Innovative schools in Madrid present their experiences in educational technology

Organized by SMART Technologies and Grupo Siena, On this day, successful projects were presented in training and educational centers in Madrid that demonstrate how technology is a tool at the service of student learning., as well as a way of integration and opening to society.

A project to learn how to increase biodiversity through geolocation; a training center that uses Minecraft to teach the history of architecture; an emotional robot to reproduce a sustainable ecosystem, as well as a school that has managed to reduce absenteeism and increase school performance thanks to Multitasking Cooperative Classrooms, have been some of the examples that have been shown at the conference organized by SMART Technologies y Siena Group.

With the title of 'Motivation, learning and technology', this event that was held yesterday at the Harley space in Madrid, served as a meeting point to reflect on the introduction of technology in educational centers, with success stories and good practices from companies and schools, in which innovative experiences based on this new learning model were shown.

Gorka Otxoa, director of InnorMadrid (Association for the promotion of innovation in Madrid North), He opened the day explaining the situation of R&D&I in Madrid, after which success stories of companies in the educational field followed, like TeamLabs, a platform for creating learning and innovation laboratories that relies on a radically new methodology, based on Finnish education, Learning by Doing and team entrepreneurship for young professionals.

As well as TechTalents, a technology training center for students and teachers that has developed methodologies ranging from robotics with emotional intelligence and programming, so that students learn to know their emotions while entering the world of programming; to the creation of interactive maps with conductive paint; going through programs such as Minecraft or 3D printing technology to develop both scientific and digital, linguistic and social skills in schools.

Another example of innovative methodology that was shown on this day was gamification through Monster Quiz, a board game that combines the digital and physical environment, achieving that in a transversal way the students remain focused on the activity they carry out through the game.

Through the digital whiteboard and student devices, This technology allows you to take game-based learning to another level, since it is designed to be used in all subjects, individually or together, always starting from the idea that the students will be in charge of producing the questions and activities that are needed to be able to play with Monster Quiz.

Attendees were also able to learn about the successful Multitask Cooperative Classrooms project., carried out at the Padre Piquer school in Madrid, recognized as one of the most innovative educational centers in Spain, with which they have managed to reduce absenteeism and increase the academic performance of their students.

For your part, the Arenales School in the Carabanchel neighborhood explained its Mobile Learning project, as well as the implementation of an innovation plan in the study plans and the implementation of methodologies such as the so-called Thinking-based Learning (TBL) and in Projects (PBL), Flipped Classroom, Cooperative and collaborative learning, multiple intelligences, etc.

'Increasing biodiversity' is the name of the project presented by the San Antonio and San Ramón School, in which 6th grade students have used technologies such as augmented reality, geolocation and GSuite for Education taking a tour of extinct animals and working collaboratively; to which is added the project 'The letters of ecosystems', together with the Base College of Madrid, which has the support of the 'emotional robot' Aisoy.

The SEK-El Castillo International School analyzed the gradual introduction of technology in the classrooms, from the introduction of the PC to co-creation and the current maker culture. The director of the Montserrat School in Barcelona, mother Nuria Miró, explained the center's good practices: “students are currently looking for two things: connect with others and information about your interests. The challenge for the school is how to convert and integrate this into learning.”.