Florence (Italy). Mother Mazzarello Primary School of Our Lady of the Cenacle (ILS) Toscana Liguria Province (ILS), created the R.Ec.Ap Project (Review, Continuing Education, Lifelong Learning), with funding from the C.R. Florence and the patronage of the Municipality of Florence.
With R.Ec.Ap, the first two weeks of September were for the children of classes IV and V, welcomed in safety and with enthusiasm by the teachers and educators, a “warm-up” for the start of school and an opportunity to discover hidden talents and start stimulating activities to continue throughout the year.
The project includes, in addition to review and consolidation activities, new experiences with external interventions to stimulate learning, in which children become an active part with requests and suggestions that are the driving force for new proposals by educators.
R.Ec.Ap started with the robotics course of the Paleos Group, a company that aims to enhance knowledge and cultural heritage through technologies. The pupils spent five mornings with the robotics teacher during which they learned how the 3D printer works while producing an object designed by the children themselves with the Tinkercad software. The pupils experienced the thrill of seeing a robot move, assembled from scratch with the guidance of the teacher, and fully functional, which responded to the directives they themselves had programmed.
On the other mornings, the teachers organized a review of Italian, mathematics, and English to be able to start school with peace of mind after many months spent at home because of the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the afternoons, instead, after a packed lunch in the garden of the school, the instructors of the PGS (Salesian Youth Polysports) let the children dance to hip hop music and experiment with different sports such as dodgeball, baseball, and soccer.
At the end of the two weeks with the R.Ec.Ap Project, the children were ready to start over again with teaching that includes all subjects, with the addition, however, of free activities and courses that the Paleos Group will continue to provide.
For the teachers, there is also computer support and counseling with individual and group meetings held by specialists, which will help them face new teaching challenges. There will also be formation opportunities for parents through courses dedicated to them.
