PARTNER: HOU DATE: November 30, 2024 TITLE: SpicE project is growing   The Infoday entitled “Towards Holistic and Inclusive Pedagogical and Teaching Approaches. STEAM Education and SpicE Project: a Challenge and an Opportunity for Educators and Schools” was successfully held on Friday, September 6, 2024, at the Amphitheater of the Hellenic Open University in Patras. The Infoday was jointly organized in the context of SpicE project by the DAISSy Research Group of Hellenic Open University (HOU) and the Education Advisors of Western Greece Dr. Aikaterini Nikolaopoulou (Primary Education), Dr. Marianna Bartzakli (Primary Education), and Dr. Zoi Antonopoulou (Secondary Education). Its main objectives were:

• Raising educators’ awareness on adopting inclusive and holistic approaches to teaching and learning,
• Encouraging the implementation of STEAM projects based on inclusive and interdisciplinary approaches,
• Introducing the training program for inclusive STEAM education offered by the European project SpicE, and
• Fostering the creation of a Network of Schools and Educators to implement inclusive STEAM education in educational institutions.

In the first part of the Infoday, Professor Dr. Achilleas Kameas presented the SpicE project and Dr. Marianna Bartzakli and Dr. Aikaterini Nikolaopoulou discussed about inclusive pedagogy and the STEAM educational approach. The second part featured presentations by members of the DAISSy research team of the Hellenic Open University. The topics included:

• “Competences Framework for Educators in Inclusive STEAM Education” (Mrs. Georgia Sakellaropoulou, Educator of Special Education and Researcher of DAISSy Research Group),
• “The Training-Educational Program of the SpicE Project” (Mrs. Natalia Spyropoulou, Researcher of DAISSy Research Group),

“The use of Blended Learning for designing Inclusive STEAM Learning Scenarios within the SpicE Project” (Dr. Spyridon Papadakis, Education Advisor), and

• “Community of Practice and Alliance for Inclusive STEAM Education” (Dr. Magda Spella, Project Manager of the SpicE Project).

  The seminar concluded with the presentation of a proposal to establish a Network of schools and educators aiming to implement inclusive STEAM education by Dr. Zoi Antonopoulou.