Twin centre

Dr. Dan SPOREA, CSET Director
409 Atomistilor St.
Magurele

RO-077125, Romania

Phone: +40 457 42 43
Mobile: +40 745 759 545

E-mail: Please enable JavaScript to reveal the Email address

education.inflpr.ro/en/Fibonacci.htm

The National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics (www.inflpr.ro) is involved in theoretical and applied research in the fields of: lasers, plasma physics, and particle accelerators, with major applications in medicine, environment, new materials, industrial metrology, and new processing technologies. The Institute was partner in more than 20 European Union funded projects (FP5, FP6, FP7, EUREKA, COST, the EU’s Fusion Program) as well as NATO Science for Peace and reintegration grants. The Institute staff has over 600 papers published in referred journal and hundreds of conference contributions. The Laser Metrology and Standardization Laboratory, department in the Institute, is under accreditation as a ISO 17025 testing and calibration laboratory for laser and optical fiber – based products. In the last seven years the Laboratory run several research contracts for the EU' Fusion Programme, by performing tests of optoelectronic components and optical fibers under different types of irradiations. Through its Center for Science Education and Training – CSET (http://education.inflpr.ro), the Laboratory coordinates the national educational network "Hands-on Science – Romania", part of the International Association "Hands-on Science".

In the frame of the Fibonacci project CSET’s team will develop some units in relation to the use of PC-based data acquisition and sensing in science experiments (in some cases, cross disciplinary ones) to be used mainly for secondary school.

Every year we shall implement the Fibonacci Basic Patterns in at least 25 classes and run training sessions for school teachers or students. For these training courses a videoconference system will be used and some e-learning modules will be developed.

Our team will contribute also to two of the project transversal topics and to the activities of one cluster.

"Center for Science Education and Training" (CSET) are misiunea de a sprijini educatia si instruirea publicului in domeniul stiintelor. Obiectivele sale sunt: modernizarea invatamantului romanesc primar/ gimnazial/ liceal/ vocational prin instruirea in domeniul stiintelor naturii, folosind experimentul real si virtual; instruirea specialistilor si informarea publicului in domeniile conexe activitatii institutului, prin diverse forme de instruire continua; in cadrul retelei educationale "Hands-on Science"- Romania, parte integrata a retelei europene "Hands-on Science". CSET coordoneaza participarea Romaniei la proiectul european "Fibonacci", proiect derulat in cadrul Programului Cadrul 7 al Uniuniii Europene. Proiectul integreaza efortul a 25 de parteneri din 21 de tari europene in vederea implementarii la nivel european a practicii predarii stiintelor in invatamantul preuniversitar, practica elaborate de proiectele "Pollen" si "SINUS-Transfer" (Germania). Diseminarea acestei practici educationale se va face prin intremediul a 12 centre de referinta si a 24 de centre pilot, care vor deveni centre de referinta. Strategia de realizare a proiectului are la baza: predarea stiintelor si matematicii la nivelul scolii primare si secundare prin metoda investigarii stiintifice, initiative locala si activitatea corelata a cetrelor de referinta si a centrelor pilot. Aceasta strategie va avea in vedere un modelul de abordare promovat de proeictul "Fibonacci". In cadrul proiectul vor fi organizate vizite pentru schimbul de bune practice, seminarii, conferinte intrenationale si vor fi elaborate materiale educationale. Activitatile proiectului se vor desfasura in cadrul unor grupari de institutii care au ca obiectiv predarea stiintelor si vor cuprinde si activitati transversale, multidisciplinare.

CSET started to work on science education projects in schools six years ago. As partner to the European project "Hands-on Science" and coordinator of the national research contract "Science Education and Training for Knowledge-based Society", CSET supported the development of educational materials, the organization of dedicated courses for school teachers and students, the setting-up of science clubs in numerous schools across Romania, as well as the introduction of hands-on teaching activities. Starting from 2004, the Center has run demo sessions with science experiments using a mobile laboratory. The target audience was middle and high school teachers. CSET run extracurricular science education activities for school students and teachers: science clubs, science fairs, contests, courses for teachers and students. CSET organized in 2006 the international workshop "Science literacy and lifelong learning", in 2007 the international workshop "Science Education in School", and in 2009 the International Conference "Science Education in School" focused on inquiry-based science education - IBSE. The Conference was supported by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research and by the French Program "La main à la pâte", honorary chair being Yves Quéré, member of the French Academy of Sciences. The Center has collaborations regarding education in optics and photonics with New England Board for Higher Education (USA), National Optical Astronomy Observatory (USA), Optical Society of America, SPIE (USA), and is member of several educational networks: NYEX; EUSCEA; ESERA and the Coalition for Science After School (USA). In 2009, CSET organized in collaboration with Eastconn, Three Rivers College, and with the support of the Optical Society of America and the International Society for Photonics and Optics – SPIE, the International Photo and Drawing Contest "Light in our Life" (http://www.lasertechonline.org/LIGHT/LIGHT.html). In 2008, in partnership with Microsoft Romania, National Instruments and Vernier International, CSET coordinated the preparation of a collection of school experiments. At national level CSET runs the project "Discover!" focused on the implementation of IBSE in Romanian primary schools. CSET participated also as an observer to the EU project "Pollen".