Be GITA

Learning with AI

Artificial intelligence has become an everyday thing, so the Geography teacher tried her hand at using it in class. She decided to show the students how to use the Gamma app. The teacher showed the functionality of the application on the smart board, while the students followed her on the tablets. The students liked the idea of creating a research assignment with the help of artificial intelligence. Also, they realized that it does not give them a finished product, but only a starting point for work, which they later need to upgrade by critically thinking and adapting to the tasks of the research work.

Using artificial intelligence in the classroom with critical thinking

Teachers Vinka Gregov and Nataša Lovaković participated in Erasmus mobility in Amsterdam, where they received professional training on the subject of artificial intelligence and its use in the classroom. They transferred the knowledge they acquired to their colleagues at an interesting workshop called Use of artificial intelligence in the classroom with critical reflection. The teachers prepared an introductory activity that aroused the interest of the participants, after which they started to explain the applications that they can use in working with students. For each application, they pointed out the positive sides and disadvantages and invited their colleagues to think about whether and in what way it is applicable in their work. The participants showed interest in the application of UI in teaching and actively participated in the discussion about its integration in teaching.

The initiative to use tablets in classes

Technology is all around us, children are introduced to it from an early age. It is often the reason for the debate between people who promote digital technology and people who emphasize its harmful effects. However, technology is something that surrounds us and is an imperative of modern society. Therefore, why not use it for didactic purposes? These are also the views of our school's teachers, but too often they encounter numerous obstacles in using it in class. A survey was launched at the school with the aim of finding out what teachers think about ICT in class and whether they are ready to use it and what prevents them from doing so already. The conclusions after the conducted research are that teachers are willing to use tablets in class (they already use computers), but the current conditions did not allow them to use them efficiently. Guidelines have been adopted that will enable teachers to use tablets effectively, and they are as follows:

put functional tablets for students in a place accessible to teachers - where they can take them if needed
check the technical settings of the tablet for the possibility of connecting to the Internet
ensure that the school's wi-fi code is visible to everyone
educate students to handle tablets
check internet connections in classrooms
provide technical support for teachers

Informatics as an optional subject

Informatics is obligatory subject in Croatian schools only in the fifth and sixth grades. However, our school offers the possibility of enrolling in Informatics as an optional subject in all other classes. The material that pupils learn is very broad, from learning computer parts in lower grades to programming in higher grades. When Informatics was introduced as an optional subject, there was a great interest in enrolling in it. A few years later, that interest waned, and pupils began to withdraw from the subject. However, this year we recorded 25% fewer enrolled pupils compared to last year. We hope that there will be fewer and fewer pupils every year, which is certainly contributed to by the training and expertise of computer science teachers and the Erasmus project Be GITA, which promotes the use of technology in teaching. The digital world is today, and its responsible, skillful and creative use is our bright future!

Mobility satisfaction

The teachers of our school tried their hand at mobility activities as part of the Erasmus+ project "Be GITA". They conveyed their experiences through various modalities, including an online questionnaire. Based on the analysis of the questionnaire, a brochure was created about their experience, impressions and recommendations!

teachers__satisfaction_with_the_mobility_activity.pdf

Job shadowing u Sloveniji

Job shadowing in Slovenia was presented at the teachers' council. The art teacher, the Croatian language teacher and the principal spent 3 days on teacher mobility activities. They did their mobility at Ljubno Primary School. They shared their impressions and experiences with their colleagues at school. They showed in photos what the school they visited looks like and what are its special features. They also compared the educational system of Slovenia and Croatia. They singled out the advantages, but also the observed shortcomings in the receiving school. They finished an inspiring lecture with ideas on what can be used from what they saw and how the work of our school can be improved.

Selfies for teachers

Thirty teachers from our school started solving the digital tool SELFIE for Teachers. SELFIE is an initiative of the European Commission and is financed under the Erasmus program. It is a digital self-assessment tool that then generates feedback in the form of a report. Respondents are evaluated in the following areas: professional engagement, digital resources and materials, learning and teaching, monitoring and evaluation, empowering students, and enabling the development and guidance of students' digital competencies. In addition to a detailed report, respondents receive information on their current level of digital competence. There are a total of six levels, from beginner to leader. In addition to the level of competence, the respondents also received recommendations for improving their own work.

Impressions of pupils after mobility

Pupils told their impressions and experiences to their friends in class and at the Pupil’s Council. They also wrote an article for the school newspaper Galeb. In addition to the above, pupils filled out a survey with their impressions and constructive advices. When asked what they liked the most, the pupils mentioned a tour of Rome (various sights), food, hanging out with friends from Rovinj, meeting new friends at the host school and spending time with them. While several of them wrote that they didn't like the crowd in the city, the metro ride, a lot of walking, and some aspects of the host school. Almost everyone liked the food! When asked what they would change, the majority answered nothing because everything was great, but a few of them had a suggestion for a different organization of free time and accommodation. The average grade with which the pupils rated their satisfaction with mobility is 4.67 on a scale from 1- not at all satisfied to 5- completely satisfied!

Singing users of the Home for the elderly

Our school tries to involve students as much as possible in the work of the local community. Throughout the school year, on several occasions, pupils visited the Home for the Elderly "Domenico Pergolis" Rovinj. Sometimes they went to get together, talk and play social games, sometimes they prepared appropriate recitations and songs, they learned how to make traditional Pashto pljukanci ecc. This time, the students of the music department decided to hold a summer concert for the users of the Home. The students brought positive energy with their performance and awakened the youthful spirit of the users. The users did not hide the smiles on their faces and sang with our students on several occasions!