9 0’clock Monday morning and state broadcaster ERT 2 started lessons for primary school children since the Education Ministry shut down the elementary schools and kindergartens for two weeks. However, the learning unit for 2. grade pupils was unexpectedly original and reminded more of a mini casino or a table at a Greek kafeneio as the teacher used playing cards.
“We learn at home” during the arithmetic hours for 2. grade pupils. Using the playing cards, the teacher explained the shapes of the cards and asked the pupils to take a deck, create pairs of numbers and perform operations such as addition.
«Αφαιρούμε από την τράπουλα όλα τα χρωματιστά,βασιλιά,βασιλισα ,μπαλαντέρ και κρατάμε 40 φύλλα.
Μάθημα #τηλεκπαίδευσης της #Κεραμεως pic.twitter.com/lob5wBUXMv— Marka1 (@Marka149133376) November 16, 2020
Parents were surprised to see that a teacher explaining certain mathematics concepts using playing cards.
Parents started to post the “original learning tool” on social media making comments adding their sauce to the entertaining idea.
Τηλεκπαίδευση των παιδιών του δημοτικού με τον καθηγητή Τζον Τάραμας pic.twitter.com/i2bw1EeazP
— Σαδεντρέπεσαι ⚫⚪ (@kyrosgranazis_) November 16, 2020
“TV learning of primary school pupils with [poker] professor John Taramas.”
Καί τώρα καλά μου παιδιά παιδιά παμε μια ποκιτσα .. κόψτε #τηλεκπαιδευση pic.twitter.com/iDd6pRRJaW
— Άνεργος Δούλος (@MarkoD06723419) November 16, 2020
“And now, kids, let’s go for poker.”
#τηλεκπαιδευση pic.twitter.com/Uj33svJO5n
— KlaiMan_Poutsarley_official 😷😷😷😷😷 ! ! ! Μaik (@klaimanpoutsarl) November 16, 2020
Εδώ, μαθαίνουμε στο σπίτι. Μύστης δάσκαλος (με διδακτορικό) χρησιμοποιεί τράπουλες για να διδάξει αριθμητική. Σε λίγο καιρό θα παίζω με τον γιο μου κουμ-καν. #τηλεκπαίδευση pic.twitter.com/74dDaNya6s
— vpapanik (@vpapanik76) November 16, 2020
“Here, we learn at home. he Instructor, a teacher (with PhD) uses playing cards to teach arithmetic. Soon I will play with my son Conquian.”
Κέντρο δια βιου μάθησης#Κεραμεως #σχολεια #τηλεκπαιδευση pic.twitter.com/YL0olz3wOf
— καφέ_αναφτίρι (@anaftiri) November 16, 2020
“Life long learning.”
ΤΟ ΑΥΡΙΑΝΟ ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑ #τηλεκπαιδευση pic.twitter.com/QcFspXakzH
— Ηλιας Ο Πεθαμενος (@IliasPethamenos) November 16, 2020
“Tomorrow lesson.”
PS I heard that tomorrow roulette is on the Learning At Home TV screen so that kids learn some basic concepts of Physics…
Students learn math concepts using playing cards all the time here. Besides addition and subtraction for the younger levels, the older ones do probability and chance. Many of them re-create the basic “coin toss experiment” so that they can reach the conclusion of probability with 2 sides being 50/50.
As someone who is teaching online part of the time, the cards are colourful, large and easy to see. Most importantly, EVERY HOUSE has a deck of cards. If the parents were engaged, I bet the kids were too.
We need to open our minds and move beyond the “rote” learning that still goes on. (to my dismay during my last visit to Greece). Kids in Toronto know how to do powerpoint/google slides by grade 2. They know how to make podcasts, how to make small short films using flipgrid, how to brainstorm using jamboard. We’ve all been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, like it or not. The tools have been there, we choose to ignore them. Unfortunately, much as I love pen and paper (and I do, I’m quite a luddite), we need to use the tools we have to teach the students before us.