Care Stage: The students of the CFGM of Pharmacy made an analysis about health and its three branches and were very interested in working on the promotion of their mental health during their stay at the educational center. A total of 38 students participated in two groups (morning and afternoon). 

Know stage: During the participatory research phase, during which they identified their needs and devised an action plan, students utilized their knowledge of mental health and habits. Additionally, they actively applied skills such as planning, organization, information retrieval, self-directed learning, and the application of acquired knowledge.

Do stage: Students conceived and implemented a mental health promotion action plan comprising four distinct activities. It was the students themselves who lead the sessions at the classroom.

Results related to the Open Schooling approach:    Undoubtedly, participatory research has allowed them to not only develop the professional, personal, and social skills outlined in the curriculum of the CFGM Pharmacy and Parapharmacy but also provided them with the opportunity to enhance key cross-cutting skills essential for their future profession, such as autonomy, work organization, responsibility, and teamwork. Certainly, the inclusion of social actors in this research can further facilitate the cultivation and acquisition of these competencies and knowledge.

Support for the implementation of educational resources by: head of department

Student results: The students enthusiastically embraced the proposal and eagerly accepted the challenge to participate. We believe that this initiative has served as an excellent opportunity to shed light on the significance of mental health issues among young people. Simultaneously, it has enabled us to foster certain skills among the students through the application of scientific methodology throughout the entire process.

Taking care of young people’s mental health is a necessity. Schools are a fundamental part of their lives, so we could promote their emotional well-being. This year, we have implemented Healthy Minds, an Open Schooling project within the framework of the European project CONNECT, which aims to promote the mental health of students through a participatory research process. Another objective is to raise awareness that science and the scientific method can be useful in solving the challenges we face as a society and to abandon the idea “I’m not into science” that we often hear in the classrooms.

At the Caterina Albert High School in Barcelona, we have implemented Healthy Minds with a group of first-year baccalaureate students in the context of the subject of Scientific Challenges. During 2 sessions, we have conducted an analysis of the group members’ needs regarding mental health and prioritized them through a consultation process. We have designed and implemented an action plan based on various activities that address the prioritized needs, and we have evaluated the process and the learnings acquired regarding mental health and everything related to participatory research methodology. During the process, we had planned to involve families, but motivating them to participate has been a challenging task.

The results of implementing Healthy Minds in our school are still in a very early phase, although they reflect an increased awareness among students about the importance of promoting mental health. They have begun to integrate participatory research as a process to solve problems that affect them in collaboration with other stakeholders, and they have designed an action plan for the promotion of mental health. The activities that have been carried out are few, and we will evaluate how to implement it further in the coming school year by involving more stakeholders and incorporating it into the Educational Project of the school.

Care: Students were interested to find out if their school can be accessible in other persons with disabilities, a real-life problem that occurs due to the old building where the school is located. Students who participated in the activities were 24 boys and girls of age 13-14.

Know:  Students used knowledge about maps (general and thematic).  The skills that students practiced were to create specific questions about the access in the building, to analyze the data,  to create maps with the arcgis software, to discuss their findings and to write the conclusions of their study.

Do: At the end, students were worked in small groups of 3 or 4 persons, prepared  maps, create a story map, participated in a Greek Contest “Χαρτογραφώντας την προσβασιμότητα” and present their findings in the Greek Students Conference of the Connect project. They supported by their families and the local community of the school.  

Findings related to Open Schooling approach:  The activity fitted in the curriculum. It was useful for our class of geography because students create their own maps. It was also innovative due to the real problem of the access in the bulding of school . Open schooling might be helpful for other teachers because students learn by doing themselves. 

Change/innovation supported by:  [ x ] schoolhead  [   ] school association/network    [  ] local government 
                                                                [  ] Other:  _________________________________________

Students’ Outcomes: Students were create maps and a story map that includes all their work. A group of students participated in the Greek Student Conference for the Connect project and they feel confidence about the project. As an example, a students mentioned ” I enjoyed so much to participate in the Greek Students Conference!”, “ I like to create my own map, I can learn by myself what are the important elements of a map.”

This practice contributed to increasing: 

[ x  ] families’ engagement in science   [   ]  girls’ participation in science.  [   ] students’ science careers awareness  

 

Please justify: The school faces real problem as concerns the access for persons with disabilities. Students discussed with their families what they can do and what are the solutions in order to reduce this phenomenon.  

Care: Students were interested in and investigated the special characteristics of the island through the online collection of data on the natural & technical environment of Lefkada’s island. The pollution of the natural environment, especially the coastal shores is a real-life problem where in many cases, the natural environment can be turned into an unjustified receiver of pollutants by local and tourist activities. This could negatively affect the island’s natural environment in the future. The students who participated in the activities were twenty-one (21), male and female students of the A and B Grades of the 2nd Experimental Lyceum of Lefkada, aged 16-17.

 

Know: Students used knowledge about of Natural Sciences such as Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Biology was used as a basis for understanding ecology and ecotoxicology. The skills that the students practiced were multiple such as:

• Investigative method (inquiry-based learning) with question definition, research design, research conduct, results, resulting in the strengthening of students’ scientific thinking.
• Application of scientific methodology and utilization of environmental science elements.
• Cooperation with the scientific and local organizations of the island related to the environment.
• Collaboration with universities and research institutions for information exchange.
• Use of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) to visualize the natural environment of Lefkada through the Google map and FILOTIS – Greek Nature Database, using the iNaturalistGR database.
• Investigation and presentation of the work plan (development of critical thinking, creativity, communication).

 

Do: At the end, the students prepared an electronic informational material which they posted on the school’s website. This was after a metacognitive evaluation of the data on Lefkada’s geophysical characteristics and the potential areas of pollution on the island. They also published an article in the school newspaper about the natural environment of the island. In the article, the students proposed ways to protect the environment, especially in the summer months when tourism increases. With the help of the Biology teacher in charge, the

students created a poster that refers to their actions in relation to the study of biodiversity and the study of potential pollution areas on the island of Lefkada. In addition, the students’ work was presented at the annual event of the Excellence and Creativity Clubs and activities of the current school year 2023, at the 2nd Experimental Lyceum of Leukada. The President of the Governing Committee of the Model Experimental Schools, Mr. Tombras, the mayor of the city, teachers, representatives of local agencies, and students of the school were invited to the event. They completed the activities as a group and were supported by their family, and their classmates by sharing good practices and ideas. The parents were especially supportive of the students as they helped them search and record reports on the pollution phenomenon, twenty years ago on the island.

 

Findings related to Open Schooling approach: The activity was fitted and adapted to the curriculum as it combined chapters from Natural Science courses including Biology, Physics and Chemistry. The activity is an innovation in education because through it students can use scientific data and elements to solve problems in their daily life, such as issues of ecological balance and environmental pollution (decision-making ability). The purpose of this activity is the cultivation of citizenship, where students, as tomorrow’s citizens and/or bioscientists, are called upon to make decisions about the environment, health, safety, and, in general, about any category of challenge that will arise from the applications of Biology/Ecology in our society. Open schooling might be both useful and challenging for teachers because it promotes students’ active participation by creating learning environments that will be governed by the principles of modern teaching methodology, such as inquiry learning and experiential and communicative approaches, encouraging critical thinking and creativity.

 

Change/innovation supported by: [X] schoolhead  [X] school association/network    [X] local government

[ ] Other:   

 

Students’ Outcomes: The students initially showed a great interest in getting to know the natural and artificial environment of their island. In the Informatics laboratory, they watched a video showing the natural environment of Lefkada such as habitats, lagoons, and mountains combined with the human-made environment i.e. houses and tourist accommodations. The online Webex communication with the scinetist Dr.Vasilios Drosos, professor of the Department of Forestry and Environmental and Natural Resources Management of the Democritus University of Thrace, excited the students because they were given the opportunity to answer their key questions about pollution and the environment and to participate in a discussion as responsible and active members of an action. Students, as the most dynamic part of society, were receptive to learning during the seminar. This created a climate of mutual trust and interaction between the scientist and students. Furthermore, the students were excited about the use of google map, iNaturalist database and Filotis database for mapping and locating cities of Lefkada with a greater percentage of pollution with the use of software even though they were initially cautious. Some of the students mentioned “Is it possible that the software we find very easily on the internet can provide us with such a large amount of information?”, “Can we also map the other islands in the Ionian Sea?”.

 

This practice contributed to increasing:

[X] families’ engagement in science   [X] girls’ participation in science.  [X] students’ science careers awareness

 

Please justify: The contribution of the students’ families was decisive in the success of the activity. This is because they helped the students search and record reports on the phenomenon of pollution twenty years ago on the island and compare them with today’s data. The participation rate of female students in the total number of students who participated in the activity was expected to be 52.4% (11/21). A large percentage of students expressed an interest in the following professions related to the Schools of Health Sciences (Medicine, Biosciences, Nursing) and Positive Sciences (Physics, Chemistry).

The central idea of the activity was to spark students’ curiosity by using news stories to connect science content to everyday life. The goal was for students to understand the relationship between the nervous system and the impact of psychoactive substances on the body, promoting greater interaction with their families and extending reflection beyond the classroom. Additionally, students were encouraged to engage with scientists to foster interest in pursuing STEM or science-related careers.

As part of the activities, teachers were given suggestions aligned with the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC), specifically for the 6th grade, within the thematic unit “Life and Evolution.” Among the suggested skills, students worked on explaining the functioning of the nervous system and how it can be affected by psychoactive substances (EF06CI10), as well as justifying the role of the nervous system in coordinating motor and sensory actions based on its structures (EF06CI07).

Throughout the project, teachers had the freedom to apply Augmented Reality (AR) cards as they saw fit, promoting a dynamic and tailored exploration of the content for the students.

The students participated in a series of activities in three distinct phases, aiming to explore the functioning of the nervous system and the impact of psychoactive substances on the body using AR technologies and interactions with scientists.
– CARE: Students were encouraged to care about everyday issues raised by a news story related to the use of psychoactive substances. They explored how the nervous system can be affected by these substances using AR cards to visualize neurons, axons, and dendrites. This phase piqued students’ curiosity and motivated a deeper exploration of the content.
– KNOW: Students discussed the role of the nervous system in coordinating motor and sensory actions of the body. They also addressed how science can clarify the damage caused to the body by psychoactive substances and discussed the social impacts of substance consumption. The class listed the main problems related to the topic, broadening their understanding of the associated risks.
– DO: Students were encouraged to take the knowledge they acquired to their families. They were tasked with discussing the subject at home and bringing questions and curiosities to the scientists. Families also proposed actions to combat the problems identified in the previous phase, and students brought these ideas back to the classroom in the following session.

In the **Closing** phase, students watched a video with a guest scientist who answered their questions and explained how knowledge of the nervous system is related to their field of expertise. This brought students closer to scientific practice and stimulated their interest in scientific careers. After the video, students completed a questionnaire about the activities and the knowledge they had gained.

**Teaching Results**
The results showed varying levels of teacher confidence regarding the activities:
1. **Small Group Discussions (A08)**: 83% of teachers felt confident.
2. **Use of Questions for Divergent Thinking (A07)**: 76% of teachers felt confident.
3. **Interaction with Researchers and Scientists (A05)**: 71% of teachers felt confident.
4. **Encouraging Participation in Science Activities Outside School (A04)**: 71% of teachers felt confident.
5. **Promoting Discussions on Science and Society (A02) & Helping Generate Evidence-Based Questions (A03)**: Over 70% of teachers felt confident.
6. **Teaching Scientific Inquiry with Real-World Problems (A01)**: 65% of teachers felt confident.
7. **Encouraging Discussion of Scientific Topics with Family (A06)**: 66% of teachers felt confident, with 24% feeling less confident.

In all activities, only a small percentage (less than 5%) felt very unsure.

**Learning Outcomes**
Students generally demonstrate a positive attitude toward science and its importance. The vast majority (82%) agree or strongly agree that learning science will be useful in their daily lives. Even more (86%) recognize the importance of science, technology, and mathematics for problem-solving.

There is a strong belief (87%) among students that science helps people worldwide lead pleasant and healthy lives, indicating an understanding of science’s global impact.

However, when it comes to personal confidence in science, the results are more mixed. Only about a third of students (31%) feel confident in their science knowledge, with a similar proportion (31%) feeling confident using mathematics to solve scientific problems. Slightly more students (42%) feel confident using science to generate questions and ideas.

Students show more confidence in their ability to justify views using arguments and evidence, with 43% feeling confident in this area. This suggests that while they may not feel as confident in their scientific knowledge, they have developed some critical thinking skills.

Regarding practical application, nearly half of the students (48%) feel confident in doing science projects with colleagues, family, and scientists. A similar proportion (49%) feel confident talking about science, indicating a willingness to engage with scientific topics.

Encouragingly, the vast majority (80%) of students express interest in doing projects with others using science, suggesting a desire for collaborative, hands-on learning experiences in science.

When it comes to enjoyment and future aspirations, 57% of students find learning science fun. However, opinions are more divided on career prospects, with 42% interested in a job that uses science, and 37% aspiring to be seen as experts in science.

Overall, while students generally recognize the importance and value of science, there is room for improvement in building their confidence and skills in scientific practices. The data suggests that hands-on, collaborative approaches to science education might be particularly well-received by students.

Links:

https://veja.abril.com.br/saude/estudo-mostra-que-31-de-internados-por-trauma-consumiram-alcool-ou-drogas/

https://gauchazh.clicrbs.com.br/cultura-e-lazer/cinema/noticia/2022/08/anne-heche-estaria-dirigindo-sob-efeito-de-drogas-e-acidente-passa-a-ser-investigado-como-crime-cl6plfv7o007x017pmubjxgim.html

https://www.gov.br/prf/pt-br/noticias/estaduais/piaui/2022/setembro/em-piracuruca-prf-prende-homem-por-conduzir-veiculo-sob-efeito-de-drogas

https://www.sbtnews.com.br/noticia/sbt-brasil/213366-caminhoneiro-sob-efeito-de-drogas-atinge-carros-e-casas-em-belo-horizonte

Results
[00:12, 04/10/2024]   Students

https://openeducation.eu.qualtrics.com/reports/public/b3BlbmVkdWNhdGlvbi02NDRiYWUxNjY0NmMyOTAwMDhlYjhhNWYtVVJfYnlMM3lKSFY0YlBxUkhE

[01:16, 04/10/2024]  Teachers https://openeducation.eu.qualtrics.com/reports/public/b3BlbmVkdWNhdGlvbi02NDc3ZTY1M2IyYTU4MjAwMDhlYjZhODMtVVJfYnlMM3lKSFY0YlBxUkhE

Care: Students were involved in  designing and developing a video game that promoted the importance of digital skills  for a real-life problem. The creators of the game aimed to raise children’s awareness about the usefulness of solar energy and solar panels.  Students who participated in the activities were from all grades 9,10,11 and 12. The creators of the game were Hanc Ionuț Cristian – class 12 A and Bunea Nicolae – class 12 A. 

Know: Students used knowledge about using green energy in planet exploration.  The competences that the students practiced were: reasoned decision-making, teamwork on multidisciplinary topics, programming and implementation of software applications.  

Do: At the end, the students prepared the video HERE, which they presented in school. They carried out the activities in teams and their families were involved in purchasing the necessary equipment for building the game and with technical consultancy for using free software for creating games.

Findings related to the Open Schooling approach: The activity can be included in the curriculum in science, geography, physics, chemistry, biology classes and less in computer science classes, because the computer science curriculum does not address the topic of creating video games.  But it was very attractive to students who were curious about the secret of building a video game. Open schooling could be the future of education for other teachers because it would empathize with students, motivating them in creating and using video games as a method of creative and digital development.

The results obtained by the students: The student Hanc Ionuț Cristian, managed to get the first place, at the regional phase Made for Europe and to present the game in the UK and Greece within the project Eramsus+ – Games Jam, which had as theme the creation of video games. And because within the college we set up an excellent robotics group,  which includes the creators of the game, following the visit of European Commissioner Ferreira, we were invited to the World Bank headquarters and the Ministry of Digitalization to present our projects. There I was able to talk to Ion, Mr. President’s AI assistant. We presented the project online at GUESS Indonesia and physically at the Science on Stage Festival!

Care Stage: Students did introductory activities on mental health. A total of 75 students participated. 

Know stage: During participatory research in which they detected their needs and designed an action plan with various activities. They put mental health knowledge into practice and expanded it.

Stage Do: The activities were designed to be carried out the next course, we lacked time to do this stage.

Results related to the Open Schooling approach:    Undoubtedly, participatory research has allowed them to treballar competències i sabers inclosos en el currículum de 3r d’ESO, però també d’altres que no hi estan directament especificades.

Support for the implementation of educational resources by:  the department and the Living Lab of IrsiCaixa

Student results:    The students were able to integrate certain knowledge and skills. Still, if we had     Given more time to conduct participatory research, the results     Had     It was more satisfying.     The students go     Actively participate in the dynamics proposed to them    .

Care Stage: The students of the CFGM of Pharmacy made an analysis about health and its three branches and were very interested in working on the promotion of their mental health during their stay at the educational center. A total of 38 students participated in two groups (morning and afternoon). 

Know stage: During the participatory research phase, during which they identified their needs and devised an action plan, students utilized their knowledge of mental health and habits. Additionally, they actively applied skills such as planning, organization, information retrieval, self-directed learning, and the application of acquired knowledge.

Estapa Do: Students conceived and implemented a mental health promotion action plan comprising four distinct activities. It was the students themselves who lead the sessions at the classroom.

Results related to the Open Schooling approach:    Undoubtedly, participatory research has allowed them to not only develop the professional, personal, and social skills outlined in the curriculum of the CFGM Pharmacy and Parapharmacy but also provided them with the opportunity to enhance key cross-cutting skills essential for their future profession, such as autonomy, work organization, responsibility, and teamwork. Certainly, the inclusion of social actors in this research can further facilitate the cultivation and acquisition of these competencies and knowledge.

Support for the implementation of educational resources by: head of department

Student results: The students enthusiastically embraced the proposal and eagerly accepted the challenge to participate. We believe that this initiative has served as an excellent opportunity to shed light on the significance of mental health issues among young people. Simultaneously, it has enabled us to foster certain skills among the students through the application of scientific methodology throughout the entire process.

Taking care of young people’s mental health is a necessity. Schools are a fundamental part of their lives, so we could promote their emotional well-being. This year, we have implemented Healthy Minds, an Open Schooling project within the framework of the European project CONNECT, which aims to promote the mental health of students through a participatory research process. Another objective is to raise awareness that science and the scientific method can be useful in solving the challenges we face as a society and to abandon the idea “I’m not into science” that we often hear in the classrooms.

At the Caterina Albert High School in Barcelona, we have implemented Healthy Minds with a group of first-year baccalaureate students in the context of the subject of Scientific Challenges. During 2 sessions, we have conducted an analysis of the group members’ needs regarding mental health and prioritized them through a consultation process. We have designed and implemented an action plan based on various activities that address the prioritized needs, and we have evaluated the process and the learnings acquired regarding mental health and everything related to participatory research methodology. During the process, we had planned to involve families, but motivating them to participate has been a challenging task.

The results of implementing Healthy Minds in our school are still in a very early phase, although they reflect an increased awareness among students about the importance of promoting mental health. They have begun to integrate participatory research as a process to solve problems that affect them in collaboration with other stakeholders, and they have designed an action plan for the promotion of mental health. The activities that have been carried out are few, and we will evaluate how to implement it further in the coming school year by involving more stakeholders and incorporating it into the Educational Project of the school.

The Guidance Department of CDP Juan XXIII Chana in Granada has implemented an educational project called “Healthy Minds”, within its Tutorial Action Plan, which involves participatory research with an Open Schooling approach, where the students themselves become active agents in promoting mental health. The implementation has been carried out within the framework of the European project CONNECT.

 

We have conducted this project with 6 class groups from 1st and 3rd year of Secondary Education (180 students and their families). Each group has worked through the sessions designed by Healthy minds, and we have implemented an action plan with various activities based on the identified mental health needs.

Firstly, we delved into the concept of health by analysing the definition proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Through this, we discovered that there are different types of health, not only physical but also social and mental. We analysed what they had in common and found that emotional well-being was the common term. At this point, the students identified risk and protective factors for mental health, based on which they prioritized the ones they considered most important to design and implement an action plan. Students proposed to create an “Emotional Kit” as a solution. They have suggested a set of tools to protect themselves in risky situations and promote emotional well-being. Finally, they reflected on the learning process and the impact on mental health promotion. Throughout the process, teachers and families have been involved, allowing for collaborative design of solutions.

Among the results and impact of Healthy Minds in our educational community, we can highlight a greater awareness among students of the need to focus on mental health and their ability to contribute to solving a problem that affects them through participatory research. The self-organization of students has also been promoted, and there has been a greater commitment from the school institution to improve mental health promotion. The school will start working on creating a physical space that promotes emotional well-being, which will be called the “Emotional Classroom”. Additionally, the Guidance Department will design interdisciplinary activities to promote students’ well-being in collaboration with the “Healthy habits and lifestyle” program already allocated at the school.

 

Care: Students were worried about how to take care of their mental health.  In total, 108 students who were 16-17 years old and were studying 1st year of Baccalaureate participated.

Know:  The students learned about using the scientific method to solve real-life problems, biology concepts on mental health, and participation and communication skills. Other skills that the students put into practice were debating, asking questions, voting and consensus, co-creating recommendations and presenting results.

Do: In the end, the students participated in the Final Congress of Sentinel Schools presenting the recommendations for improvement agreed by the educational community. They completed the activities in groups and with the support of families, although not in full.

Findings related to Open Schooling approach:  The activity includes aspects from the curriculum, but it is necessary to consider the time to spend on the activities to match them in the schedule.  It was challenging to implement it because it was new to teachers, but very relevant and innovative.  Open Schooling can be useful for other teachers because it allows them to work on any topic of interest with a very interesting collaborative approach

Change/innovation supported by:

[ ] schoolhead  [  ] school association/network    [  ] local government [X] Other:  Living Lab for Health

Students’ Outcomes: The students fulfilled the task, but without too much motivation since it was not a topic that they had chosen. However, in the end they ended up happy with the results obtained.

This practice contributed to increasing: 

[  x ] families’ engagement in science   [X]  girls’ participation in science.  [   ] students’ science careers awareness

Care: Students were interested in how they could improve their mental health by doing activities at their high school.  In total, 78 students from the first year of Baccalaureate (16-17 years old) participated.

Know:  The students improved their knowledge about mental health and explored the problems and opportunities that exist in their promotion. They put into practice skills such as debate, collaborative work, argumentation, voting and consensus and co-creation of recommendations for improvement.

Do: In the end, the students participated in the Final Congress of Sentinel Schools presenting the recommendations for improvement agreed by the educational community and the mental health promotion interventions that they had planned for that academic year. They completed the activities in groups and with the support of families, although not in full.

Findings related to Open Schooling approach:  the activity includes concepts and competences included in the curriculum. Although it was a challenging proposal for teachers and students, it has been a very good experience that we recommend to other teachers to work innovatively in solving problems contextualized in their subjects.

Change/innovation supported by:

[x] schoolhead  [   ] school association/network    [  ] local government [X] Other:  Living Lab for Health

Students’ Outcomes: The results were good, the students did a search for information about mental health and from there they detected the problems and opportunities for improvement in each category. In general, knowledge and skills increased.

Care: Students were interested and concerned around mental health, which is a real-life problem. The question we asked to attract the interest of students was: What is Mental Health for you? Do you think it can be cured?  Students who participated in the activities were 52 students of 4th of primary, of 9 and 10 years.

Know:  Students used knowledge about values and ethics, of the environment, of the senses and application of part of the scientific method.  The skills that students practiced were to ask questions, analyze data, discuss claims and evidence, take and write conclusions.

Do: At the end, students prepared a mural with all the questions and answers of the research on mental health, with proposals for improvement and finally elaborated a presentation in digital format to prepare the participation in the sentinel congress held in the auditorium of the Cosmocaixa in Barcelona. They completed the activities in groups and supported by community members.

Findings related to Open Schooling approach:  The activity did not fit in the curriculum. It was challenging and innovative. Open schooling might be useful for other teachers because it can change the vision of students in relation to mental health problems and how to help people who suffer from it.

Change/innovation supported by:

[X] schoolhead  [   ] school association/network    [  ] local government [X] Other:  Living Lab for Health

Students’ Outcomes: Students learned about mental health concepts and that related diseases can be suffered by anyone and at any age. As an example, a student mentioned “When I talk to my psychiatrist, I feel much better”. With these words he shared and normalized going to the psychiatrist and the work that these specialists do.

Care: The students were engaged in recording and studying the threats and risks facing our Ecosystems and in particular the White Mountains National Park. The students who participated in the activities were 10 years old and went to Primary D. There were two sections and a total of 35 students participated in the program.

Know: The skills the students practiced was to explore the Samaria Gorge through ICT. The students initially dealt with understanding how to read, orient and process a digital map (GIS) as well as the possibilities of GPS. With the help of electronic files received from the Samaria National Forest Management Body and the use of the Google Earth computer application, they managed to see the path of the canyon but also to learn how to read and orient a map. Also through the Geogreece website they found information about the flora and fauna of our country, the National Forests and the habitats that exist. From the information they collected each group proposed 3 questions and thus each department made a Quiz.
To create the quiz they used the kahoot application. Then they visited the Spatial Information Systems laboratory of the Technical University of Crete. There they were welcomed by the professor and head of the laboratory, Mr. Partcinevelos Panagiotis, where, together with his research team, he guided them around the premises of the laboratory and together they discussed the use of IT systems in the representation of maps, as well as automatic geo-location systems (GPS ). In particular, they saw how they can use drones with built-in GPS to prevent fires and other natural disasters as well as to rescue people in the Samaria gorge. They also created a real relief map of the Samaria area using the Sandmap tool.

Do: At the end, the students prepared a model of the Samaria gorge and the Portes point in comparison. Then they built a fire alarm mechanism using the Arduino microcontroller. This mechanism was designed and programmed through the tinkercad application with the help of the students of the third grade of the school. Thus they completed the activities as a group and supported by their family and the school’s High School. The presentation of their work took place at the Connect Student Conference on May 21, 2022. Conclusions about Open Schooling:

The activity was integrated into the curriculum. It was a challenge since, on the one hand, the Informatics, Artistic and Laboratory Skills courses had to be combined and all this in
collaboration with the scientific community. Open schooling can be useful for other teachers because the pedagogical use of ICT transforms traditional teaching practices and enhances the active involvement of students in all phases of the teaching process. The participation of scientists in this process did not confuse the students but helped them to deepen the topic they studied.

The change/innovation was supported by:

[ x ] School management [ x ] school association/network
[ x ] Local government [ ] Other: ________________________________

Student results: The students saw the program positively, they were excited by the use of technological means in every phase of the program and they participated very actively in it. Concerns were raised regarding the dangers and threats facing our ecosystems, but they were particularly encouraged by both their proposal to deal with fires through an electronic self-construction and the fact that there are scientists working on their protection.

This practice contributed to the increase of:
[ x ] engaging families with sciences [ x ] involving girls in science [ x ] raising awareness among students about careers in the natural sciences

Please specify: The students interacted with technological tools and applications in order to learn and understand their usefulness.

Care: Students were concerned about the decline in the population of some animals in our area, which they learn live in our area but don’t see often. The students who participated in the activities were the 18th-grade students (10 years old) of Petrokefali Primary School.

Learning: Students used knowledge of the area’s land and sea flora and fauna. The skills that the students practiced were creative and critical thinking, collaboration, construction and analysis and production of informative content.

Do: In the end, the students prepared posters and prepared a local community awareness campaign. They completed the activities as a group and were supported by their families, local cultural associations, the municipality and the school’s Parents and Guardians Association. Conclusions about Open Schooling: The activity was integrated into the curriculum. It was an innovative program linked to the skills workshops implemented for the first time in the 2021-2022 school year. Open schooling can be useful for other teachers because it provokes interest and involvement directly and indirectly. The change/innovation was supported by: The school management, the teachers’ association, the parents’ and guardians’ association, the Cultural Association of Kalamaki, the Municipality of Phaistos. Student results: The students were enthusiastic throughout the implementation of the program. They were willing to undertake actions outside the school framework by involving the family and the local community. As an example, the students suggested that we visit other areas and intervene to protect them as well as return to them to monitor their condition.

Student results: Students were active and active during the research process. They were consistent in the work they each undertook in their group and seemed to assimilate relatively easily the scientific knowledge they needed to use. Their familiarity with NTs was very helpful in all dealing with digital hardware and software. They learned how a scientific study is structured and how it is conducted. They seemed to enjoy the role of researcher to the point of engaging in the tasks of the other groups as well. As an example, one student mentioned “Did you see, ma’am, that I can work in other groups and not just the one I’m in?” Their activation productively cultivated the speech skills of both production and comprehension of oral and written texts.