Activities
In order to satisfy the needs that Gifted Talented students usually have, to support them and to motivate them to discover, develop and perform their personal talents and needs the following activities are needed:
Discussion Framework (Plaisio Dialogue – Πλαίσιο Διαλόγου): Workshops on Network – Framework – Databank, “Stohastic Dialogue” and “Dynamic Dialogue” (giftedtalented.eu).
The development of pedagogical reasoning, in order to support the harmonic development of Gifted Talented students.
Questions, opinions and dialogue on the following issues for supporting Gifted Talented students and for the satisfaction of their educational needs are discussed. The dialogue is necessary at the moment in Greece because the society has to accept that it is a very important mistake not to respond to the educational needs of Gifted Talented children and not to give them the possibility to improve their personal characteristics.
Areas of discussion include the following as well: Production of educational materials that identify, discover, create and develop students’ personal talents, in co-operation with educators, writers, publishers and computer specialists using multimedia managers and Content Management Systems. The goal is to provide a new way of communication and to develop multidisciplinary and multicultural material in order to be able to communicate at an international level.
The following databanks are currently under consideration:
a. Classics: This is a creative & interactive educational network, with issues from the Greek classical literature, history, and philosophy (classics.edu.gr).
Εννοιολογική αποδελτίωση της Ελληνικής Κλασικής Γραμματείας
Qualitative presentation of ideas using Technology could be beneficial to the participant’s creative and interactive communication, collaboration and co-operation. Their opinions and explanations concerning some very unique topics will be used to create the Databank Classics.
Students will be able to use the Databank as an educational tool; in order to discover either the multiple approaches that may exist on the same concept, or for the development of new ideas and in order to investigate reasoning and stochastic thinking.
Selected issues from Classical Literature also appear in this work, including the following:
- A presentation of the texts of Plato’s or Aristotle’s etc., using technology.
- The Humanistic (Anthropological, Anthropo – logical) values and the Ethics that motivated the process of discovering concepts from a multi-lingual and multicultural point of view. For example, the concepts: Men, Truth, Liberty, Justice, Equilibrium, Harmony (or in Greek: Άνθρωπος, Αλήθεια, Ελευθερία, Δικαιοσύνη, Ισορροπία, Αρμονία).
b. SCHEMA: An Interactive Databank with software and multimedia applications that could be used in order to develop and improve mathematical skills. Interactive software and networks could be created using the multicultural Mathematical Language and the Universal language of Music.
Humanistic communication universal languages (like Mathematics and Music) and universal teaching methods (like the dialogue related to Socratic Method) could also be used. Art and literature could be used in order to develop ideas in formal languages. Also, structures with words and sentences that transfer information and knowledge, programming languages as learning tools (like Logo) or as a communication tool using Algorithms for Problem Solving and Decision Making tasks.
The introduction of mathematical concepts in the primary curriculum would connect the concepts of mathematics and music. This could further support the message that the activity goes beyond the content of the term (? the classroom). As an example can thought – provoking that exist Hearing Geometry as Function and metaphor and symbolic representation sound shapes.
c. Diktias: Diktias in Gödel – Escher – Bach discusses the use of mathematical modelling and interdisciplinary educational materials (art, literature, music, science). For the development of communication skills, one of the main requirements is the unification of concepts of oral, written non-oral, and symbolic languages.
For example the concept of Symmetry, as a geometrical concept in the nature, in the universe, in the human body, in actions, patterns, in every day’s life and music (like Escher’s painter, Gödel’s non-competence theorem and Bach’s music).
d. Related Networks: The Databank called TIMAIOS, which includes Ancient Greek mathematics. Also, the development of multicultural and multidisciplinary educational activities program called ELLAS, which stands for Expanding Learning Laboratory Activities and Studies. The Library on Network in co-operation with organizations and people.
e. Collected materials, programmes, events, and activities that include the following:
- Development of communicative, cultural, educational and scientific activities.
- Application of the information and communication technologies in both teaching and the learning process.
- Development of the global curriculum.
- Extra-curricular activities.
- Active Learning methods.
- Co-operation between students.
- Human Harmonic Development Patterns.
Apart from the discussion framework the following have been considered:
- A music-theatre group called Harmony in order to discover and develop students’ personal talents and needs. This programme involves a group of people that participate through music and theatre in the discovery and development of students’ personal talents and needs.
- Activities, seminars, workshops and conferences to support teachers, parents and family of Gifted Talented students.
- Villages Orpheas, Apollon, Iason etc. which include the following: Summer schools for Gifted Talented Students, supporting programmes for students, educators, specialists and parents, an Activities Performance Centre, a Congress Centre.
f. Databank: Patterns for human harmonic developement.