.0 possibilities in teaching. Teacher4.0 focuses on raising awareness and knowledge of this new concept and developing related skills. The project is also innovative since it turns out that none of the projects in the Erasmus+ Project Results Platform are both addressed to non-IT subjects teachers and relate to Industry 4.0. Most projects on Industry 4.0, which can be found are for VET and/or are related to specific business sectors. Those that concern school education emphasize mainly the importance of 3D printing and aiming STEM teachers. The selected consortium consists of partners from 5 EU countries, covering a wide range of expertise and experience related to the scope and aims of the Teacher4.0 project. The organizations are from different professional fields and with various competences: comprehensive schools (ZSZ, AEMRN), teacher training center (KRSC, CCD), professional training institution (CWEP, LABC). This variety will ensure the successful implementation of this multi-level project. To meet the above mentioned needs and implement the objectives, the partnership will develop 2 intellectual outputs. Significant division of leaders in the development of outputs is: IO1: Enchiridion 4.0 for Non-IT subjects teachers: main leader: ZSZ Content divided into 6 modules and allocated to partners as follows: 1. Augmented reality as a real alternative to analog didactic materials, led by CWEP 2. Cloud Computing as the main source of information, led by CCD 3. Cybersecurity in the classroom and after school, led by KRSC 4. Digital Twin - a new way of presentation, led by LABC 5. Collaborative Robots does not have to be expensive, led by AEMRN 6. Artificial Intelligence as your classmate, led by ZSZ IO2: 4.0 Lesson scenario video set: main leader: LABC Teacher4.0 will bring added value for all EU Member States. Please note, that after testing the elaborated results, representatives of the target group from other countries will also be able to easily apply the elaborated courses in their contexts. Importantly, the lessons learned from Teacher4.0 project can be applicable in the European debate, to be used by policy makers to discuss both the problems and the possible ways of solving them.
The general objective of Teacher4.0 was to strengthen and acquisition of new professional skills and knowledge related to concept of Industry 4.0 and affiliated technologies among Teachers teaching non-IT subjects in primary and secondary schools. To achieve these, the following specific objectives are foreseen in the project: Specific Objective 1: To extend and develop Non-IT subjects teachers competences needed for effective teaching in Industry 4.0 context; Specific Objective 2: To support the implementation of Industry 4.0 didactic possibilities in primary and secondary schools programs; Specific Objective 3: To strength the capacity of Non-IT subjects teachers to develop pupils’ critical thinking and creativity through integration of innovative approaches into teaching process. The results of the project were aimed directly to: Non-IT subjects teachers from primary (grades 4 and higher) and secondary schools from Poland, Lithuania, Italy, Romania and Portugal. Indirectly to: students of primary schools in grades 4 and higher and secondary schools from Poland, Lithuania, Italy, Romania and Portugal.
In the background of Teacher 4.0 project lied the importance of digitalization processes in the education and the need to adapt current teaching methods to the requirements of the labor market. According to European agenda: Opening up Education: Innovative teaching and learning for all through new Technologies and Open Educational Resources: “Today’s learners expect more personalization, collaboration and better links between formal and informal learning much of it being possible through digital-supported learning. The Teacher4.0 project concentrated on Industry 4.0 didactic competence of teachers of non-IT subjects. This competence, due to development of technology, became the key competence in today's world. During the application process, the project partners (who jointly created this proposal) were inspired by theVice-President of the European Commission, Commissioner for Education said (in 2018): “Future workers will need to be highly trained in the emerging technologies but also, as importantly, in the values associated with using those technologies. In the future, we must not only possess the ability to develop the technology but also to know whether, when, and where to use that technology. That kind of thinking is both reflective and interdisciplinary. Schools must reinvent themselves quickly.”