Nowadays open and innovative practices are becoming essential to education. Today, open education is based on digital technology to support teaching and learning. Educators are using technology to engage students in the learning process, and numerous studies have shown evidence of increased interest to learn when digital devices are incorporated into the learning environment. According to the statistical data, there is 1 learner out of 68 who has got ASD. And this number is increasing. ASD show up in different disorder forms and cognitive, verbal and social levels. These children face big learning difficulties while developing reading and social skills. Professionals working with ASD children have to choose proper educational methods and ways, which could meet the special educational needs of these children. One of the effective methods used in education of ASD children is the Global reading method. This method is based on visualization and deductive logic - from the whole to the part. This means that development of teaching reading skills starts from a relation of the word with a certain picture, then we move to syllables, and finally – letters. Pranas Daunys Educational Centre as the leading centre in Lithuania in the education area of ASD children initiates the creation of modern e-tools based on the Global reading method. Globalization and technological development are changing the landscape of the education field. New methods, technologies and digital devices give plenty of opportunities as well as challenges. Educators in Lithuania and other EU countries face a big problem while working with ASD children as there is a lack of methods, e-tools, training courses for teachers working ASD children. New developed e-tool should be carried out trans-nationally because the challenges, faced by the teachers are common across the EU. Thus solving the problems of preparing teachers to use e-tool would contribute to the overall improvement of EU special education. The e-tool will be developed by integrating partners innovative, attractive, modern achievements and methods in the respective thematic areas, working with children. Implementation of the new e-tool into teaching-learning process could become a challenge for the schools to change education delivery of higher quality and efficiency and gain competitiveness and growth. Responding to Europe 2030 Strategy and Erasmus+ call to Corona virus response to support digital education readiness and creative skills, we choose the above priorities and we seek to create: - application for developing of reading skills - application for developing of social skills - create a qualification improvement program for teachers These 3 intellectual outputs will help to improve and ensure continuation of the teaching - learning process in both distance and direct ways of education. Regarding the Europe 2030 Strategy emphasizing the quest for excellence and relevance upgrading education and skills, we seek to improve overall situation of special education in all partner by creating qualification improvement program for teachers. The created intellectual output will correspond to expressed needs by Europe 2030 Strategy which emphasizes "Urgent action is needed to address this situation, including providing teachers with the professional recognition they deserve; developing flexible and open curricula capable of nurturing curiosity and creativity among children; and strengthening links between public education systems, business and society". The created e-tools will belong to Opened educational resources, which will enhance the continuation of the project results. The e-tools will be used not only in teaching of reading skills of ASD children, but also in education of all pre-school and primary school children who start learning reading. In addition, this e- tools will be of great importance for refugee families, for children from bilingual or multilingual families, also for people living in diaspora. Creation of new teaching – learning models using e-tools requires partnership between several countries in order to share the experience and to evaluate the practical usage in different contexts. The common challenge of the project is the pure access to the adapted learning tools and methods for children with ASD. This tool will suggest the new ways for teachers to apply new models into practice. Digital education to be implemented during the project is bringing new incentives for strategic partnership between education institutions and gives new opportunities to ease the educational process both for ASD children and their teachers by integrating the e-tools into teaching – learning process. Teachers will develop their competences and skills of using the Global reading method that are required in work with ASD children.
Globalization and technological development are changing the landscape of the education field. Educators from most EU countries face a big problem while working with ASD children as there is a lack of e-tools for teachers working with ASD children. The main goal was to create e-tools for educational purposes for autistic children, by concentrating on the creation of e-tools (visual information, text structure) for autistic children's needs. New developed e-tools have been carried out trans-nationally because the challenges faced by the teachers are common across the EU. The e-tool has been developed by integrating partners’ innovative, attractive, modern achievements and methods in the respective thematic areas, working with children. Development and mastery of innovative teaching tools will contribute to the development of relevant and high-quality skills and abilities of both - children and teachers. Children will get learning tools, which helps them to acquire relevant skills through the innovative method. For teachers, the created e-tools will encourage the development of key skills and abilities through innovative teaching and assessment methods, integrating digital skills into a curriculum tailored to specific target groups.
Nowadays open and innovative practices are becoming essential to education. Today, open education is based on digital technology to support teaching and learning. New methods, technologies and digital devices give plenty of opportunities as well as challenges. According to the statistical data, there is 1 learner out of 68 (2021 years) who has got ASD and this number is increasing. ASD show up in different disorder forms and cognitive, verbal and social levels. These children face big learning difficulties while developing reading and social skills. Professionals working with ASD children have to choose proper educational methods and ways, which could meet the special educational needs of these children. Pranas Daunys educational center and partners decided to cooperate by sharing experience and create interactive tools (e-tools) for autistic children, but available for everyone who has difficulties of learning in the area in which tools are created. Also to create not just user recommendation, but also qualification improvement program for teachers to help them to have understanding and knowledge how to work with these e-tools and how to integrate those e-tools in teaching/learning context.