DIgital Technology as a TOol
DITTO27 March – 4 April 2022 – Căpățâneni, Romania
the abc of
Digital Youth Work
To start with, digital youth work means proactively using or addressing digital media and technology in youth work. Therefore, it is not a youth work method – digital youth work can be included in any youth work setting (open youth work, youth information and counselling, youth clubs, detached youth work, etc.). Moreover, digital youth work has the same goals as youth work in general, and using digital media and technology in youth work should always support these goals. This can happen in face-to-face situations, as well as in online environments – or a mixture of these two.
Nowadays, digital technologies are changing the world at an incredible speed and are reshaping how people in Europe live, work and study. Ongoing digital transformation impacts many parts of our daily life, from the ever-increasing integration of digital technologies in all sectors of the economy to the societal impact of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). Digital media and technology can be either a tool, activity or content in youth work, being underpinned by the same ethics, values and principles as youth work.
Project Objectives
As digitalisation is a global phenomenon, it is imperative to facilitate knowledge exchange on digital youth work and young people’s digital cultures on an international level. Initiatives should be supported at the local, national and European levels to share knowledge and practice.
Therefore, through this project, we aimed to increase the quality of Digital Youth Work of NGOs.
Objective 1:
To improve the proficiency level for DigCompOrg – “Teaching & learning practices” key element, “Digital Competence of staff and students” sub-element, for 9 Youth NGOs;
Objective 2:
To upskill 32 youth workers’ digital competencies for 9 international NGOs, from Newcomer (A1) to Expert (B2), measured as proficiency level in Digital Competence Framework for Educators (DigCompEdu).
Activity Programme
9 countries
The training course involved Youth Workers and trainers from 9 countries: Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Poland, Croatia, Italy, Spain and North Macedonia.
participants
Each country was represented by 2-4 people with 2 additional trainers. They were all youth workers aged 18+ which have some experience working with youngsters and with/in Digital Area.
schedule
Overall, the daily schedule was formed of 4 main sessions, three of which were dedicated to a specific Erasmus+ key competence. The last session was dedicated to analysing a Good Practice Example in Digital Youth Work.
Reflection & Evaluation
Every day was “closed” by a session of Reflection and Evaluation, each time using a different method, along with a digital one, such as the BadgeWallet.
First day
The first day of the project included activities that facilitated the smooth running of the project: on the one hand, knowledge activities (name activities, intercultural exchange, etc.), on the other hand, management activities (project presentation, Erasmus+ presentation, setting expectations, establishing the rules of the project, adapting the program according to the expectations and contributions of participants).
first half
On the second day, we addressed the first chapter of the competence framework: Digitalisation of Society (with a “Quiz for parents”, 10 study cases and nine themes of digital citizenship). The third day was dedicated to planning, designing and evaluating digital youth work, whereas day four was dedicated to cultural awareness, filled with digital work, through “Digital adventure: City/quest/quiz/treasure hunting”.
second half
The fifth day was dedicated to exploring information and data literacy, and the sixth – was to communication. Without delay, on day seven we met DittOrange – our mascot who lead us through digital creativity. Last, but certainly not least, on the eighth day, we discussed and debated the 8 corners of digital safety.
As always, in the afternoon we had a trip into reflection and evaluation.
non-formal education
The activities were designed according to the objectives and aim of the whole project, in such a way that the learning curve of the participants was smooth and easy. The methods used varied from a wide range of “non-formal”, namely: demonstration, workshop, illustrated talk, group discussion, dramatized presentation, icebreaker, team building activity, role play, problem-solving, getting to know, cultural awareness, reflection, and many more!
ONLINE CAMPAIGN TOPICS
Young Bits
BadgeWallet
The most active participant
“Be active and involved in the project activities!”
Most open-minded
“The most creative workshop decided after a poll wins.”
Best Speaker
“You were nominated by the group as the best speaker in the project (up to 5 people)”
Kahoot Champion
“Keep winning in Kahoot!”
WOW factor
“You have to shock the other participants with your skills no matter the topic or the skill.”
Most energetic person
“The trainers have to decide on who brought the most (and best!) energy into the group.”
Best Presentation
“You gave the most impressive and engaging presentation!”
The most helpful participant
“You need to help others more than anybody!”
Funniest person
“You were nominated by the participants as the funniest person from the project”
our mascot
DittOrange
Our project in pictures
Gallery
The project „DITTO – DIgital Technology as a TOol” was financed with the support of the European Commission through Erasmus+ Programme. This blog reflects only the author’s views, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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