Author: PM

E-SCHOOL successfully hosted a Multiplier Event on October 24, 2024, in Karditsa, Greece, to showcase the achievements of the GIFTLED project. The event brought together 60 educators, school directors, administrators, and policymakers, providing them with an opportunity to engage with and explore the project’s key results and resources.

The event aimed to raise awareness of GIFTLED, present its resources, and equip educators with tools to support gifted students in STEAM education.

The day featured:

• Presentations on the GIFTLED project outcomes, including the digital platform, teacher handbook, AR case studies, and curriculum.
• Interactive Workshops on using Augmented Reality and the Toolkit Instruction Videos (TIVs) in STEAM education.
• A Q&A session, where attendees could ask questions and provide feedback on the resources.
• A Networking session, offering participants a chance to connect and discuss future collaborations.

The event concluded with a feedback session that reinforced the importance of innovative pedagogical approaches for gifted students, encouraging participants to apply the GIFTLED resources in their educational practices. It was a highly successful gathering that not only celebrated the achievements of the GIFTLED project but also fostered collaboration and knowledge sharing among educators and stakeholders in the field of gifted education.

The Multiplier Event in Turkey aimed and promote the results and outputs of the Giftled project. This event aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the project’s achievements while engaging stakeholders in discussions about the impact and practical applications of the project’s resources. Specifically, the Multiplier Event highlighted the following key results:
• Handbook for Teachers: A comprehensive guide for educators on giftedness, STEAM education, and the “Learning by Design” educational approach, culminating in the GIFTLED Method.
• AR Case Studies: A set of brochures featuring Augmented Reality (AR) case studies that outlines how to implement AR applications in specific educational scenarios.
• Toolkit Instruction Videos: Toolkit Introduction Videos (TIVs) designed for each digital tool chosen by the partners to be used in STEAM disciplines. These videos showcase the applications’ features and demonstrate their integration into the “Learning by Design” approach.
• Curriculum: A carefully designed curriculum demonstrating how the GIFTLED method can be applied across STEAM disciplines to enhance the inclusion and education of gifted and talented individuals.
• The GiftLed Open Digital Platform: This platform provides stakeholders with integrated access to all project resources developed throughout the project.

A total of more than 50 participants attended the event. The attendees, teachers, educators, school directors, administrators, and policymakers, were of mixed gender and came mainly from the public sector. The event took place on Thursday, October 24, 2024, in the big conference room Harran University, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.

The GIFTLED Multiplier Event commenced with registration and a welcome coffee, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for all attendees. Dr. Zekai Ayık, Project Manager at Harran University, opened the event with a heartfelt welcome, expressing her gratitude for the participants’ presence. He emphasized the significance of the GIFTLED project and GIFTLED Method in advancing education for gifted and talented individuals within the STEAM fields and outlined the objectives of the event, highlighting its role in showcasing the project’s outputs and fostering collaboration among educators, policymakers, and stakeholders.

Following Dr. Ayık’s introduction, Dean of the Faculty of Education, took the stage to discuss the importance of innovative educational practices tailored for gifted students. He set the tone for the day’s discussions and encouraged participants to consider how they could implement these practices in their own settings for their gifted students.
The agenda proceeded with a detailed presentation of the project’s achievements, led by Dr. Ayık. This segment provided a comprehensive overview of key resources developed through GIFTLED, including the GIFTLED Open Digital Platform, the Handbook for Teachers, the Augmented Reality (AR) Case Studies brochure, the Toolkit Instruction Videos (TIVs), and the curriculum designed to support the GIFTLED methodology. Attendees were particularly engaged by the demonstration of the digital platform, which offers valuable tools and resources for educators and gifted learners.
After a refreshing coffee break, a panel on gifted education and GIFTLED method delivered. The panel included, 3 project researchers and one of the leading scholars in the gifted education field who were Dr. Marilena Taşçılar, Dr. Savaş Akgül, and Dr. M. Davut Gül. After the panel, students, who joined to the GIFTLED activities and pilot trials, were welcomed to the stage and given small memory gifts. Some of them shared their experiences and opinios about the GIFTLED project and the activities.
The event then transitioned into a Q&A session moderated by Dr. Zekai Ayık, where participants had the opportunity to ask questions, and share feedback. This open dialogue fostered a collaborative atmosphere, encouraging participants to engage deeply with the material and each other.
The concluding feedback session allowed attendees to share their thoughts on the GIFTLED project and explore potential collaborations for future initiatives. Dr. Zekai Ayık provided closing remarks, summarizing the day’s highlights and reiterating the importance of continued efforts to support gifted individuals in STEAM education. He expressed her appreciation for the participants’ engagement and active contributions, ending the event on a positive and collaborative note.

The event concluded with a networking session, where participants had the opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and discuss future projects.

As outlined in the approved project proposal, MECB was tasked with organising a face-to-face Raising Awareness Event in Malta to showcase and promote the results and outputs of the GIFTLED project. This event aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the project’s achievements while engaging stakeholders in discussions about the impact and practical applications of the project’s resources. Specifically, the Raising Awareness Event highlighted the following key results:

● Handbook for Teachers: A comprehensive guide for educators on giftedness, STEAM education, and the “Learning by Design” educational approach, culminating in the GIFTLED Method.

● AR Case Studies: A set of brochures featuring Augmented Reality (AR) case studies that outlines how to implement AR applications in specific educational scenarios.

● Toolkit Instruction Videos: Toolkit Introduction Videos (TIVs) designed for each digital tool chosen by the partners to be used in STEAM disciplines. These videos showcase the applications’ features and demonstrate their integration into the “Learning by Design” approach.

● GIFTLED Curriculum: A carefully designed curriculum demonstrating how the GIFTLED method can be applied across STEAM disciplines to enhance the inclusion and education of gifted and talented individuals.

● The GiftLed Open Digital Platform: This platform provides stakeholders with integrated access to all project resources developed throughout the project.

Event Objectives

The primary objectives of the Event were to:
● Raise awareness of the GIFTLED project among relevant stakeholders, including teachers, educators, administrators, and policymakers.
● Address critical topics covered by the project, such as the “Learning by Design” approach, the role of augmented reality in learning, and innovative pedagogical approaches for gifted students.
● Present the results of the project and demonstrate their practical applications in educational settings.
● Provide teachers and educators with effective tools and methods to better support gifted individuals in their educational journeys, fostering talent development and enhancing STEAM engagement.

The event took place on Friday, November 8, 2024, in the Grand Excelsior Hotel, Floriana, Malta.  The  event commenced with registration and a networking breakfast, allowing attendees to mingle. Dr Ing Jonathan Borg, MECB Director, opened the event by welcoming the attendees and providing an overview of the event. Dr Borg emphasized the significance of the GIFTLED project in advancing education for gifted and talented individuals within the STEAM fields and outlined the objectives of the event, highlighting its role in showcasing the project’s outputs and fostering collaboration among educators, policymakers, and stakeholders. Following Dr Borg’s introduction, Mr Eric Flask gave a presentation entitled Understanding Gifted Individuals & Their Challenges. Here, Mr Flask used mentimeter to engage the participants through a real time interactive poll by which they answered a number of perceptions/questions they had on Gifted individuals. Following this poll, he passed on to outline the characteristics of gifted children, the challenges they present and ways on how to tackle such challenges.

After this presentation, Ms Darlene Schembri took the stage to give a detailed presentation of the project’s achievements. This segment provided a comprehensive overview of key resources developed through GIFTLED, including the GIFTLED Open Digital Platform, the Handbook for Teachers, the Augmented Reality (AR) Case Studies brochure, the Toolkit Instruction Videos (TIVs), and the curriculum designed to support the GIFTLED methodology. Attendees were particularly engaged by the demonstration of the AR case studies, which offers an innovative way for students to interact with STEAM disciplines. The MECB team guided participants through this hands-on activity, allowing them to explore the features of the AR flyers.

The event then transitioned into a panel discussion, where participants had the opportunity to ask questions, and share feedback. This open dialogue fostered a collaborative atmosphere, encouraging participants to engage deeply with the material and each other. The panel session allowed attendees to share their thoughts on the GIFTLED project and explore potential collaborations for future initiatives.

Overall, the Malta GIFTLED Raising Awareness Event proved to be a successful and impactful gathering, achieving its objectives of promoting the project’s outcomes and engaging key stakeholders in constructive discussions. The event served as an excellent platform for showcasing the project’s resources, including the GIFTLED Open Digital Platform, the Handbook for Teachers, AR Case Studies, Toolkit Instruction Videos, and curriculum materials, all of which were enthusiastically received by participants.

The Association “Tavo Europa” organized a face-to-face GIFTLED project multiplier event, to which Kaunas district education experts – teachers, representatives of local education administration,
policymakers were invited. The main goal of the event was to present the main results of the project.

The primary objectives of the Multiplier Event were to:
• Raise awareness of the GIFTLED project among relevant stakeholders, including teachers, educators, administrators, and policymakers.

• Address critical topics covered by the project, such as the “Learning by Design” approach, the role of augmented reality in learning, and innovative pedagogical approaches for gifted
students.
• Present the results of the project and demonstrate their practical applications in educational settings.
• Provide teachers and educators with effective tools and methods to better support gifted individuals in their educational journeys, fostering talent development and enhancing STEAM
engagement.

• Create a platform for education experts to share good practices in educating gifted children.

Event participants

The multiplier event was attended by 25 educators, representatives of school administrations, employees of the Kaunas District Municipality Education Department, and policymakers from 19
different institutions and organizations. These are public sector representatives.

The event was divided into several parts: a presentation of the results of the Giftled project, a discussion on the phenomenon of gifted children and their practical development, and a debate on
the future of education, the tools that exist for the development of gifted children and the possibilities for schools to implement them in their daily work.
Participants registered for the event in advance, thus ensuring a high quality and efficient participation, taking into account the possibilities of the venue and the activities planned. The first
presentation was about the Giftled project: the objectives and results achieved, which include the Handbook for Teachers, AR Case Studies, Toolkit Instruction Videos and Curriculum. Participants were
given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with each tool and ask questions.

The presentation was followed by an overview of the general attitude towards gifted children and the prospects for changing it for the better. Teachers were given the opportunity to observe lessons using
gifted education methods, which included Lithuanian language, life skills, career education, extra curricular reading, mathematics and arts. It should be noted that the “Gilė” school-kindergarden,
where the event took place, is one of the leading gifted education institutions in the county, which is a strong incentive and motivation for other schools in the area to adopt good practice. Due to the
protection of children’s data and the desire not to disturb the observation of the lessons, no photos were taken in this part.
After all the theoretical and practical sessions, the education professionals came back for a general discussion about education in the district, to plan changes in their own educational institutions and to
discuss the possibility of using Giftled tools in their work.

CARDET organized two multiplier events. The first event was  organized within the Learning Innovations Summit 2024.

The Learning Innovations Summit (formerly known as Innovative Learning Environments) is an annual  global event that provides a unique platform for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, learning  designers, innovators, educators, and tech pioneers to shape the ongoing transformation of  education. The Summit is an inclusive and dynamic platform where technology and learning converge.

This year’s summit, “Unveiling the Future of Learning & Artificial Intelligence,” took place on  September 13-14, 2024, at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. It was organized by CARDET in  collaboration with the University of Nicosia, the University of Groningen, and University College Dublin  under the auspices of the Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth.

Focusing on the rapidly evolving role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), XR (Extended Reality), and other  emerging technologies in education, the Summit explored how these innovations are transforming  traditional educational paradigms. With AI tutors, online learning platforms, distance learning tools,  and mobile applications becoming more prevalent, digital technologies now enable remote, flexible  learning and real-time support, enhancing educational experiences for learners everywhere. The  recent advances in AI, Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) have further enabled students  to enter immersive virtual environments, making it easier to grasp complex concepts.

The Learning Innovations Summit targeted researchers, teachers, academics and individuals  interested in AI and technological advancements in education, providing a unique pool of participants.

The Summit took place between September 13^th to September 14^th 2024 at the University of Nicosia,  in Nicosia, Cyprus.

The multiplier event started with engaging keynotes and panel discussions. The keynote speech of  Dr Fridolin Wild, professor at the Institute of Educational Technology of The Open University focus  on the ways of closing the gap between abstract knowledge and its practical application, researching  radically new forms of linking directly from knowing something ‘in principle’ to applying that  knowledge ‘in practice’ and speeding its refinement and integration into polished performance.

The panel discussion “Teachers and Students in the AI Era “ explored the integration of AI in  education, focusing on how both teachers and students are navigating, adopting, and adapting AI tools  in the classroom. The speakers shared their insights and examined the transformative potential of AI,  how AI is reshaping educational practices and what this means for the future of education. The seconf  panel discussion focused on the “Diverse Insights and Perspectives on Digital Mental Health”. The  panel explored the role of digital technologies in addressing the global mental health crisis. Featuring  representatives from the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, CARDET, YALE, and Dartmouth College, the  discussion examined the effectiveness, challenges, and ethical considerations of digital tools in  supporting mental health provision. Panelists shared their experiences and perspectives on the impact of these tools across different regions and populations, offering a comprehensive view of the potential  and limitations of digital mental health initiatives.

The presentation of GIFTLED in the last session offered a practical understanding of how AR and digital  tools can be implemented in education. The session equipped teachers with a toolkit developed to  support talented students, (not only those aged 8-18in STEAM education), using the ‘Learning by  Design’ Approach.

Participants gained hands-on experience and insights into the following components:

• The Teacher’s Handbook, which provides advanced methodologies and strategies for STEAM education and suggests the use of AR and digital design tools to increase learners’ engagement.

• The Zappar Application: participants were able to discover the potential of AR in education through case studies demonstrating innovative interactive learning approaches.
• The E-learning Platform, which provides access to raw resources and materials that teachers can modify and easily attach for their students’ learning needs and interests.
• The Curriculum: Participants will be able to explore how to use the “Learning by Design” method in STEAM education using digital and AR tools, exploring modules that focus on the STEAM areas.

Below there are some photos from the event:

The second multiplier event was a follow-up eventto engage and recruit more participants. The event  took place at Kourion Municipality, Marios Tokas Theatre, Erimi, on October 18^th 2024.  The event started with a welcome speech by Nicolas Vryoni, the cultural officer of Kourion  Municipality. Michaela Protopapa continued by delivering a presentation on the use of AR, VR and XR  technologies to promote inclusion. Finally, a presentation on the GIFTLED approach and its results  followed by Dr. Xanthia Aristidou. Dr. Xanthia Aristidou introduced participants to the GIFTLED project,  presenting the GIFTLED methodology and its main results. At the last phase, participants had the  opportunity to navigate the platform and tools, by participating in hands-on activities on exploring  the AR case studies, the Toolkit Instruction Videos, the Curriculum and the Handbook for teachers.

Some photos of the event are listed below: