VoiceS - Integrated competences for European Teachers. Giving voice(s) to professionalism and citizenship in school networking.
VoiceS in the Primary teacher education course at the University of Milano Bicocca
Ida Barbaro, Elvira Cretella (University of Milano Bicocca, VoiceS members of the Italien national group and the thematic field European Professionalism)
Primary teacher education course– University of Milano Bicocca
The 5-year course in primary teacher education promotes advanced theoretical and practical training in teaching, technological, methodological and research disciplines which characterize the professional profile of a teacher at the kindergarten and primary school level.
The curriculum also aims to develop theoretical training and teaching in the subject disciplines indicated by the government guidelines for the types of schools considered. It also outlines specific training for the hosting and inclusion of students with disabilities.
The course seeks to foster the development of polyvalent teachers who can promote the motivation, creativity and development of identity of children and at the same time, to build paths and flexible articulated learning in different subject areas, with particular attention to cross targets.
The degree in Primary Education gives the graduating student nationally recognized credentials (teaching certification) to teach in pre-school (3-5 year-old children) and primary school (6-11 year-old children).
University of Milano Bicocca
Our aim in the VoiceS project was to involve a group of teacher students in exploring a European dimension of their future work.The project"A day in the life a European student" is an excellent opportunity to know about other cultural contexts and to reflect about themselves as teachers in a global world.
On the April course in the university, all the activities are planned, so it is not easy for students to have time, so we send an e-mail to all the supervisor teachers to explain the project and we asked them to inform those students they thought interested in this kind of activities of it.
We formed a small group and we had a meeting where we showed the VoiceS website and the slides of the aims of the project. The teacher students felt very proud to be involved in something that tries to help the future of our world and that believes in the important role of the teachers as the key players in the future education of our children and of European citizens.
Teacher students
In the second meeting we offered them the opportunity to explore the blog of the project. We think this is a very useful tool because the videos and the photos can explain better than the words the real dimension of school and home life. We asked them to watch the different pages and at the end to try to find differences and similarities with our schools and with children’s everyday life.
The students were really interested and they asked to write something to the children in the blog, we noticed immediately their need to communicate with the others involved in the project. This is the first result: we can have a relationship with others, we are curious about others, we are different but similar.
Here some of their comments:
The Netherlands
Hello, we are Vanessa, Giusy and Francesca, students of Italian who are following teacher training courses.
We like your school because it has plenty of space, it is very organised with different materials and technologies.
After school Italian kids have the same hobbies as yours.
It's great that you go to school by bike!
We would like to have your comments.
Bye bye
Spain. Els-Pinetons
We liked the interviews you did to your teachers and the conversations with your schoolmates. It's great that all your teachers speak English. Your schoolrooms are nice: especially your music room and science room.
We would like to ask you: at what time does your school begin and finish?
Thank you very much.
Bye bye
Turkey
We like your school: it's awesome! You have plenty of space, you do a lot of activities (social activities and sports), your labs are very interesting and your school is very technological! You attend a lot of English lessons and we appreciate your English. You do speak English very well!
Bye bye
As you can see the first aspect they look at is the organization of space in the school. In our teacher training this is an early focus to work on. The space and the materials are very important in a pedagogical environment.
Unfortunately we had not enough time to continue the meeting with the teacher training students, we missed also the opportunity to exchange experiences with a Netherlands teacher student. We asked to send her mails with questions about her studies, training and experience at school during the project, but the exams period and the summer holidays don’t help. The exchange is continuing on September.
This their last mail:
Hi Ellen,
Thank you for your answer. We've got a summer break too. We'll get in touch with you in the first days of September and we'll give you a date to meet us by Skype to ask you the questions we've already sent you.
Meanwhile, have a nice summer!
Hear you soon,
Vanessa, Giusy and Francesca
We would like to continue the project next year using the materials on the blog with the teacher students during their training. It could be in the group with the supervisor teacher or also in the laboratories of English methodology.