On Friday, October 14, 2016, the conclusion of the Inspiring Science Education (ISE) project was marked at the premises of the Croatian Academic and Research Network – CARNet. The main goal of the project was to popularize science and use technology in teaching, as well as to increase students' interest in the STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).
In his opening address, CARNET Director Zvonimir Stanić welcomed everyone present. „The results of the ISE project are truly impressive, and I hope they will be beneficial not only to those of you who were involved in the project from the very beginning, but also to all other teachers and schools,“ said Stanić, adding that the popularization of science, especially in the STEM field, greatly contributes to the improvement of the educational system and the development of our country.
In the first part of the event, Prof. Dr. Sc. Ivica Puljak, a university professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture in Split, a scientist at CERN, and a member of the CMS and MAGIC collaborations, gave an exceptionally interesting and inspiring lecture titled „Why and How Do We Explore the Universe?”. In addition to intriguing information about the universe, he also discussed the discovery of a new particle, the so-called Higgs boson. Professor Puljak also spoke about dark matter and energy, the Big Bang theory, as well as some questions that science has not yet answered.
In the second part of the event, best practice examples were presented by Dunja Županić from the Technical School Daruvar, Nina Obradović, a physics professor from the IX Gymnasium in Zagreb, and Tanja Soucie, a mathematics professor from the Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević Elementary School in Zagreb, who participated in ISE activities. In their presentations, they showcased the application of technology in teaching through the use of various web tools in daily work and so-called ISE learning scenarios, as well as the implementation of the Eratosthenes experiment. At the very end, certificates of appreciation and recognition were awarded to deserving participants of the ISE project.
As a reminder, Croatian Academic and Research Network – CARNet implemented the ISE project from March 1, 2013, to July 31, 2016, in the role of national coordinator. A total of 30 partners from 15 European countries participated in the project, with the goal of gathering 5,000 schools at the European level, of which 313 were in Croatia. However, thanks to carefully designed activities, CARNet included as many as 457 schools and over 6,000 teachers in the project.
You can watch the recording of the event Here.
The Inspiring Science Education (ISE) project is co-funded by the European Union through the ICT Policy Support Programme of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP ICT PSP).
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