Ioannis M. Spetsiotis

Giannis Spetsiotis was born in Ermioni, Argolida, in 1945 and graduated from the First Model High School for Boys in Athens. He holds a degree from the Marasleios Pedagogical Academy and pursued further education in Special Education at the Marasleios School of Primary Education (M.D.D.E.). He attended training programs in Greece and abroad in the field of Special Education and Training. He is a graduate of Panteion University (Department of Political Science) with a Master's in Administrative Law, and the University of Athens (Department of Theology) with studies in Music Education, Byzantine, and European Music. His interests focus on the Inclusion and Co-education of Individuals with Disabilities and Special Educational Needs, Pedagogical and Teaching Approaches for Children and Adolescents with Motor Disabilities and Intellectual Disabilities, Learning Difficulties, and issues of Music Education and Music Therapy. He was appointed to Public Education and served for 11 years as a Special Educator and Director in Special Primary Schools. He taught at the Marasleios School of the Pedagogical Department of Primary Education at the University of Athens, at Regional Training Centers (P.E.K.), and participated as a Program Coordinator, Presenter, and Evaluator in EPEAEK programs of the University of Athens for the training and development of primary and secondary education teachers. He has been a presenter in numerous seminars organized by the Ministry of Education, the Universities of Athens and Thessaloniki, the Pedagogical Institute, the Teachers' Federation, and other organizations in Greece and abroad, and has been a member of Organizational, Scientific, and Artistic Committees. From 1992 to 2006, he served as a School Counselor for Special Education in Athens. He participated in the National Council of Education from 2004 to 2006 and served as a Special Advisor to the Ministry of Education on Special Education and Training from 2005 to 2007. From 2005 to 2008, he was a Scientific Advisor at the Athens College on Learning Difficulties Programs. He was President of the P.Y.S.E.E.P. Attica, a Member of the Coordinating Council of the First and Second P.E.K. Athens, and the three-member Committee of Special Scientists of O.E.E.K. He is still a Member of the Philological Association "PARNASSOS" and Dean of the Association's School. Additionally, he has been the president of the Ermioni Association since 2004. He is a member of the Editorial Team of the Historical - Folklore - Literary magazine "In Ermioni Then and Now," where he also writes articles. His articles with similar content are also published on local websites. Giannis Spetsiotis's writing includes books, articles, studies, and research on the Education of Children with Disabilities and Special Educational Needs, Music Education and Music Therapy, the Development of Creative Expression, Skills, and Imagination. Some of his books include: - "Music in School," Athens 1974 - "Speeches for Children at School Celebrations," Athens 1980 - "Church and People with Special Needs," Athens 1993 - "Introduction to the Teaching of Special Education Units," Athens 1994 - "People with Sensory Impairments," Athens 1994 - "The Integration of Young Children in Kindergartens and the First Grades of Primary Schools," Belgium 1996 - "The Role of the Consulting Teacher," Athens 1999 - "Early Pedagogical - Educational Intervention," Athens 2000. - "Pedagogy and Teaching of Children with Mobility Issues", Athens 2003 - "The Music Workshop", Athens 2000 - "Music Programs for Children with and without Special Needs", Thessaloniki 2001 - "The Invisible Orchestra Accompanies Our Songs", Athens 2003 - "The Game", Athens 2007 - "Methodical Teaching of Byzantine Ecclesiastical Music", Volumes A & B, Athens 2003 & 2007 - "The Tererem in Orthodox Worship", Athens 2008 - "The Art of Chanting in Ermioni - History and Tradition of Three Centuries (19th - 20th - 21st)", Athens 2013