Teacher Training Courses - Detailed-description

PROSVETA – SOFIA FOUNDATION

and

 INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO DE SANTARÉM

Teacher Training Courses

”Teaching tolerance, diversity and active citizenship in the 21st century classroom” Sofia, Bulgaria 

COURSE OVERVIEW

Every individual is unique, equally worthy and has the right to live according to their beliefs, customs, practices and established behavior rules. Globalization and migration have brought together people from different ethnic origins, religious backgrounds, beliefs, traditions and languages. However, sharing a common space does not automatically result in overcoming the boundaries of historically constituted communities; it does not necessarily involve opening yourself to Otherness, trying to understand differences, valuing diversity and building common grounds for dialogue. But we live together and we should not only tolerate this diversity, we should value it as an opportunity through which we can learn from one another in order to build stronger, more dynamic societies. Human rights, diversity, tolerance and non-violence related issues have become even more important considering the migrant crisis and the terrorist attacks round Europe and worldwide.

Schooling could play a key role in overcoming the historically developed negative attitudes to human differences. The realization of this role suggests that teachers have the relevant knowledge, skills and tools.

This 7-day course will empower the participants with the skills and knowledge how to organize relevant training sessions for their students so that they become more open-minded and accepting differences. The training course is the result of a three-year Erasmus+ partnership cross-sectoral school education project (Otherness) with Prosveta-Sofia Foundation being the project coordinator, and IPT Santarem – Portugal, AENAO – Greece and SCS Danillo Dolci – Italy, being project partners. The Otherness project developed a Teachers’ Manual comprising 48 training topics spread in 3 modules: Human rights, Diversity and Active citizenship. Participants will have free-access to the training topics in the Teachers’ Manual. Each topic is accompanied by several multimedia objects, e.g. animated cartoons, video clips, filmed drama performances and discussions, simulations, case studies as basis for discussions, interactive exercises, etc. Multimedia objects are ready-to-use materials meant to support teachers' work as mediators in the trainings they are expected to deliver after attending the course. The multimedia resources are described with the corresponding characteristics as learning objects in the Teachers' Manual.

After participating in the training course participants will be supported in the practical implementation of the newly acquired skills and competences. They are expected to deliver trainings to their students using the topics in the Teachers’ Manual which they will be taught how to use. We will provide mentors for all teachers who will be at the participants’ disposal during a 6-month-period after the training course.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

The course aims to support teachers in:

1. Getting the knowledge of basics in Human Rights, Diversity and Involvement education through the topics in the Teachers' Manual.

2. Mastering skills which will enable them to discuss with their students questions on existing notions of human differences in modern society and run relevant activities choosing from the ones suggested in the Teachers’ Manual considering the local context.

3. Getting to know non-formal education teaching approaches and start using them not only in the suggested civic education trainings but also in the routine teaching process.

4. Responsibly accepting a code of behaviour so that all their actions and interactions bear respect to Otherness and students’ individuality by participating in the course training sessions together with a diverse group of European teachers.

5. Learn more about the challenges Portuguese teachers have faced regarding the use of the Teachers’ Manual through the planned sessions with the involvement of Portuguese teachers who have piloted the training topics.

6. Learn how to work in international teams through the group and pair activities.

 
TARGET AUDIENCE

This course is open to: all teachers in secondary schools, trainers, school educational counsellors, career counsellors, school psychologists and other school staff.

DAILY PROGRAMME.
The standard programme comprises 7 days. The first one is dedicated to getting to know each other and the structure of the developed Teachers’ Manual, to preparation and cultural activities. The last day is about follow up – instructions how to implement the suggested trainings with students, how to seek and receive support from mentors. Participants are expected to arrive one day before the start of the course and leave one day after the end. Upon specific request a 10-day version of this course could be organized including:

- visits to local schools in Sofia and Pleven who have already used the Teachers’ Manual;

- richer cultural program with visits to the cities of Plovdiv and Pleven.

The course venue is Sofia – Bulgaria where Prosveta – Sofia Foundation is located. The course is also offered in Santarem - Portugal.

Day 1

- Оrientation and information about the venue and the city of Sofia.
- getting to know each other - networking activities
- Otherness project and structure of the Teachers’ Manual
- Presentation of Europass Mobility Certificate
- Fears and expectations session
- Welcome dinner (optional)

Day 2

- Course introduction
- Non-formal education teaching approaches
- Human rights module – introduction
- Simulation 1 – participants step in the shoes of students and participate in a training session from the Human rights module (topic: My right to democracy)
- Simulation 2 – participants step in the shoes of students and participate in a training session from the Human rights module (topic: My right to education)
- Daily evaluation

Day 3

- practical workshop – participants prepare a training session making use of one of the topics in the Human Rights section and deliver it to the rest of group
- Sharing good examples and experiences – discussion with a local teacher who has participated in the Otherness project and has piloted the TM with their students
- Introduction into the Diversity section (22 topics)
- Daily evaluation

Day 4

Simulation 1 – participants step in the shoes of students and participate in a training session from the Diversity module (topic: Prejudges and stereotypes )

- Simulation 2 – participants step in the shoes of students and participate in a training session from the Diversity module (topic: Social Inclusion/Exclusion)
- Daily evaluation

Day 5

- practical workshop – participants prepare a training session making use of one of the topics in the Diversity section and deliver it to the rest of group
- Sharing good examples and experiences – discussion with a local teacher who has participated in the Otherness project and has piloted the TM with their students
- Introduction into the Identity and Active citizenship section (22 topics)
- Daily evaluation

Day 6

Simulation 1 – participants step in the shoes of students and participate in a training session from the Identity and Active citizenship module (topic: The school as a place for active citizenship)
- Simulation 2 – participants step in the shoes of students and participate in a training session from the Identity and Active citizenship section module (topic: Active customers)
- Sharing good examples and experiences – discussion with a local teacher who has participated in the Otherness project and has piloted the TM with their students
- practical workshop – participants prepare a training session making use of one of the topics in the Diversity section and deliver it to the rest of group
- cultural exchange – visits to sites of interest in Sofia (optional)
- daily evaluation

Day 7

- planning follow up activities: participants in the course are expected to deliver trainings to their students in the period after the training course. They will be guided and supported in this process; will get instructions how to seek and receive support from their mentors and how to provide feedback.

- Europass Mobility certificates – discussion of knowledge gained and skills acquired
- Final evaluation
- Validation of learning outcomes and certification ceremony
- cultural exchange – visits to sites of interest in the region (optional)

Optional activities (within a 10-day program)
- Visits to local schools in Pleven and Sofia which have delivered trainings to their students making use of the Teachers’ Manual topics – observation of trainings, discussions with teachers and students.
- Extra Cultural activities/ guided visit to Pleven and/ or Plovdiv (European Capital of Culture for 2019).

METHODOLOGY

The training course is based on the use of non-formal education methods as an approach for delivering the contents. The general delivery method during the course is simulation of real lessons with students: during the 7-day training sessions there will be almost no lectures and presentations. Participants will, most of the time, step in the shoes of their students whereas the trainers will deliver the contents as suggested in the Teachers’ Manual. This will provide trainees with first-hand experience how to deliver the trainings to their students after attending the course.

The pedagogical methods that we use are based upon experiential training, group and peer activities, learning-by-doing and best practices’ exchange.

Teachers will learn about and participate in implementing a diverse number of non-formal ways for delivering contents in which trainees are active participants, e.g. simulations, role plays, guided drama activities, theatre of the oppressed, interactive video resources, Oxford-style debates, group and pair work, mind-mapping, creating artistic productions – collages, drawings, dances, poems/ prose, etc.

Local Bulgarian teachers who have previously used the Teachers’ Manual and have delivered the suggested trainings to their students will participate in specialized sessions during which they will talk about their experiences and provide some first-hand tips and support to the course participants. Local visits to the schools could be organized depending on the participants’ needs.

The training team comprises experienced trainers  who have participated in the design of the Teachers’ Manual and the past teacher trainings within the Otherness project.


SESSIONS PLANNED AND PRE-REGISTRAION

You can find below the sessions planned. If none of these dates suits you, we may organize an additional session for your school if there are at least 6 participants interested, so feel welcome to contact us at prosveta_foundation@prosveta.bg to let us know about your needs.

For pre-registration (2019 - 2020) fill in the data at https://forms.gle/ki4BE4hqZkUNb3bd7 and we will send you a confirmation for pre-registration.

23.09.2019 - 29.09.2019

23.03.2020 - 29.03.2020

For pre-registration (2020 - 2021) fill in the data at https://forms.gle/tqeKLLhz4aZQYLaP8 and we will send you a confirmation for pre-registration.

15.06.2020 - 21.06.2020

19.04.2021 - 24.04.2021

COSTS AND ERASMUS+ FUNDING

Course fee: EUR 70 per day per participant : EUR490 for the standard 7-day training course and EUR700 if you opt for the 10-day duration.
Certification and support fee: EUR 50-100 per participant depending on the group size and services required.

ERASMUS+ FUNDING
Teachers in secondary schools, trainers, school managers, pedagogical advisers and any other staff of education organizations are eligible to receive an Erasmus+ grant covering all the costs including travel, accommodation and daily subsistence, cultural activities and all fees. The training course is designed to be fully funded by Erasmus+.


CERTIFICATION AND VALIDATION OF LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the course, each participant will receive a certificate of attendance and a Europass Mobility Certificate.
We will support the participants in the certification process  by delivering a special session devoted to Europass mobility certificates, as well as in the validation of learning outcomes process by providing mentors to all trainees during the implementation process when they will deliver trainings to their students using the Teachers’ Manual topics.
We will provide photos of the training course and a selection of videos that can be used for visibility and dissemination purposes. The teachers’ Manual and all digital resources will be freely available to all trainees for prospective trainings and re-dissemination among colleagues and students.

WHO WE ARE
Prosveta-Sofia Foundation is a non-government non-profit organization founded in 2007 as a legal entity with non-profit public benefit. Its mission is to support the modernization of education at national and international level, and work to improve its quality. It supports the implementation of leading European and world standards in school education through various initiatives.

Prosveta Sofia Foundation has extensive experience in conducting training and awareness seminars. For its ten years of existence it has organized more than 350 workshops with teachers on current educational problems concerning the teaching and learning process in pre-school and primary school, as well as the implementation of modern methodological approaches in teaching basic subjects taught from 5th  to 12th grades.

Prosveta-Sofia Foundation has been subcontracted by the Ministry of Education of Bulgaria to run a number of projects:

"Analytical and information support of the approbation of inspection model of Education”.

"Creation of test tasks for ongoing review and assessment of learning outcomes of illiterate and poorly literate persons over the age of 16 who are involved in literacy courses and courses to master the learning content for 5, 6 and 7. grades".

"Development of topics including interactive exercises of career guidance to students".

The experts and associates we work with are experienced in providing teacher trainings and designing educational contents for all school education stages, in designing scripts for multimedia objects which are being outsourced to multimedia companies, etc.

Prosveta Sofia Foundation has sustainable interest in civic education projects and trainings. We have organized some 40 seminars for more than 1300 Bulgarian teachers related to the subject area making use of a teaching aid entitled “Being a citizen” http://www.bglog.net/nachobrazovanie/41654.

In 2015 Prosveta-Sofia Foundation has started working on the Otherness project www.othernessproject.eu – a KA2 Erasmus+ project, a cross-sectoral partnership in school education, being the coordinating institution. Together with our partners – 2 non-government organizations form Greece and Italy (AENAO and CSC Danilo Dolci)  and an training provider form Portugal (Instituto Politecnico de Santarem) who have excessive expertise and experience in providing training seminars in civic education and using non-formal teaching approaches – we created a book of 48 topics which are meant to support teachers in providing civic education trainings. The book is designed in the format of a Teachers’ Manual providing a step-by-step guide for teachers, and it is accompanied by an exclusively rich set of multimedia resources which support the suggested training activities. The Manual comprises 3 modules which cover 3 most important sections of civic education: Human rights, Diversity and Identity and active citizenship. The 48 topics have been piloted in some 80 classrooms round Europe and subsequent changes have been made based on the feedback teachers and students have provided. The overall opinion of both teachers and students was extremely positive. Trainers and trainees considered activities to be quite interesting for the students, provoking their active participation and resulting in making students more tolerant, valuing diversity and being better citizens. This is why we decided to share our experience and outcomes with other teachers who care about bringing up a generation of open-minded and responsible young people.

OUR QUALITY STANDARDS
We are committed to Quality trainings and comply to the principles set in the European Quality Charter for Mobility:

1. Information and guidance:  Potential candidates for mobility will be offered equal access to reliable sources of information and guidance.
2.  Learning plan: The learning plan, which will be drawn up by the sending organization and us, as course organizers, and the participants, will outline the objectives and expected learning outcomes, as well as how these will be achieved and implemented.
3.  Personalization: the mobility undertaken for education or training purposes will be tailored to fit in with the personal learning pathways, skills and motivation of the participants and will develop or supplement them.
4.  General preparation: Prior preparation of the participants will be recommended. It will include thematic preparation (on human rights, tolerance and citizenship topics) and cultural aspects of the country of the venue.  Participants will receive a list of online materials to read prior to the training course.
5.  Linguistic aspects: Participants will be offered some linguistic preparation regarding the topics to be discussed during the course by the course organizers.
6.  Logistical support: Logistical support will be provided to the participants, regarding travel arrangements, insurance, accommodation, etc.
7.  Mentoring: The training organizations will provide schemes such as mentoring to advise participants while delivering trainings to their students making use of the knowledge and skills gained during the training course.
8.  Recognition: Participants will receive appropriate documents demonstrating their participation in a credible way, e.g. certificates of attendance and Europass Mobility certificates.
9.  Reintegration and evaluation: On return to the home country, participants will be given guidance on how to make use of competences and skills acquired during the training course.
10. Commitments and responsibilities: The responsibilities arising from these quality criteria will be agreed by the sending and hosting organisations and the participants.