The paper presents the educational programme ‘Zooming-in on the museum’, which was implemented in... more The paper presents the educational programme ‘Zooming-in on the museum’, which was implemented in two public kindergartens of Athens with the participation of 37 children during the school year 2014-15. The programme was one of the basic axes around which the entire curriculum of the year was structured. Its aim was to familiarize children with the museum and its objects.The selected kindergartens havea large number of students from lower social strata, the majority of whom had no prior experience of visiting a museum and lacked any relevant knowledge. The museums of reference are the National Archeological Museum of Athens and the Museum of Keramikos. The paper focuses on the long phase of preparation (elaboration of the concept of the museum and of the past, familiarization with the exhibits of the museums) and on the organization of the visits to the museums, during which children photographed the exhibits to work on them later. The programme has a dual purpose: a) to create a context for experiential and active learning; b) to contribute to the mitigation of social inequalities with respect to accessing cultural goods. Accordingly, the theoretical context draws from the fields of both pedagogy and the sociology of education. It is based on the principles of active learning and differentiated pedagogy, which utilizes children’s prior knowledge and experiences to create appropriate learning contexts. At this point, the programme meets sociological approaches to educational inequalities according to which children, depending on their social origins, come to school with different social experiences and cultural baggage, unequally prepared for what the educational institution takes for granted. Based on these theoretical starting points, the educational programme under discussion approaches the museum not as a given object of knowledge that must be taught, but as a multifaceted learning process which allows children to elaborate on the concept of the museum and incorporate it into their own experiences, so that is becomes meaningful to them. The paper presents the pedagogical rationale of this educational intervention. On the one hand, it highlights the central role of the connection to children’s daily life; on the other, it emphasizes the importance of such an approach for children who lack the opportunity to acquire such experiences in the sociocultural environments in which they grow up.
The paper examines the ways in which preschool children represent the spaces of their daily lives... more The paper examines the ways in which preschool children represent the spaces of their daily lives. It is based on the analysis of photographs taken by pupils from two kindergartens located in non-privileged neighbourhoods of Athens. The children photographed the spaces where they live and move, and talked about their photos. The analysis maps these spaces and explores the social parameters (social class, ethnicity) that shape the children's relationship with private and public space. Thus, photographs become tools that provide a deeper understanding of the children's social worlds and highlight the importance of the social spaces where their practices and experiences are shaped.
Δημοσιεύτηκε στο Κ. Tσουκαλά και Δ. Γερμανός (επιμ.), Παιδική χωρική αφηγηματικότητα. Πόλη– παιχνίδι – εκπαίδευση (σ. 261-279). Θεσσαλονίκη: Επίκεντρο, 2019
Tο εκπαιδευτικό πρόγραμμα: «Προσχέδια: η αρχιτεκτονική πάει σχολείο» το οποίο πραγματοποιήθηκe σε... more Tο εκπαιδευτικό πρόγραμμα: «Προσχέδια: η αρχιτεκτονική πάει σχολείο» το οποίο πραγματοποιήθηκe σε δύο δημόσια νηπιαγωγεία του κέντρου της Αθήνας, τη σχολική χρονιά 2015 – 2016, θα μπορούσε επιγραμματικά να χωριστεί σε τέσσερις φάσεις. Η 1η φάση αφορούσε στην παρατήρηση και καταγραφή του άμεσα βιωμένου χώρου του νηπιαγωγείου από τα παιδιά. Κατά τη 2η φάση τα παιδιά πραγματοποίησαν ελεύθερες διαδρομές στη γειτονιά και κράτησαν σημειώσεις για τις βόλτες τους. Στη συνέχεια επεξεργάστηκαν αυτό το υλικό στο χώρο του νηπιαγωγείου. Στην 3η φάση τα παιδιά επικεντρώθηκαν και μελέτησαν τέσσερα κτίρια – κατοικίες, χαρακτηριστικές της γειτονιάς των Άνω Πετραλώνων. Τα παιδιά συζήτησαν με τους κατοίκους και συνέλεξαν στοιχεία – «μαρτυρίες» για την ταυτότητα των κτιρίων μέσα από μια ανθρωποκεντρική προσέγγιση της κοινωνικής πραγματικότητας. Η 4η φάση περιστρέφεται γύρω από το τρίπτυχο «σκέφτομαι – σχεδιάζω – κατασκευάζω». Τα παιδιά, αξιοποιώντας τις γνώσεις που απέκτησαν στις προηγούμενες φάσεις...
International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, 2020
Game design can have a positive impact on children’s game literacy skills, on domain specific kn... more Game design can have a positive impact on children’s game literacy skills, on domain specific knowledge, and on cognitive skills such as problem solving. This paper reports a participatory game design activity involving early childhood education students. Seven preschoolers, aged 4-5, were asked to design a digital game in the framework of a year-long school programme of activities on architecture. An exploratory approach using a qualitative research methodology was adopted and data from participatory observation and video recordings were analysed. Our findings indicate the potential of preschool children for the design of digital games, as well as their perceptions on digital games. Implications on the design of participatory game design activities in preschool education are further discussed. Further research in the field of participatory game design in preschool education can provide valuable insights regarding children’s needs and requirements in relation to digital games, as well as their perceptions and approaches to game design.
The paper presents the educational programme ‘Zooming-in on the museum’, which was implemented in... more The paper presents the educational programme ‘Zooming-in on the museum’, which was implemented in two public kindergartens of Athens with the participation of 37 children during the school year 2014-15. The programme was one of the basic axes around which the entire curriculum of the year was structured. Its aim was to familiarize children with the museum and its objects.The selected kindergartens havea large number of students from lower social strata, the majority of whom had no prior experience of visiting a museum and lacked any relevant knowledge. The museums of reference are the National Archeological Museum of Athens and the Museum of Keramikos. The paper focuses on the long phase of preparation (elaboration of the concept of the museum and of the past, familiarization with the exhibits of the museums) and on the organization of the visits to the museums, during which children photographed the exhibits to work on them later. The programme has a dual purpose: a) to create a context for experiential and active learning; b) to contribute to the mitigation of social inequalities with respect to accessing cultural goods. Accordingly, the theoretical context draws from the fields of both pedagogy and the sociology of education. It is based on the principles of active learning and differentiated pedagogy, which utilizes children’s prior knowledge and experiences to create appropriate learning contexts. At this point, the programme meets sociological approaches to educational inequalities according to which children, depending on their social origins, come to school with different social experiences and cultural baggage, unequally prepared for what the educational institution takes for granted. Based on these theoretical starting points, the educational programme under discussion approaches the museum not as a given object of knowledge that must be taught, but as a multifaceted learning process which allows children to elaborate on the concept of the museum and incorporate it into their own experiences, so that is becomes meaningful to them. The paper presents the pedagogical rationale of this educational intervention. On the one hand, it highlights the central role of the connection to children’s daily life; on the other, it emphasizes the importance of such an approach for children who lack the opportunity to acquire such experiences in the sociocultural environments in which they grow up.
The paper examines the ways in which preschool children represent the spaces of their daily lives... more The paper examines the ways in which preschool children represent the spaces of their daily lives. It is based on the analysis of photographs taken by pupils from two kindergartens located in non-privileged neighbourhoods of Athens. The children photographed the spaces where they live and move, and talked about their photos. The analysis maps these spaces and explores the social parameters (social class, ethnicity) that shape the children's relationship with private and public space. Thus, photographs become tools that provide a deeper understanding of the children's social worlds and highlight the importance of the social spaces where their practices and experiences are shaped.
Δημοσιεύτηκε στο Κ. Tσουκαλά και Δ. Γερμανός (επιμ.), Παιδική χωρική αφηγηματικότητα. Πόλη– παιχνίδι – εκπαίδευση (σ. 261-279). Θεσσαλονίκη: Επίκεντρο, 2019
Tο εκπαιδευτικό πρόγραμμα: «Προσχέδια: η αρχιτεκτονική πάει σχολείο» το οποίο πραγματοποιήθηκe σε... more Tο εκπαιδευτικό πρόγραμμα: «Προσχέδια: η αρχιτεκτονική πάει σχολείο» το οποίο πραγματοποιήθηκe σε δύο δημόσια νηπιαγωγεία του κέντρου της Αθήνας, τη σχολική χρονιά 2015 – 2016, θα μπορούσε επιγραμματικά να χωριστεί σε τέσσερις φάσεις. Η 1η φάση αφορούσε στην παρατήρηση και καταγραφή του άμεσα βιωμένου χώρου του νηπιαγωγείου από τα παιδιά. Κατά τη 2η φάση τα παιδιά πραγματοποίησαν ελεύθερες διαδρομές στη γειτονιά και κράτησαν σημειώσεις για τις βόλτες τους. Στη συνέχεια επεξεργάστηκαν αυτό το υλικό στο χώρο του νηπιαγωγείου. Στην 3η φάση τα παιδιά επικεντρώθηκαν και μελέτησαν τέσσερα κτίρια – κατοικίες, χαρακτηριστικές της γειτονιάς των Άνω Πετραλώνων. Τα παιδιά συζήτησαν με τους κατοίκους και συνέλεξαν στοιχεία – «μαρτυρίες» για την ταυτότητα των κτιρίων μέσα από μια ανθρωποκεντρική προσέγγιση της κοινωνικής πραγματικότητας. Η 4η φάση περιστρέφεται γύρω από το τρίπτυχο «σκέφτομαι – σχεδιάζω – κατασκευάζω». Τα παιδιά, αξιοποιώντας τις γνώσεις που απέκτησαν στις προηγούμενες φάσεις...
International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, 2020
Game design can have a positive impact on children’s game literacy skills, on domain specific kn... more Game design can have a positive impact on children’s game literacy skills, on domain specific knowledge, and on cognitive skills such as problem solving. This paper reports a participatory game design activity involving early childhood education students. Seven preschoolers, aged 4-5, were asked to design a digital game in the framework of a year-long school programme of activities on architecture. An exploratory approach using a qualitative research methodology was adopted and data from participatory observation and video recordings were analysed. Our findings indicate the potential of preschool children for the design of digital games, as well as their perceptions on digital games. Implications on the design of participatory game design activities in preschool education are further discussed. Further research in the field of participatory game design in preschool education can provide valuable insights regarding children’s needs and requirements in relation to digital games, as well as their perceptions and approaches to game design.
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Papers by Stephanie Vouvousira
experience of visiting a museum and lacked any relevant knowledge. The museums of reference are the National Archeological Museum of Athens and the Museum of Keramikos. The paper focuses on the long phase of preparation (elaboration of the concept of the museum and of the past, familiarization with the exhibits of the museums) and on the organization of the visits to the museums, during which children photographed the exhibits to work on them later. The programme has a dual purpose: a) to create a context for experiential and active learning; b) to contribute to the
mitigation of social inequalities with respect to accessing cultural goods. Accordingly, the theoretical context draws from the fields of both pedagogy and the sociology of education. It is based on the principles of active learning and differentiated pedagogy, which utilizes children’s prior knowledge and experiences to create appropriate learning contexts. At this point, the programme meets sociological approaches to educational inequalities according to which children, depending on their social origins,
come to school with different social experiences and cultural baggage, unequally prepared for what the educational institution takes for granted. Based on these theoretical starting points, the educational programme under discussion approaches the museum not as a given object of knowledge that must be taught, but as a multifaceted learning process which allows children to elaborate on the concept of the museum and incorporate it into their own experiences, so that is becomes meaningful
to them. The paper presents the pedagogical rationale of this educational intervention. On the one hand, it highlights the central role of the connection to children’s daily life; on the other, it emphasizes the importance of such an approach for children who lack the opportunity to acquire such experiences in the sociocultural environments in which they grow up.
experience of visiting a museum and lacked any relevant knowledge. The museums of reference are the National Archeological Museum of Athens and the Museum of Keramikos. The paper focuses on the long phase of preparation (elaboration of the concept of the museum and of the past, familiarization with the exhibits of the museums) and on the organization of the visits to the museums, during which children photographed the exhibits to work on them later. The programme has a dual purpose: a) to create a context for experiential and active learning; b) to contribute to the
mitigation of social inequalities with respect to accessing cultural goods. Accordingly, the theoretical context draws from the fields of both pedagogy and the sociology of education. It is based on the principles of active learning and differentiated pedagogy, which utilizes children’s prior knowledge and experiences to create appropriate learning contexts. At this point, the programme meets sociological approaches to educational inequalities according to which children, depending on their social origins,
come to school with different social experiences and cultural baggage, unequally prepared for what the educational institution takes for granted. Based on these theoretical starting points, the educational programme under discussion approaches the museum not as a given object of knowledge that must be taught, but as a multifaceted learning process which allows children to elaborate on the concept of the museum and incorporate it into their own experiences, so that is becomes meaningful
to them. The paper presents the pedagogical rationale of this educational intervention. On the one hand, it highlights the central role of the connection to children’s daily life; on the other, it emphasizes the importance of such an approach for children who lack the opportunity to acquire such experiences in the sociocultural environments in which they grow up.