Hello, I am Michele Di Paola.
born 1972, raised in Brianza, Italy, with my head in a lot of other places, my feet on a lot of different paths, my hands on a keyboard since I was 10…
On this website I often blog in Italian, but sometimes in English too. It’s about all my interests: so there is education, mostly non formal education, possibly done outdoors, in seminars and training courses I give all over Europe; there are technologies and the net, my beloved passions since forever, which continue to be the most interesting things in our time – but you have to know how they work, and where to put your hands. And there are stories, born some thousand years before the damn word storytelling, and which will luckily survive it for many more years – told in old and new ways, from a circle around a bonfire to the last videogame.
(not so) social media profiles
Of course there is surely more: I am always uncomfortable being framed into labels and categories…
If you wonder what Michele Di Paola thinks or does, you will probably get to know more having a look at my LinkedIn profile. Have a look to my Mastodon account too – a network you should all check out:
As you may see on my profiles, I started doing youth work in last century, so I would say I have a certain expertise on what does work (or not) in youth activities here and there in Italy and Europe.
I have a great interest in working with myths and rituals of yesterday and today, which I have been studying for many years – keeping far enough from any kind of new-age approach, but trying to find and acknowledge their impact in growth and education. For instance, did you ever wonder where the story of the mouse bringing money when children loose they milk teeth comes from? Or did you ever realize that what the Odissey, Star Wars and Harry Potter have many more things in common than differences? 😀
I also have this strange idea that education (including non formal one) could and should be involving, up-to-date, maybe even amusing – and including technologies and contents of nowadays (as mobile devices, AI, videogames, just to mention some…). So what about videogame-based learning, for instance? I believe that this should happen without loosing the main focus: designing experiences from which you can extract learning in many different ways, possibly including contact with nature and outdoors activities, that I learnt to value during my many years of being part of the scout movement.
something to read?
Here are some things I wrote:
A case(s) study on the use of video games and digital interaction spaces to digitally transform youth participation: Digital Interactive Spaces
An article for the Youth Partnership between the Council of Europe and the EU, on a possible digital transformation strategy in youth education organizations: A modest proposal
The contents of the website on inclusion in digital spaces set up by the European resource center SALTO Inclusion & Diversity: Digital Inclusion
My article in Coyote #26 (youth policy magazine of the European Union – Council of Europe youth partnership): Digital developments in youth work training
My article with Raphaela Blassnig on the Dig-it Up! training course in POYWE Log Book #5: It’s digital not magical
The summary publication of two editions of the Dig-it Up! training course.