TEACHING LEARNING SPACES COMPETENCE FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION Erasmus Project

Project Title

TEACHING LEARNING SPACES COMPETENCE FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

There is a lack regarding the pre-service & in-service teacher training for preschool & primary school education that does not sufficiently cover the needs of today’s teachers. Synchronization with the needs & particularities of current child generations needs to take into account several variables, like the aesthetics & functionality of the learning spaces that are so little talked about. “Most new construction schools continue to pour the “old wine into new bottles” with classrooms of 30 students, in a space of 900 square meters where the teacher is the one who is in the lead role & laying down rules. These environments will not support pupils’ learning on 21st century skills & will be seen in the coming years as outdated learning places that will require a modernization of the building”. So, it appears the question what could be done to come even further in support of today’s children & teachers. We have often heard the words “today children are different than yesterday generation” “we do not have enough teaching materials,” “the teaching materials we have are too outdated” etc. Practically, the teaching materials are not sufficiently reported, updated to the new learning-teaching-assessment currents, to the current needs of children & teachers. Therefore, it raise up the necessity for our teachers to be taught to improve & design or redefine activities according to new learning environments.
The main goal of TELESPA project turns from the needs of increasing the quality & the relevance of teacher training for the early childhood & primary school education via developing, testing & implementing innovative educational practices related to learning spaces pedagogical approaches to educate children aged 0-10/11. Learning spaces, focused on sensorial senses, is a way of learning through doing, the process when young learners obtain knowledge & skills via personal experience, like being creative, flexible, able to analyze, think critically etc.
The project objectives focus on strengthening the professional profile of actual preschool & primary school teachers by developing an innovative pedagogical approach on learning spaces, open educational tools-real life laboratories about visible learning, offering training for enhancing the transversal & professional competences of preschool & primary school teachers, improvement on the curricula of teacher training institutions regarding the very early childhood stages & primary school education, & promoting international research & teaching projects which integrate the aspects of knowledge construction, reflection & a higher level of awareness &/or changes in professional behavior & in the children educational pathway.
The necessity to set up this project covers at least three perspectives (training, action, strategic) needs determined by:
• consolidating the professional profile of teachers by developing pedagogical guidelines in the field of early childhood & primary school education, providing a practical & applicative training framework for improving transversal, professional & communication skills
• the requirement to adopt EU standards regarding the facilities & quality of services provided to students by the University in order to improve the learning conditions in which they act
• synchronizing the university offer to set up a center of innovation & know-how transfer in early childhood education by linking to similar centers in prestigious universities,
• facilitating access to a space for developing scientific research in the field of early childhood & primary school education (Europe 2020 priority projects development axis);
• the need to connect with the requirements of the modern world by developing & implementing innovative educational practices on new pedagogical approaches based on experiential learning of children
• fulfilling the real needs of the professional community by creating a mentoring network between university & schools to reduce the difficulties faced by teachers in their pedagogical practice & early years of professional career in education

Tangible project results are:
– Research study on learning space practices and teachers competence in LV, RO, PT, TR.
– A guide of pedagogical guidelines for educators and primary school teachers on Experiential Learning & Applied Didactics on Learning Space, including video tutorials of practical activities with children.
– Training course for educators and primary school teachers on Experiential Learning & Applied Didactics on Learning Space:
– 5 Laboratories of Applied Didactics on Learning Space for research and applicative solutions in the form of sensorial teaching materials for practical usage with didactic sensory gardens (one per each country involved), including activities with children
– A mentoring network between university and schools to reduce the difficulties faced by teachers in their pedagogical practice and early years of professional career in education

Project Website

http://telespa.uaic.ro

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 246189 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITATEA ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA DIN IASI & Country: RO

Project Partners

• LATVIJAS UNIVERSITATE
• ANAFARTALAR ILKOKULU
• INSTITUTO POLITECNICO DE BRAGANCA
• Rigas 275. PII “Austrina”
• Scoala Primara EuroEd
• Gradinita cu Program Prelungit Nr. 26
• EGE UNIVERSITY