Information Technology (I.T) in Greek Education

1. Information Technology (I.T) in Greek Education Aikaterini Sfetsou Assistant Principal of Karlovassi Gymnasium Greece

2. Contents • The teaching of Informatics as a cognitive subject • Informatics as a tool for other subjects – Pilot programmes in I.T • In Service Training of Teachers in the Use of Information and Communication Technology in Education • The Greek School Network (GSN) • Teleconferences

3. The teaching of Informatics as a cognitive subject It started in the early 90s At the beginning it was applied in Gymnasiums (junior high-schools) and later in Lyceums (senior high-schools) and Technical – Vocational Schools (TEE)

4. Informatics in Gymnasium • The subject of Informatics is taught 1 hour a week. • The teacher of Informatics cooperates with the teacher of technology. • The class students are divided in 2 groups when there are over 20 of them in class. • In the lab, there are usually 10 computers.

5. … During the 1st teaching hour of the week, the first group is taught Informatics in the lab and the second group is taught technology in the technology lab (if there is one) or else in the classroom. In the second teaching hour the same procedure follows only the other way round.

6. Programme of studies for the Informatics in Gymnasium (junior high-school)

7. Class A (Basic Units) • What Informatics and computers are. • History and evolution of computers. • Software and Hardware. • Protection of the Software, Hardware and data – ergonomics while using a PC. • Graphical use interfaces. • Potentials that Word-Processing offers. • Introduction to Internet. • e.t.c

8. Class B • Computer architecture • Multimedia • Administration of files and catalogues • Spreadsheets • e.t.c

9. Class C • Basic elements of Algorhythmic Procedures and Programming • Multimedia • Local and Worldwide Net (LAN, WAN). • Network topologies • Data Bases • Review of the Informatics applications and how they have influenced our lives. • e.t.c

10. Programme of studies for the Informatics in Lyceum (senior high-school)

11. In class A and B of Lyceum, Informatics is taught, especially as a laboratory subject. It’s an optional subject and is taught twice a week. • In Class C, the subject “Development of Applications in the Programming Environment” is taught as a compulsory subject within the technological stream of programme of studies. Students attend this subject twice a week. It is basically theoretical and students are examined on it during the Panhellenic exams, that students take in order to enter University. There are also optional subjects, like “Applications of the Software and PCs”, in all streams of programme of studies.

12. Programme of studies for the Informatics in Technical – Vocational Schools (TEE)

13. There are many subjects related to Informatics and this is due to the nature of the Programme of studies of this type of schools. • The choice of subjects varies depending on the possible future work the students might do, so if a student is interested in working as a secretary, he/she will probably choose to attend subjects related to the General use of computers.

14. Informatics in Primary School • There hasn’t been any official planning for equipping all Primary Schools with Computer Labs. • However, there is a large number of schools that have been equipped with computers, with the help of the local authorities and the Parent’s Association. • There are now some primary schools that are equipped with PCs within the framework of the KtP programme (to which I’ll refer later).

15. Continuation of Studies • ΙΕΚ – Post- Secondary Vocational Training Institution • ΤΕΙ – like Polytechnics • ΑΕΙ - Universities • Nowadays, there are many departments in higher and University Education, aiming at specializing young people towards computer science.

16. Informatics as a tool for other subjects – Pilot programmes in I.T

17. One of the most important pilot programmes that have been materialized the last years in Greece is “Odysseia”. This project was divided in subprogrammes and subprojects like: “Odysseas”, “Sirens”, Telemachus”.

18. Why was the “Odysseas” project important? • The project was an innovation for the Greek Education Standards. The further training of teachers was not based on a seminar like model but it was specially adapted to follow the needs of each school. It was oriented towards the educational practice and it aimed at helping teachers of different subjects. The teacher instead of being just the person to materialize a prescheduled programme, was now responsible for the good use of IT in class

19. Programme Ε42 – Further Education for the teacher trainers • The aim of this programme was the annual further education of teacher trainers on a postgraduate level, in modern Education departments of the Universities of Athens and Salonica. The group of these trainers had and still has the responsibility to further educate their colleagues in computers and the use of computers in different school subjects.

20. The education of E42 programme combined: • Issues of pedagogical development of IT • Issues of teaching methodologies with the use of IT. • Technological grounding for the use of specialized software. • Methods of teaching in class with the use of the Odysseas lab.

21. Odysseas • Start date: 1/12/1996 • Finish date: 31/12/1999 • Type and name of program: EPEAEK • Consortium: ILSP (Thrace) – Department of Educational Technology ILSP, CTI, Pedagogical Institute. • Pilot application in 60 schools (Gymnasiums) • Main Aim: • The aim of this project was the creation of a network of high school computer labs in Achaia, Thrace and the Aegean Sea, connected to the Internet, as well as the development of educational software.

22. Principles on which the Odysseas project is based • The exploration of learning: The computer lab is used as a tool to discover areas of learning • Cooperative learning: Exchange of info among students within the same schools, cooperating schools and among teachers of the project schools. • Cognitive learning: Software is designed and developed for various subjects such as geography, Maths, Physics. • Cultural application: access to comprehensive information on topics such as theater, music, art, dance, cinemas, sports, environmental issues.

23. Project Activities • The schools which have been participating in the Odysseas project, have access to Internet Services and thus are able to connect and communicate with each other. • On site Teacher training and refresher courses (i.e within schools). • Provision of convenient ways to access international recourses of educational materials, and encouragement for interaction between teachers and students.

24. Network and Internet Services • E-mails between students of participating schools • Bulletin boards and discussion forum • Interesting web sites for public use e.g www.spin.gr, www.theodoros.gr, www.e-yliko.gr, xenios.cti.gr e.t.c

25. The schools participating in the Odysseas project

26. Odysseas labs

27. Conventions • During the Odysseas project 2 conventions were held so that the teachers under training could present samples of their experimental works. Their students had participated in these works during the whole school year. Also, the teachers could exchange ideas and experiences about the use of Informatics as a tool in the Educational process. These feedbacks were important for the ones responsible for the project, who took all this into consideration for the improvement and viability of the project.

28. Sirens – Circe Projects The aim of: • the Sirens project was to create and develop educational research software and hardware to help and support the teaching of different subjects at school. • the Circe project was to adapt and use of internationally acceptable and well-known educational software in Greek Schools.

29. Telemachus • That project could be characterized as the miniature of “Odysseas”. It aimed at creating labs in small and remote schools. Through the provision of software and the connection to Internet these schools could escape the isolation and get closer to the world.

30. The island of Feakes • The development of network and computer facilities in some Primary Schools.

31. In Service Training of Teachers in the Use of Information and Communication Technology in Education Project ID Management:Ministry of Education and Religious affairs Technical Advisors:Pedagogical Institute (PI)Research Academic Computer Technology Institute (CTI) 3rd Community Support Framework 2000-2006 for Greece

32. In Progress • The Ministry of Education is training 76000 Primary and Secondary School teachers in the use of computers. • By the end of 2003, approximately half of the total number of the teachers in Greek schools will be, for the first time, officially certified computer literate. • The training is provided in 2200 Centers by 5500 Trainers (rounded figures) both specially certified for this particular purpose by the Pedagogical Institute and the Research Academic Computer Technology Institute. • The training takes place in the teachers’ free time. There are Training Centers both in the state and private sectors. • The trainees are free to choose the Center, the time and the trainer of their preference. The vast majority has chosen the state sector. • Two 12-hour daytime Help Desks support the trainees

33. CurriculumThe training program covers the basics in information technology, word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint, Internet and offers an overview of educational software. • It gives the teachers the opportunity to get acquainted with ICT and use it productively to improve their teaching methods, to be able to search for new sources of knowledge, and participate in new educational communities for professional development. • It is a 48-hour program, in groups of 10 trainees, spread over 8 consecutive weeks in two 3-hour sessions per week. • The trainees are provided with educational material for home practice. • They are also partly funded, with about to 600 euros, for the purchase or updating of home computers.

34. ProcedureThe Central Management Committee at the Ministry announces the dates and sends out the call for participation. • The Training Centers submit to the Local Training Committees their timetable of the standardized course(s) they offer. • The Local Training Committees inform the schools. The teachers apply at the school level. • The applications are processed by the Local Training Committees. • The places are allotted by computerized draw. At the end of the course the teachers who have attended at least 90% of the training course are issued a certificate of attendance and are given half of the 600-euro funding. • When the teachers feel they are ready for certification they sit an on-line 3-hour test. They can sit it a maximum of 3 times. On certification they receive the second half of the 600-euro funding. • The Research Academic Computer Technology Instituteis responsible for the certification scheme. It has also developed a Management Information System (MIS) to completely digitalize the project.The Pedagogical Institute is responsible for processing the applications to become Training Centers, Trainers, and Local Training Committee members.

35. The Greek School Network (GSN)www.sch.gr

36. Main Objectives: • create the national networking infrastructure, • connect all schools in an educational Intranet • provide and support advanced telematic services • Implemented with the collaboration of: • The Ministry of Education (MoE) • Two (2) Research Centres • Eight (8) Universities • Two (2) Technological Educational Institutes

37. Educational Goals • Develop a networked environment which supports the educational process • Promote the collaboration between geographically distributed groups • Offer access to digital libraries and content • Offer flexible search in a certified content • Support creation and distribution of presentations, seminars and lectures • Offer communication with academic institutions • Offer communication with international educational institutions, etc.

38. Administration Office Dial-up School Backbone Network WWW.GRNET.GR 2 Mbps 33-128 Kbps 0,128-12 Mbps Prefectural Node 1-100 Mbps School Laboratory 64-128 Kbps Network Architecture Three level hierarchy: • Backbone • Distribution network • Access network

39. GRnet Distribution Network www.sch.gr Backbone & Distribution Network • Backbone: the Greek Research and Technology Network - GRNET www.grnet.gr • Distribution network : consists of 51 nodes (one in each prefecture): • 9 main nodes • 42 secondary nodes • Equipped with 75 routers, 71 servers, a large number of telecommunication circuits and the appropriate software

40. PREFECTURAL NODE SCHOOL LABORATORY 0,128 - 2Mbps Router Workstations Server School Laboratory

41. Network users The certification of users is a strong requirement Categories: • School units • Administrative units • Teachers • Students • Administrative personnel

42. Connectivity Progress

44. Teleconferences From 1997 till now a few Teleconferences have been materialized. I’ll refer to the ones that took place on the island of Samos. • Our students from Gymnasium of Karlovassi connected and communicated with students from Gymnasium of Samos-Vathi, on the same island, through Internet facilities and using Netmeeting program. The discussion theme was the history, the culture, the commercial development of Samos island through the centuries. The roles of the discussion were given to the students two weeks earlier so there was enough time to find information and prepare the activity, being helped by their teachers. • A similar teleconference took place between our school and a high school on another island.

46. In the third teleconference we connected and communicated with Lipari’s and Madeira’s high schools using ICQ programme. There was not a precise discussion theme, the students talked about themselves and their school life. • A VC session was set up between Beaupre School in the U.K and an Institute in Samos. The session was planned between the English and Greek teachers. The students talked about Greek history and showed each other some art work and drawings. The whole session was given over to the children. • The last one took place among three high schools including ours in Greece and the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. During the discussion we exchanged experiences concerning the use of I.T in Education.

48. I.T in Greek Education has succeeded in • Promoting team work • Enforcing students’ motivation • Creating a forum of communication among teachers and students • Offering access to scientific material • Offering pedagogical support • Sharing scientific research and ideas about teaching, education on a national and international level.

49. Reducing the feeling of isolation (It is very important for my country as there are many –remote islands) because the participants have the opportunity to communicate and exchanging opinions, • Encouraging the distribution and dissemination of new ideas • Refreshing strategies for teaching and learning • Solving educational problems.

50. Thank You ...