DEVELOPMENT OF THE COLLABORATIVE CLASSROOM THROUGH THE INNOVATIVE PROGRAM OF "FRENEIT PEDAGOGY"

The innovative program “Freinet Pedagogy” is currently taking place within the framework of the Teacher Education Program of the Athens University of Economics and Business, led by the team of “Skasiarcheio”, which consists of both active educators and people of the arts, and frames a vision for education that brings the student’s souls to the spotlight. One of the experiential actions that was introduced in order for the future educators to get familiar with the techniques of “Freinet Pedagogy” is that of the collaborative classroom.

Specifically, on Friday 19/11/2021, students enrolled in the Teacher Education Program and within the framework of the aforementioned program which still has to offer students more experiences and knowledge, welcomed Mrs. Stella Badikian, a founding member of the pedagogical team “Skasiarcheio” and author of the guide for the application of Freinet Pedagogy in Public Education, “Cooperative Schools with Freinet Pedagogy: implementation procedures”.

Mrs. Badikian spoke to the students about her experiences and work regarding education and the research programs in which she has participated in recent years, as well as presented them with key points on the implementation of Freinet Pedagogy in the context of the classroom, emphasizing on different techniques for collaborative learning. Group collaboration, being one of these techniques, was the basis of the interactive workshop she prepared with the help of two members of the program’s scientific team, Mrs. Maria Antonia Papachiou and Mr. Anastasios Economou. During the workshop, the students were divided into groups and each group appointed a coordinator, a secretary, and a presenter. Each group had to answer a series of questions on the specific topic they were given, and later present their answers to the rest of the class, abiding by the time limit. 

The students were thrilled by the results, characteristic of this technique of collaborating in groups, as it ensures that students are no longer passive members, but have the ability to openly share their thoughts and opinions with their teammates, which is less intimidating than doing so in front of the whole class. Additionally, each student is given the option to take up the role that appeals to him or her the most, thus highlighting his or her personal inclinations and talent, drastically reducing cases of educational failure. By the end of the activity, the program’s participants summed up their experience in the phrase “We evolve through each other!”.

The collaboration with the team of "Skasiarchio" continues next week with "What's New?" and the Order Council…

You can see more photos from the action here.