The "Kids in Clouds" project was designed and successfully implemented from November 2, 2020, to November 1, 2022. As the project coordinator, Algebra implemented the project with another four partners, all of them exceptional educational institutions from three EU countries. The partners were as follows:
- Algebra (Zagreb, Croatia),
- College Jules Reydellet (Saint-Denis, Reunion, France),
- Primari School Horvati (Zagreb, Croatia),
- SU „Sv. Sv. Cyril and Methodius (Smolyan, Bulgaria)
- Primari School Ludina (Velika Ludina, Croatia).
The project aims to address the rapidly expanding role that cloud-based services are playing in the European and global economies. With the development of 5G technology, all data processing and application services will be moved to the cloud. Within the following ten years, this change is anticipated. The shift to a cloud-based environment will have a significant impact on our work environments and how we generally use ICT solutions on a daily basis. The interdisciplinary project "Kids in Clouds" aimed to introduce cloud-based services to kids as early as the first grade of primary school. Its primary goal was to develop educational modules for cloud computing that would deliver a well-rounded, applicable, and transferable educational program.
Early on in the project, a study was done to determine the extent to which teachers in France, Bulgaria, and Croatia use digital technology in the classroom, as well as how frequently they use cloud-based tools. Out of a total of more than 370 respondents, nearly a third said they use digital technology in about 80% of their lessons. However, nearly 57% of the teachers who responded to the survey noted that they spend more time preparing for a lesson in which they intend to use technology. This demonstrates the critical need to educate teachers about how to quickly and easily create their own digital materials using cloud-based tools, as well as the importance of doing so.
See results here: https://www.kidsinclouds.eu/results-of-the-research-on-using-digital-technology-and-cloud-based-tools-in-schools/
Project partners produced instructional materials for teachers in the form of video tutorials in order to create interactive presentations, graphics, tests, games, and other forms of content. The materials are available for viewing or downloading and are very easy to use. More than 170 educational resources are available in the online repository, and they are prepared in three different languages: French, Bulgarian, and Croatian. With the impact of digital technology and cloud-based tools on teaching and learning in schools, the use of these tools can enhance students' engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes.
https://www.kidsinclouds.eu/digital-educational-materials-for-teachers/
The project's educational resources for teachers were evaluated in the institutions of the partners as well. This allowed more than 30 teachers to test the effectiveness and usability of educational resources and an online repository while also learning more about cloud-based tools. According to the results of the pilot study, the majority of the teachers stressed that they would definitely use cloud tools more frequently in the future, both for lesson preparation and in the classroom. This positive feedback from the pilot study highlights the importance of providing teachers with digital educational materials that are easy to use and effective in enhancing their teaching methods. It also emphasizes the need for continued development and improvement of such resources to meet the evolving needs of modern classrooms.
Additionally, the partnership created kid-friendly educational materials! More than 50 interdisciplinary projects were developed by partners and are currently being implemented in learning environments in schools across Europe. These pre-made projects are very useful for teachers and students because they include all of the necessary learning resources and teaching scenarios. With the aid of cloud tools and project-based learning, "Kids in Clouds" digital learning materials for kids will assist students in learning Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Literacy, Art, Music, and many other interdisciplinary topics. All interdisciplinary projects are available online for free and in the following four languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, English, and French,here: https://www.kidsinclouds.eu/digital-learning-materials-for-children/
Last but not least, 186 students and 11 teachers from France, Croatia, and Bulgaria tested and used newly created educational materials in their classrooms. The most significant finding in terms of the project's impact is that 91% of the teachers said that using the materials with students had inspired them to start introducing new ways of instructing and collaborating with students. This means that they will push students to use digital tools in the classroom frequently going forward. According to students, they had higher-than-normal levels of motivation to learn (when they do not work on interdisciplinary projects using cloud tools). The positive impact of the newly created educational materials on both teachers and students highlights the importance of investing in innovative teaching methods. This project serves as a model for future educational initiatives aimed at improving student engagement and teacher motivation.
At the final dissemination event held by Algebra at the project's end, all project findings were displayed. Ingenious concepts and best practices for incorporating digital technologies into the classroom were shared by a large number of educators and business professionals. To meet the demands of the market and the difficulties presented by the contemporary educational system, this project was developed to offer a flexible, comprehensive, and awareness-raising education in cloud computing. The Croatian Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes (AMPEU) awarded the project very high marks for its overall implementation, teamwork, and dissemination. Therefore, we would like to express our gratitude to all of the project's partners and other stakeholders for their excellent collaboration and chance to support educational innovation!