This paper presents a training program for teachers and the procedures for its evaluation in the domain of computational thinking, programming and robotics in basic education. This training was conducted within the scope of Project KML II-Laboratory of programming and robotics technologies and learning for preschool and primary school (1st CEB) and is expected to contribute for two of the project's main outcomes: conceive a training plan to include in the higher education of educators and teachers of the 1st ECB and the creation of a MOOC for initial and continuous training of these professionals. The training, with 50 hours of total workload, was developed in a blended learning format, including face-to-face and online sessions (25 hours each). The online sessions were organized into synchronous and asynchronous activities, including autonomous working moments, to perform individual activities. The theoretical references that support this work have their origins in the studies on distance education (EaD), namely in the developments provided by the designated 3rd generation of EaD in which computer-mediated communication has allowed the emergence of new pedagogical scenarios giving rise to new training modalities either fully online or in blended learning format. The training evaluation questionnaire aims to explore the key points that determined the organization of the course and aims to evaluate the level of satisfaction and the opinion of the trainees about the different components of the training, as well as gather information that may contribute to the design of new course in a MOOC format. The questionnaire was designed considering the following dimensions: characterization of respondents and previous experience, satisfaction with training, perception of the learning and involvement in training, perception of the practical application of training, criticism and suggestions for improvement. The questionnaire, in the context of this research, will be an essential source of information for the team's decision-making on the appropriate format for the MOOC to be developed in the future and which constitutes one of the project's final objectives with a view to broadening the access of teachers in Portugal to knowledge on the subject under study.

Assumindo que as crianças são agentes sociais ativos que constroem as suas próprias culturas, esta pesquisa pretendeu compreender as suas perspetivas acerca do papel que as novas tecnologias, em particular a Internet, têm nas suas vidas. Tomou ainda como vertentes específicas os riscos, os desafios de segurança e as oportunidades que o uso de tecnologias digitais pode ou não representar, a partir do ponto de vista das crianças e da dimensão social do fenómeno tecnológico, ou seja, da forma como desenvolvimento tecnológico e práticas sociais se inter-relacionam e constroem mutuamente. Com base numa investigação etnográfica, são aqui retratadas as culturas ‘digitais’ que as crianças estão a construir e as reinterpretações que fazem dos conceitosde risco, segurança e oportunidade. Esta abordagem foca como este tipo de experiências são vividas quotidianamente, no contexto de estruturas socioculturais específicas. Palavras-chave: Crianças; Novas tecnologias; Riscos; Oportunidades

This paper presents two case studies under development within project "KML II -Laboratory of technologies and learning of programming and robotics for pre-school and elementary school". Using a multiple case study approach, KMLII is working with educators and elementary school teachers towards the development of learning activities that integrate computational thinking, coding and robotics with the curriculum. Participants are experimenting with both unplugged and plugged activities, including coding with ScratchJr and Scratch (only for elementary schools). Data is being collected from educators/teachers' logs and through remote observation. Results from case studies will inform the development of a framework for the introduction of computational thinking, programming, and robotics in the training of undergraduate and in-service educators and elementary school teachers and the design of a competence profile for education professionals in these areas.

Coding is increasingly recognized as a new literacy that should be encouraged at a young age. This understanding has recontextualized computer science as a compulsory school subject and has informed several developmentally appropriate approaches to computation, including for preschool children. This study focuses on the introduction of three approaches to computation in preschool (3–6 years), specifically computational thinking, programming, and robotics, from a cross-curricular perspective. This paper presents preliminary findings from one of the case studies currently being developed as part of project KML II—Laboratory of Technologies and Learning of Programming and Robotics for Preschool and Elementary School. The purpose of the KML II project is to characterize how approaches to computation can be integrated into preschool and elementary education, across different knowledge domains. The conclusions point to “expression and communication” as an initial framework for computational approaches in preschool, but also to multidisciplinary and more creative methodological activities that offer greater scope for the development of digital and computational competences, as well as for personal and social development.

Este texto apresenta um estudo, no âmbito do projeto de investigação Kids Media Lab: Tecnologias e Aprendizagem de Programação em Idade Pré-escolar, sobre robôs para crianças em idade pré-escolar (3 a 6 anos). A análise a diversos robôs foi realizada durante três focus group, em diversos momentos, com especialistas de diversas áreas (Investigadores, Professores do ensino superior, Professores do ensino secundário da área de informática, Educadores de infância, Professores do 1.º e 2.º CEB e Professores de educação especial), a fim de observar as potencialidades e fragilidades dos robôs, com vista a decidir sobre sua utilização em contexto de jardim de infância. Eta investigação permitiu reconhecer características pertinentes dos robôs disponibilizados no mercado internacional e indicados como sendo para crianças a partir dos três anos. Deste processo de validação, reconhecemos que estão disponíveis robôs adequados e a ter em conta em atividades com crianças de idade pré-escolar.   PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Robótica; Pré-escolar; Robôs para o Pré-escolar; Projeto Kids Media Lab.     ABSTRACT In the context of the research project Kids Media Lab - Technology and Programming Learning in Preschool Age, this text presents a study about robots for preschool children (ages from 3 to 6 years). The analysis of several robots was carried out on three focus group, at different times, with specialists from different areas (researchers, teachers of higher education, teachers of secondary education in the area of informatics, teachers of 1st and 2nd school cycle, kindergarten educators and teachers of special education), in order to observe the potentialities and weaknesses of each robot, thus indicating their suitability or not in the context of the kindergarten. This research allowed us to recognize relevant characteristics of the available robots in the international market and indicated as suitable for children from the age of three. From this robot validation process we recognize that there are dequate robots which should be considered in activities with children.   KEYWORDS: Robotics; Preschool; Robots for Preschool; Kids Media Lab Project.     RESUMEN Este texto presenta parte de una investigación realizada en el ámbito del proyecto Kids Media Lab: Tecnologías y Aprendizaje de Programación en Edad Preescolar sobre los robos para niños en edad preescolar (3 a 6 años). El análisis a diversos robos fue realizada durante tres focus group, en diversos momentos, con especialistas de diversas áreas (Investigadores, Profesores universitarios, Profesores de secundaria de informática, Educadores de infancia, Profesores de primaria y Profesores de atención temprana), a fin de observar las potencialidades y fragilidades de los robos, con vista a decidir sobre su utilización en los jardines de infancia. Destacamos que esta investigación permitió reconocer características pertinentes de los robos que se comercializan en el mercado internacional e indicados para niños a partir de los tres años. De este proceso de validación, reconocemos que están disponibles robos interesantes y que tienen que tenerse en cuenta en las actividades con niños en edad preescolar.   PALABRAS CLAVE: Robótica; Preescolar; Robos para o Preescolar; Proyecto Kids Media Lab.

Today's children are growing up in a complex technological reality, which, in turn, is pushing for the integration of digital technologies in educational contexts. Hence, it becomes necessary to explore how more recent educational approaches to technology can be inclusively integrated into education. Among these innovative approaches are the integration of computational thinking, programming and robotics both in preschool and basic education. Considering the referential of key competences for the current 21th century [1], early training in these areas will contribute to the development of transversal competences [2]. Thus, it is crucial to provide education professionals with the skills and resources for an adequate development of programming and robotics activities in educational contexts. In this paper we present a training action developed within the scope of the project "KML II -Laboratory of technologies and learning of programming and robotics for preschool and primary school".This training action aims to work with early education professionals towards the development of activities with children, using the tools foreseen in this research project. From the work done during the course, trainees should develop an activity plan using programming and robotics technologies, to be implemented in their respective educational contexts. Within this action, trainees are expected to: reflect on the concept of computational thinking and its development in preschool and basic education [3], [4]; collaboratively develop competencies associated with digital literacy and the use of robots and programming languages developed for children [5]; know programming and robotics resources that can be used in preschool and basic education; learn programming basics through applications such as ScratchJr, or others that can support learning development; plan activities according to the curricular contents of the respective level of education, using programming and robotics. Implemented through b-learning, this initiative will also enable educators and teachers to explore and develop distance learning and collaboration skills as well as the use of various support tools and work time management in synchronous and asynchronous sessions.This training is one of the first actions through which KML II project plans to study how to integrate programming and robotics in preschool and basic education, transversally to all areas of knowledge. Within this project, case studies will be carried out at a Portuguese national wide level. This work has two main objectives: a) to propose a training framework for curricular units of technology, in the courses for teacher training in higher education and for in-service training; b) to design a profile of childhood educator and primary school teacher as mediator in the integration of programming and robotics learning in their educational contexts.

This research intends to study how to integrate programming and robotics in kindergartens and primary schools, through a transversal intervention in all the areas of knowledge. This will allow the development of a theoretical framework based on research, able to support the formulation of a proposal of intervention extended to the Portuguese national context. For this project, we will be designing a physical and a mobile laboratory, equipped with tablets and robots, which will facilitate, on the one hand, the initial, postgraduate and continuous training of teachers and, on the other hand, the accomplishment of several case studies throughout Portugal. In addition, the training of teachers and also the participation of the children in the expected activities of this project will enable the designing a theoretical framework about the development of a competences profile for education professionals in this area.

Desafios do mobile learning -estudo comparativo sobre a utilização de dispositivos móveis em seis escolas europeias: Itália, Grécia, Polónia, Portugal, Roménia, TurquiaAna Monteiro, Marco Bento, José Lencastre, Marcelo Pereira, Altina Ramos, António J. Osório, Bento Silva University of Minho Abstract Although mobile technology is not yet widely used in schools, and in some cases even prohibited by internal regulations, the truth is that this technology, besides being a hallmark of contemporary life, is a powerful tool that challenges teachers and students to innovate in teaching learning practices. This article intends to contribute to the understanding of this phenomenon. The article is part of a project called "Bringing life into the classroom: innovative use of mobile devices in the educational process" (BLIC & CLIC), which aims to diagnose the use of mobile devices in the educational context for the development of digital skills by students and school teachers. This diagnosis will be the first "output" of the project, and the results will allow the (re)design of the future interventions that will respond to the general objectives of the project. Keywords: mobile learning, pedagogical innovation; advantages and disadvantages Resumo Embora a tecnologia móvel não seja, ainda, um dispositivo utilizado com muita frequência nas escolas, sendo em algumas até proibido por regulamentos internos, a verdade é que esta tecnologia, para além de ser condição de marca da vida contemporânea, é uma ferramenta poderosa que desafia os professores e os alunos a inovar nas práticas de ensino aprendizagem. Com este artigo pretende-se dar um contributo para a compreensão deste fenómeno. O artigo surge no âmbito de um projeto, denominado "Bringing life into the classroom: innovative use of mobile devices in the educational process" (BLIC&CLIC), tendo como objetivo efetuar uma análise diagnóstica sobre o uso de dispositivos móveis em contexto educativo para o desenvolvimento de competências digitais por estudantes e professores de escolas. Este diagnóstico será o primeiro "output" do projeto, devendo os resultados permitir o (re) desenho das futuras intervenções que responderão aos objetivos gerais do projeto. Palavras-chave: mobile learning, inovação educativa; vantagens e desvantanges Introduction Schools are crowded with smartphones and tablets continuously connected to the internet. The popularity of