Overview of teachers’ training in Italy

The INTELed Teacher Professional Development Programme (TPD) has been successfully enacted and completed in Palermo, Italy, at CESIE.

In Italy, thirty-nine (39) special and general education teachers had a unique opportunity to participate in three
(3), half-day training workshops, which aimed at supporting them in acquiring knowledge and skills about the
use of multi-sensory and embodied technologies in inclusive educational contexts. The training workshops
started on December 17th, 2018 and ended in January 18th, 2019.

The participating teachers were divided in two cohorts. The first cohort included sixteen (16) in-service teachers from both general and special education in high school, working with SEN students 13-14 years old and their training meeting took place at the Ascione school in Palermo. The second cohort included twenty-three (23) in-service teachers from both general and special education in primary and secondary school (4 different schools), working with SEN pupils 6-14 years old and their training took place at the in Piazza school.

As part to the INTELed training workshops, the participating teachers were introduced in the national education policies concerning SEN children as well as to main objectives of the INTELed Teacher Professional Development Programme (TPD). The participating teachers had also the opportunity to test existing games, such as the Angle makers and the math mage, using Kinect motion sensors. In this context, they realized that the body is the main device through which we realize experiences, develop learning and produce
knowledge. Finally, to better understand if Kinect technologies can be useful in their daily practice, the
teachers were divided into groups for a brainstorming activity. During the brainstorming teachers reflected on
how INTELed methodology and motion sensors could be introduced in their classes, what are the methods
teachers already use and those that they would like to introduce. At the end of the reflective activity, they all
agreed on the importance of movement for learning.

In Italy, the INTELed training programme has been organized and successfully delivered by the
members of the CESIE INTELed team: Laura La Scala and Rita Quisillo.