St Catherine’s High School educators complete course on imparting 21st century skills to children

A group of five educators from the Early Years Sector of St Catherine’s High School, Pembroke attended an Erasmus course in Rome titled “The Child First: Montessori, Reggio Emilia System and Contemporary Approaches to Pre-School Education.”  

The course emphasised the importance of imparting 21st-century skills to children from an early age. This gives them the tools they need for learning rather than providing them with knowledge, as this prepares them better for life in today's fast-changing world. One of these tools is teaching the children how to think critically. The educators explored one way of helping children develop this skill by participating in an Artful Thinking workshop in the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea. The participants carried out exercises to help them look at the paintings critically, each time, delving deeper into their thoughts to wonder about the stories behind these paintings. Such activities can be adapted for young children and can be used to supplement storytelling and discussions about a particular topic.  

During the course, the educators also discussed the philosophies of Maria Montessori and the Reggio Emilia Approach which recognise the ability of children to be active agents in their learning. These philosophies encouraged the participants to rethink their role in the classroom and challenged them to examine more deeply their view of the child.  

An in-depth analysis of the Montessori method helped the educators understand how to set up the learning environment for the children to promote learning by exploring rather than by instruction. This provided valuable insights on how the early years sector could build on its existing practices to move towards a more child-centred preschool education. Examination of Montessori materials and learning how these are used provided them with further tools to achieve this aim as well as opportunity to extend opportunities for inclusion, as these tools provide a multi-modal approach for learning and acquisition of skills.   

The Reggio Emilia Approach encourages educators to provide children with the means of communicating their preferences using “the hundred languages” of childhood. Insights into Bruno Munari’s art education showed the participants how art could be used as a means to help children express themselves in a unique manner. It also gives them opportunities to experience art as a sensory experience involving colours, textures and different forms. 

 All this was rendered more meaningful as it was done through cultural exchange with educators from different countries. Together they engaged in discussions about how to implement what they learnt during their sessions taking into account the cultural differences and expectations that they experienced in their country. This exposure to diverse ways of thinking helped enrich the participants’ knowledge and understanding of teaching practices.  

The course also included another cross-cultural element in that the educators were encouraged, through the provision of vouchers and information, to immerse themselves into the city of Rome and learn more about its history, taste different foods, visit new places and practise the local language. Strong ties were built between the members of the group and as they spent time together in beautiful surroundings in the afternoons, their conversation inevitably turned back to what they had learnt earlier during the day and how they were going to use it for the benefit of the children at school. 

Educators who attended the course were keen to return to Malta to put what they learnt into practice. They shared their insights with colleagues through informal peer-to-peer learning, sharing of best practices and a “train-the-trainer” session. They will continue to work as a team and collaborate with the school management in creating projects for their school, incorporating the knowledge acquired during the course and providing additional opportunities for learners with diverse needs to extend themselves.  

In the past few years, Early Childhood Education in Malta has moved towards a more child-centred provision that targets better the needs of children. For this to be effective, educators need to ensure that there are high-quality interactions between themselves and the children in their care. Erasmus learning opportunities like this give educators the time to stop and reflect on how they can continue to adapt to changing educational systems. Their interaction with practitioners from different countries helps broaden their horizons and encourages innovative approaches in the classroom.