The realisation of a project Little Programmers is planned for 2 years. Both students and teachers are going to become familiar with different types of applications and tools Web 2.0, code in Scratch and acquired skills will be used for work with robots. All of the participants will construct and program the programmable LEGO robots and robotic toys – Blue Bot and OZOBOT Bit. They also will acquire algorithm thinking and basic programming principles. Students in international teams will solve challenges via programmable LEGO Boost bricks in special software. Project implementors will inform the other students and teachers with basic concepts of coding and the world of robots, with new approaches of using ICT. Teachers will suggest coding and using robots in different subjects of the 1st level of Primary School. Pupils of the 1st level of Primary School, in age 7-10, will participate in project activities. Pupils from 1st grade to 4th grade will become involved in project, in number 500, from two Schools of Partnership Community.In project team there will be pupils from classic classes, pupils form classes for intellectual talented ones, even the pupils with special needs. We will corporate with preschoolers and preschooler educators. The aim of our project is to acquire pupils and teachers with basic concepts of coding and programming, application new approaches in ICT learning, to support the practical ideas for integrating programming and robotics into education of the 1st level of Primary School. We are going to form methodology for teachers, digital sources for programming and robotics, to integrate basic programming principles, tools and applications Web 2.0 into curriculum and educating plans. During project realisation there are planned four short-term joint staff training events for teachers and four short-term exchanges of groups of pupils. The aim of these mobilities is to exchange experience and competencies between pupils and teachers. The international teams of pupils will work on the project and tasks, on self-studying and cooperating activities for constructing and programming, robotics, new applications and tools Web 2.0. After that they will use all the knowledge in different topics of individual subjects. The teams will solve challenges of host country, focusing on constructing real objects and programming situation which can lead to understanding real life. The results of the project will evaluate via project presentation, questionnaire, pupils´ portfolios, magazine Little programmers which will be published twice during realisation. According to the results we will be able to consider the level of success in individual activities, also the international cooperation with the teachers and pupils from the Schools of Partnership Community. In the school there will be photo gallery installed, the results and progress will be published on project website, school website and in public media. The realisation of the project will increase the credit of school, the teaching qualification of Primary teachers and Preschooler teachers. We hope that working on the project is also about motivating pupils to learn. After finishing the project we plan to continue in project activities. We are going to create a new eTwinning project with the topic of programming and robotics, to realise a project of Strategy Partnership as well. Our school will offer the new Programming Club for students in future.
Project realisation The Little Programmers has taken place for 3 years. Thanks the project pupils and teachers of the 1st level of Primary school became acquainted with basic coding concepts and the world of robots, with new approaches of using ICT, implemented coding and robotics into education on the 1st level of Primary School, got to know the new coding languages and acquiared how to work with appropriate educational software. Pupils and teachers learned about various applications and web 2.0 tools, coded in Scratch and all the skills use in robotics. All the participants have acquaired algorithmical thinking and basic programming principles, so nowadays they construct Lego kits and program robotic toys. The pupils in age 7-10 of both Primary Schools participated in all the project activities, altogether 500. There were the pupils from classical classes, pupils from classes for intelectual talented, pupils with lack of opportunities and pupils with speacial needs. We spread the cooperation between kindregartens. During the project realisation there were 4 short term stuff educational activities when the teachers with professional knowledge taught other colleagues to leveled up their professional competences. There were also 4 short term pupils mobilities when international teams worked on project tasks, educational and self educational activities, coding tasks, robotics, new applications and web 2.0 tools and their using in different school subjects. Independent teams solved host countries challenges, focused on constructing real objects and coding the real situation to improve the comprehension of real life. The teachers and pupils results were evaluated via presentations of realized project, questionnaires and the magazine The Little Programmers. Pupils presentation skills,language and communicative skills have improved, they coped up with individual activities, basics of robotics and programming, cooperated with partners abroad. The aplications and tools are used more in education. We created methodology and digital sources for programming and robotics for teachers and pupils. All the project Erasmus+ outputs were chronollogically saved on Twinspace eTwinning project The Little – Big Programmers . This project achieved 2nd place in Slovak National eTwinning competition in 2020. This project was also successfully presented in cooperation with partner school on Educational festival eTwinning in Žilina . Its results were published in public media, school website and on Project Facebook. The knowledge were implemented in ICT lessons and other subjects. During project realisation there were ICT clubs focused on robotics and coding in our Primary School. We are planning to continue in activities of this project and we are going to realize the new international project with the topic of programming and robotics.