The use of maps and cartographic material in the extracurricular educational process for refugee children and/or adults

Core features of the practice


  • Organisation:

    Institution name: General State Archives – Historical Archive of Macedonia – Cartographic Heritage Archives
    Institution type: State institution
    Institution URL: www.maplibrary.gr
  • Format:

    Seminar, Workshop, Other
  • Target population:

    Educators in formal settings, Educators in non-formal settings, Other
  • Cost (per practice):

    Free
  • Setting:

    Your institution
  • Themes:

    Remembrance education and/or history education, Critical thinking, Teaching and learning methods/guidelines
  • Core activities:

    Group discussion, Lecture, Other

Additional information about the practice


    Target population

  • Number of participants:

    Up to 14
  • Age of target population:

    19-25
  • Additional specifics:

    Other:, Individuals managing or engaging in informal or formal education of refugees / immigrants (age of pupils: preschool-school-adult)

    • Components of the practice

  • Topics and objectives:

    The use of maps and cartographic material in the extracurricular educational process for refugee children and/or adults’: Training programme for teachers engaging in the informal education of refugees and migrants in accommodation centres. The programme was implemented under the Erasmus Plus KA2 Xenios Zeus programme. Since migrant flows evolve through space and time, they can be imprinted on maps and understood with their help. Moreover, individuals’ perception of space is influenced by their knowledge, experiences, intellect and emotions, and shapes the way they move and position themselves in the world. Participants of the programme come into contact with contemporary and archival cartographic material and learn to understand the role, functions and uses of maps to evaluate the available material and consider maps as a mean of communication and knowledge dissemination. They are also trained to use maps to understand geographical space and phenomena related to migrant flows through time, and as a tool used in the educational process in order to: organise educational activities with maps for children or adult migrants and refugees; understand and familiarise themselves with the geography of the place of origin, residence and destination and their cultural particularities; understand European geographical space; support a variety of different subjects and disciplines; understand the expectations and particularities of different groups of migrants and refugees.
  • Materials used:

    Audiovisual material, Online material, Contemporary and archival cartographic material, cartographic exercises and activities, specially designed worksheets
    Link to the material:
    1. http://www.xenioszeus.kmaked.eu/index.php/el/produced-material-gr/educational-material-gr/44-synoliko-ekpaideftiko-yliko-gia-ti-xrisi-xarton-apo-tous-prosfyges-axak
    2. http://www.maplibrary.gr/EducationNotes.htm
  • Material produced:

    Worksheets with maps (memorial, stereotypical, etc.)
  • Sequence of activities - methodology:

     Presentation – examples – case discussion  Workshop (exercises / discussion)  Provision of instructions and proposals for use by teachers in refugee/migrant classrooms
  • Length of activity:

    Up to 5 hours
  • Is the activity digital?:

    No

    • Accessibility and replicability

  • Language(s) in which activity can be delivered:

    Greek
  • Is specialist knowledge or professional training required?:

    Yes
  • If yes, which type?:

    Other, Remembrance, history or museum education, AND cartographic training

Qualitative Details


  • Has this practice been evaluated?

    Yes
    • How many times?:

    10
  • By whom?:

    Participants
  • By what means?:

    Questionnaire with multiple choice questions and open-response questions
  • Core content knowledge and transferable skills:

    - Development of skills for detecting available cartographic material in a variety of media (mass media, internet, literature, archival material, etc.); - Development of critical skills so that they may detect, evaluate, interpret and use the available cartographic material for their information and in order to broaden their knowledge on current and past issues concerning refugee flows; - Creative use of available cartographic material and cartographic activities in cross-curricular approaches in the classroom; - Creative use of maps and relevant activities in order to approach refugee and migrant pupils, and to encourage them to express their feelings and expectations regarding their surroundings, and also to encourage them when it comes to practical issues (orientation, acquaintance with the country or area of residence, etc.)
  • Indicators of success:

    - Expressions of interest in repeating the practice - Use of maps in the educational process involving refugee / migrant pupils - Expressions of interest and use of maps in a variety of other topics (expansion of the scope) - Application of proposed cartographic activities to refugee/migrant pupils
  • Educational coordinator contact details:

    Name: Nestor Bamidis
    Email address: directori@gak.thess.gr

Scalability

The RETHINK project is concerned with bridging formal and informal education. This section explores the factors that make a practice adaptable.


  • Key factors for successful implementation:

    Materials needed
  • Main challenges to teachers adapting this practice for their students:

    When the material of the practice is used by teachers on refugee/migrant pupils, the main challenges are faced in the classroom: the language used to communicate with the pupils, the number and different origins of pupils, the possible temporary stay of pupils in the classroom due to their constant movement, the existence of suitable conditions, space and equipment (e.g. worksheet printouts, internet), provided the lessons are held in refugee structures. In any case, in order to successfully implement the material, the teacher is required to put in personal effort depending on the subject being taught, and should be willing to do personal research in order to find additional units and activities in which maps can be used as a tool in the educational process.
  • Availability of guidance/training/replication materials (and in what language/format currently):

    - The training seminar for teachers engaging in the informal education of refugees is provided by the Cartographic Heritage. Archives in Greek. If it is made possible, it may also be held in English. -The training seminar is also adapted to the needs of teachers providing formal education. -The proposals and instructions on games and practices using cartographic material are freely provided to teacher instructors and are directly provided to teachers in order to be used. -The proposals and instructions on games and practices using cartographic material are provided in Greek. If it is made possible, we would be willing to have them translated into other languages. -The instructions and proposals on cartographic activities can be adapted for use in formal education, both in reception classrooms and in mixed classes.
  • Other comments or details:

    The practice can be carried out with groups of anywhere 5-35 participants (not only 5-14 as indicated in question 9). The practices are suitable for participants of ages 19 and upwards (not limited to 19-25 years old, as indicated in question 10). The educational programme is not offered digitally, however the material provided to participants is available on the website of the programme titled Erasmus Plus KA2 Xenios Zeus (http://www.xenioszeus.kmaked.eu/index.php/el/produced-material-gr/educational-material-gr/44-synoliko-ekpaideftiko-yliko-gia-ti-xrisi-xarton-apo-tous-prosfyges-axak) and on the website of the Cartographic Heritage Archives (http://www.maplibrary.gr/EducationNotes.htm) The instructions and proposals provided during the seminar can be used by all teachers in the classroom and can be adapted to a number of subjects and practices. Teachers participating in the seminar do not necessarily need to have expert cartographic knowledge in order to utilise the proposals and instructions on the use of maps in the classroom. The training seminar is only provided by Cartographic Heritage Archives.