Open minds@ Include.net – creative pedagogies, global competencies for inclusion Erasmus Project

Project Title

Open minds@ Include.net – creative pedagogies, global competencies for inclusion

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Creativity and culture; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Findings from Include.net (our previous Erasmus project), have demonstrated the important place of the arts in providing an inclusive education…an education for all. We have successfully used the arts to promote shared values and human rights, how the arts are an effective vehicle for accessible learning (Special Educational Needs and drama, dialogic talk for second language learners are two examples). This project builds on this work and will enable partners to receive innovative training from some of the best trainers/educationalists known at a Europe wide level (for example Lau Lau and Mantle of the Expert), continue to be 6 schools of change- implementing training, sharing expertise and tools around inclusion and working collaboratively on developing key competencies (we refer to them as global competencies-Fullan et al). As the schools have built up a strong professional relationship, we believe that this project will foster quality improvements, innovation excellence and be anchored in an international dimension. During the COVID-19 outbreak, we have seen a rise in the use of IT and virtual technology, we want to consider how we can incorporate some of the effective new ways of working into this project.
Objectives:
1. To receive quality continuous professional development national ‘experts’ together, implement the training in our own schools having planned together and evaluate the impact across the countries. This training, supporting school development plans and national priorities, will be anchored in current worldwide educational research with creative education and the arts as major drivers
2. To collaborate as united agents of change, planning and evaluating new teaching methods and activities arising from the ‘experts’ training sessions. Attention will be given to the support of teachers new to the profession, allowing for other staff and coordinators to develop leadership skills, strengthening the profile of the teaching profession
3. To enhance all objectives through the effective use of IT, developing the use of virtual technology as a communication tool for staff and students
4. To strengthen a network (hence project title) of educational practitioners who have expertise around the promotion of inclusion. There will be a focus on global/key competencies and how these are offered to all pupils regardless of their socio-economic background, ethnicity, gender or special educational needs and enabling cultural heritage, self identity and global issues
5. To share/disseminate expertise with partners when hosting a visit through key note presentations and practical activities, inviting local partner schools, teacher training institutions. Twinspace to be used as key form of partner to partner communication, planning, sharing of evidence/evaluations and the impact of new approaches. The quality assurance of actions towards these objectives will be paramount, considering a variety of assessment strategies to complement the new approaches to teaching and learning
6. To create concrete products and tools to enable wide dissemination of the project at a regional, national and international level.

The project will follow a cycle in both years-
During each visit
1.Participants will attend a training session led by an expert in the focus themes of the project. Shared reflections.
2.A Key note presentation on global/key competencies and practical activities will be led by the host school. There will be focus on how these activities lead to inclusion fo all and enhance cultural hetitage, self identity and global issues.
Other educational establishments, including teacher training settings invited to the key note presentation/activities to increase imapct
3.Project meeting- to evaluate progress against the project’s objectives. Findings shared through presentation by the pairs from different partner schools (with video recordings showing lessons) , see below about pairing up of teachers, sharing of products displayed on Twinspac, including further evidence of implementation of training. Decisions made around wider dissemination

Back in own school
1.Pairing up of partners across schools to plan (virtually) , implement (contributions by partner through virtual technology) evaluate lessons based on the training together, thus getting a wider evidence base.
2 Staff apply learning from partners key note presentation/activities in own school. All pupils develop global (key competencies)
3.Recording and evaluating new ways of working and preparing findings for the next visit and ongoing through Twinspace.
4. Collaborative work: the production of training materials including the dissemination of quality assurance documents (measuring impact of actions), assessment startegies on global (key) competencies

Dissemination of the project-
At every opportunity through school websites/Twitter/ press/eTwinning events/across local, national and international school partnerships/at British Council events/universitie

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 128080 Eur

Project Coordinator

Poplars Farm Primary School & Country: UK

Project Partners

• GRADINITA RAZA DE SOARE
• Kindergarten Mukulax co
• Lamia Karer Ortaokulu
• 1o PIRAMATIKO DIMOTIKO SHOLIO ALEXANDROUPOLIS
• Aradippou Primary School 3