2022 FCL Summer Academy Recap: Stories, Games and Robots

18/07/2022

In the first week of July 2022, the Future Classroom Lab held its FCL Summer Academy Course titled “Enhancing creativity and innovation in my classroom”. Twenty-seven teachers from across Europe took part in a 5-day workshop in the heart of Brussels that introduced them to innovative teaching techniques and creative classroom activities.

How can teachers adapt their curriculum practices to prepare students for life in the 21^st century? Many have asked this question before, and various answers have been given but there is one aspect on which all education stakeholders agree: digital is the future.

As our societies and economies become more and more digitalized, how can we teach the next generation to be not just passive consumers of technology but also its active creators. How do we teach the next generation that technology can be used for skill-enhancement not just for entertainment?

It starts in the classroom. This is where children and youths spend most of their time. This is where they are exposed to the ideas that will shape their future. Therefore, including activities that involve technology and the creative mindset are crucial for future-proof education.

This summer, seven instructors joined the FCL Academy to support teachers in developing such activities. The 27 participants from school across the continent had to familiarize themselves with a number of digital tools and use them creatively to solve different tasks. They explored the pedagogical value of innovative concepts such as storytelling, gamification and robotics. The course included several hands-on sessions in which the participants had to tackle different challenges in teams. Collaboration was emphasized throughout the course and played a key role in learning and designing solutions.

In this process, the teachers had the opportunity to exchange ideas and know-how with their colleagues from different countries, share a few laughs and stumble on a few unexpected discoveries.

The FCL Summer Academy aimed to support teachers in two ways – it provided them with specifically designed exercises that intended to spark their creative problem-solving skills and it gave them the digital tools needed to bring their solutions to life.

If you are an education professional who wants to know more about what tools and guides are available to support you in introducing innovative learning techniques in the classroom, consult our upcoming courses page here.

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