VoiceS - Integrated competences for European Teachers. Giving voice(s) to professionalism and citizenship in school networking.
In-Service Course Graz: Outline
Susanne Linhofer (University College of Teacher Education Styria, leader of the VoiceS Austrian national group and the thematic field European Professionalism)
Irland in the Mur, Graz (Image CC-BY-SA-2.5 Andrew Bossi)
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The following sections describe the main parts of the in-service course with its content, programme, its main tasks and outcomes starting with a list of lecturers participants and schools involved.
The In-Service Course Graz: VoiceS - Integrated Competences for European Teachers: Giving voice(s) to professionalism and citizenship in school networking, took palce from 23. to 28.03.2014.
This blended learning course consists of three parts. The first is an introductory approach to the main issues of the course; the participants are required to log in the course area, filling in their profile, analyse selected readings and prepare their essays before the face2face sessions. The second part of the course consists of six days face-to-face sessions with lectures, workshops, seminars, group work, cultural activities, school visits and international projects planning. Once completed, teachers, organised in international groups, carry out a project in their own schools; these projects are shared, analysed, described and written, including visual evidences. A selection of them is edited in ebook format, uploaded to the webpage of European Teachers and published as a paperback.
Participants
University lecturers:
Henny OUDE MAATMANN - Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
Rosemary SMEETS - Schwyz University of Teacher Education, Switzerland
Carme MARTIN - Universitat Autonoma Barcelona, Spain
Jordi PAMIES - Universitat Autonoma Barcelona, Spain
Oliver HOLZ - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Spain
Martin AUFERBAUER - University College of Teacher Education Styria, Austria
Susanne LINHOFER - University College of Teacher Education Styria, Austria
Elfriede KOLLER - University College of Teacher Education Styria, Austria
Heiko VOGL - University College of Teacher Education Styria, Austria
School teachers:
Carolina GONZALEZ, Nuria BIOSCA, M.Luz CASTELLANO, Mar RODRIGUEZ, Spain
Miguel ROJASMORA, Belgium
Çağlar ANMAC, Ayse TOMAS, Turkey
Maarten HAALBOOM, Hester LANGKAMP, Netherlands
António SORTE, António Jorge MACEDO PIMENTEL, Portugal
Ida BARBARO, Elvira CRETELLA, Italy
Teacher students:
Tuba KAVUNCU, Büsra YILMAZ, Turkey
Schools involved:
Lugardiscollege Oudergem Primary school, Belgium
Serraparera Primary School, Spain
El Turó Primary school, Spein
Els Pinetons Kindergarden and Primary School, Spain
De Regenboog Primary School - MarCanT foundation, Netherlands
Escola Básica de Penafiel Sudeste Primary school, Portugal
Özel Tan Okulları Kindergardens, Primary School, High Schools and Study Centres, Turkey
Ç.E.K. 3 Mart Azizoğlu Primary School, Turkey
Application requirements
The course is intended mainly for professionals teaching children between 8 -14 years, but is open to other educational staff such as pre-primary educators, head teachers and school principals. The applicants are required to have at least five years of educational experience and a good level of English (B2 minimum).
Preperation Task
The participants have to complete the following pre-task before coming to Graz:
e-Tivity 1.0:
Reading, Refelction
Action:
Read the article European Teacher and formulate an answer to the question “What is a European teacher?” Focus on the aspect European professionalism and citizenship. You will find the article in project's Learning Management System.
Post max. 10 lines, place them on the project's discussion forum European Teacher.
According to the European Commission’s 'European principles for teacher competences and qualifications' teachers play a crucial role in supporting the learning experience of young people and adult learners. Their profession, which is informed by values of inclusiveness and the need to nurture the potential of all learners, has a strong influence on society and plays a vital role in advancing human potential and shaping future generations. Concerning the competencies of a European teacher: reflect on the professional situation in your country. Will you have enough assistance in order to achieve these competencies? On a local, regional, national level?
Be prepared to discuss this in Graz.
(Deadline 2013/03/15)
Reaction:
Read at least three postings and give online feedback to them.
(Deadline 2013/03/22)
Course Programme
Sunday, 23.03.
Arrival of all participants and welcome dinner in a quality restaurant in Graz called "Brot & Spiele".
Monday, 24.03.
Opening session (Heiko Vogl, AT/Henny Oude Maatman, NL): organization/practical information;
- aims of the course;
- reflection on tasks/expectations; introducing teachers/supervisors; VoiceS - network
- introduction into "European Citizenship" (keynote speaker Henny Oude Maatman, NL)
- workshop "Plurilingualism" (Rosemary Smeets, CH)
Tuesday, 25.03.
- schools in Austria – Teacher Education in Austria (Susanne Linhofer, AT)
- ICT tools for interaction/European Teachers Website (Heiko Vogl, AT)
- workshops “European Citizenship” (Carme Martin, ES/Jordi Pamies, ES/Martin Auferbauer, AT)
- cultural activity: Old Town Walk
Wednesday, 26.03.
- school visits: KLEX "Expositur Klusemannstraße" (secondary school) and PVS "Praxisvolksschule der Pädagogischen Hochschule Steiermark (primary school)
- introduction into “European Professionalism” (keynote speaker Oliver Holz, BE)
- working on the projects - brainstorming and planning of international school projects
- VoiceS National Group Meeting: school partnerships granted by the EU (Maria Pichlbauer, AT)
Thursday, 27.03.
- working on the projects - brainstorming and planning of international school projects
- working on the projects - preparing project presentations
- cultural activity (optional): opera - The Magic Flute, W.A. Mozart
Friday, 28.03.
- project presentations - draft project plans and timeline; instructions for the final course assignment
- course evaluation
- farewell dinner on the "Schlossberg", the famous landmark of Graz
Carrying out the project
One of the main products of the VoiceS In-service Course "VoiceS - Integrated competences for European Teachers. Giving voice(s) to professionalism and citizenship in school networking" is the planning of collaborative international projects that have to be developed and delivered by the participant teachers in their own schools. These projects, inspired by the theoretical and practical input of the course, have to be implemented in the different countries- after the face to face sessions- within a maximum period of three months. Once completed, the results of each project have to be described, analysed and reported on, including visual evidence of associated. A selection of them will be edited in e-book format and uploaded to the website of European Teachers.
To carry out the project the participants have to organise activities and /or to give lessons in a primary or secondary school following the planned activities in the approved project plan. The project plan must be approved by their supervisor in the VoiceS project. During the project participant teachers keep a record of:
- communication between partners,
- make daily report of the project activities,
- collect pupils' products and
- pictures made during work sessions.
Report And / Or Presentation Of The Project.
Each participant has to write a report of the project. This is a group report of the whole project which should include a school report from each local partner.
The report should contain:
- Description of the teacher's project (pupils, goals, activities, communication and products)
- Photographs collected by the teachers during and after the project
- Text, art, music , video, and/or ICT produced by the particular pupils involved. A presentation is not part of the assessment but you can choose to make a PPT to present your particular project in your school and wich then might be published on your website.