- Partner: Computer Learning
- Country: Italy
- Source: EU funded project’s experience (ESF PROJECT 2018_3_1011_02a.55) aimed at supporting learning in the development ages
- Age of children: 6 – 10 years old (1st to 5th grade)
Main characteristics of the practice
The project is aimed at supporting learning in the development ages (6-10 years, primary school) through the methodology of T-DST in small cooperative groups of vulnerable children (using i-Theatre laboratory settings). It is carried on with the education partners: School Institute Aldeno-Mattarello, ANFFAS, Computer Learning.
General goal of the practice and specific objectives
Foster inclusion of vulnerable groups at early ages (to prevent later Early School Leaving)
• Increase basic skills (read-write and calculation)
• Increase motivation to participate in the learning process
• Increase attention, socio-relational and linguistic expression skills
• Realize shared and reusable multimedia texts / artifacts
Time organization
4 educational paths to support identified vulnerable groups
- P1: Romagnano primary school, 4 fourth grade children, 60 hours
- P2: Aldeno primary school, 6 first grade children, 30 hours
- P3: Aldeno primary school, 5 second grade children, 30 hours
- P4: Aldeno primary school, 4 third grade children, 30 hours
TOTAL: 150 hours project (75 hours ANFFAS teacher, 75 hours Computer Learning).
- 15 sessions of 2 hours for the 30 hours path
- 30 sessions of 2 hours for the 60 hours path
- 1 session/week during curricular activities
Space organization
To carry out the activities, the project involves the use of the creative workshop/atelier spaces “Digital narrative workshop” available to the Aldeno-Mattarello Institute.
These laboratories consist of a narratively oriented setting of film invention in which the traditional creative activities (drawing, oral story, bed-writing and calculation, symbolic and theatrical, musical game) are integrated in natural continuity with the use of a digital mediation based on objects, facilitating and intuitive, in an integrated laboratory environment for multimedia authoring. In particular, space is divided into 3 functional areas:
- An area of material preparation (sharing, reading, writing, traditional game, drawing)
- A multimedia narrative Authoring area (creation / action / recording – interactive play activity in small group or individual or collaborative narrative dramatization of a multimedia artifact-movie)
- An area of vision (shared vision “cinema-style” of digital products realized)
In this way, the educational setting is configured as an effective, rich and complex collaborative learning environment for carrying out project activities.
Description of procedures and methodology
2-hour lessons held in parallel with curriculum time/activities (vulnerable groups are working separately from the rest of the class during project activities).
The synergy between project and school activities for the inclusion aim: some intermediate and final sharing moments are implemented, to share and reflect upon the experience with the whole class.
Support actions
- S1: personalized learning support of 20 hours for specific learning disease
- S2: 2 final meetings of 1 hour each in Aldeno and Romagnano schools for sharing project development and results with parents/families
Tutor: Methodological/technical support in using i-Theatre, 30 hours (Computer Learning).
For the activities the methodology of T-DST has been implemented through this model:
- Establishing a relationship on the small group, conversation
- Preparatory experience (individual narrations): each child choose an animal drawing, then represent his own small story with this animal (a. I present myself; b. write and then perform a more elaborated story; c. experimenting interaction in couples)
- The invention of a story in the small group (the story can start from a theme agreed in the group, proposed by the trainer, or from a book): a) Collaborative story-plot creation/invention (writing) – the trainer can help to refine and to reach a storyboard/script; b) Preparation of materials (drawing of backgrounds and characters); c) Expressive trials by reading the script together
Performance and recording with i-Theatre (+editing can be done by children, or to simplify by the trainer).
4. Sharing of the video-performance with the whole class and parents
Technologies
i-Theatre, video projector, pc.
Other materials
Paper, pencil, colors, books.
Description of the final product
Video artifacts of digital stories produced with i-Theatre.
Conclusions
Project implemented in 2-year time (2018-2019 and 2019-2020), ongoing.
First major considerations: project objectives can be achieved but with great effort. Often group climate is too disturbing to carry on any educational activity.
Groups so composed (choice was “the most non-certified vulnerable children in the class”) are difficult to manage due to the presence of children with marked behavioral difficulties/hyperactivity (“oppositive-aggressive”) together with others that are more peaceful and attentive: activity is completed toward the goals (i.e., create & record cooperatively a small story in the small group) but with difficulty and the need for continuous limitation of the behavior for some children.
For some children, reconducting the activity to a sensory-motor communication (e.g., symbolic play/dramatic performance without media) proved to be an effective way; for them, the only other effective activity is an individual relationship in pair with the educator.
INCLUDED – Digital Storytelling for Inclusion
