KIP "Architektūros centras" and the Lithuanian Union of Architects present four filmed lessons about architecture, which teachers and students of all schools are invited to watch online for free.
Rūta Leitanaitė, the author of the idea of the project, content creator and coordinator, chairperson of the Lithuanian Union of Architects, says: "In Lithuania, public lectures and discussions about architecture are few, but there are. However, the absolute majority of them are intended for an interested adult audience. Architecture lessons are still lacking in general education programs. Last year, during the pandemic and quarantine, when mandatory distance learning began, it became apparent that teachers lacked prepared "online" materials and tasks. This need will remain in the future, as the use of online materials in modern schools will only increase."
During the project "Architecture Lessons for Distance Education", four lessons about architecture were created for 4th-5th grade students. "When choosing lesson topics, we wanted to start with the spaces and buildings that are most familiar to children, their own, and most often used," says R. Leitanaitė. This is how the themes "my room","my home","my school"And"My library". During the lessons, knowledge is imparted, tasks are given by professional architects, architectural researchers. In this way, knowledge about the art of architecture, its history, the cuisine of architectural creativity, and architectural solutions that shape urban, public and personal space are conveyed to schoolchildren "first-hand".
Each lesson consists of three parts. The first is the theoretical part, during which architectural historians and researchers talk about the typology and principles of a certain space or building, using examples. The second is the practical part, in which the architect talks about the building, space or complex he designed, about work methods and the like. The lesson ends with an assignment for the students, which is also explained by the architect. Four lessons were created by: architectural historians, researchers dr. Marija Drėmaitė (VU), Matas Šiupšinskas (VU), Rūta Leitanaitė, architects Justė Žibūdiene, Aidas Barzda, Edgaras Neniškis, Lukas Rekevičius, Andrė Baldišiūtė, Eglė Matulaitytė, Jokūbas Jurgelis, Mantas Maziliauskas.
"In order for the lessons to meet the qualitative and formal requirements of modern education, we discussed the structure of the lessons, teaching methods, and information presentation methods with the project partners, the teachers of the Public Enterprise "School Improvement Center" with experience in modern innovative teaching and the program "I choose to teach" coordinated by them, says R. Lieutenant.
Although the target audience of the lessons is students and teachers of Lithuanian general education (pro-gymnasiums and gymnasiums), art schools, non-formal education schools (art, history, etc.), the organizers of the lessons hope that they will be viewed by other parts of society that are not part of the educational process.
Four lessons about architecture can be found on the YouTube channel of the Lithuanian Union of Architects at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3zZf2rA7GefsKQ0P4Xzi1Q
