The objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy, including knowledge and first-hand experience about the subjects of Sustainability and Identity; The embedding of the 21st-century skills in teaching and learning and hence the 4 C’s; The introduction of the STEAM approach which encompasses the domains: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ART, AND MATH; And Robotics in Early Years e.g the use of the Bee-Bots and simple coding activities The enhancement in knowledge on educational platforms such as eTwinning; The implementation of project-based approaches which promote the holistic development of every child and embed cross-curricular themes, one of which is Sustainability The enhancement of quality of education in the early years' sector; The promotion of intercultural understanding through collaboration; The promotion and development of Strategic Partnerships to promote innovation, exchange of experience, and know-how between different types of school organisations involved in education of the early years.
We felt that as teachers we lacked opportunities to experience and get a good understanding of the changes that need to be done in today's classrooms. As teachers, we lacked knowledge about future classrooms and that help us design, plan, develop and foster 21st-century skills in teaching and learning. Our school needed to make proper use of connectivity possibilities and collaboration opportunities with different stakeholders to acquire knowledge about new teaching and learning concepts in the present fast-changing era. Connectivity, communication, collaboration, and sharing of good practices will help us reflect on our present strategies and attitudes and reconsider altering unsuccessful methods with more successful ones. . We felt the need that the school’s activities for professional development of teachers include experiences for teachers to experience direct observation of other schools, classrooms, and practices. Our kindergarten educators needed to acquire knowledge about the STEAM project. Above all, the school needed to invest more in building networks with foreign teachers so that our staff can learn from the valuable experiences of other stakeholders in the European community.