A European School for All Children

Description

Concept by Federica Di Bartolomeo

This wide-ranging course encompasses all aspects of the inclusive classroom and explores how European educational activities and projects can help teachers identify successful strategies for their diverse learning environments.

The focus of the course will be threefold:

• How to shape lessons and the learning environment in order to establish complete equality in access to education for all students, whilst developing a crucial understanding in students of the need for democratic and non-discriminatory values; 
• How to use simple ICT tools to empower all students in an inclusive environment and also develop their intercultural awareness in the increasingly diverse contemporary classroom;
• How to take advantage of European opportunities to tackle common issues in education, to support students’ acquisition of European values and key competencies, and possibly prepare teachers for future European and international projects.

By the end of the course, participants will have analyzed how to adapt traditional teaching techniques to the needs of their students, ensuring universal access to the curriculum, and they will have identified effective solutions to manage a multicultural, mixed-ability, diverse classroom including minorities and students with varying educational needs.

In addition to that, they will be able to take away practical ideas on how to promote collaboration among educators, including on a transnational dimension, and how to include the classroom or the school in European educational activities.

Learning outcomes

The course will help the participants understand how to: 

• Manage a culturally diverse classroom; 
• Ensure equal access to the curriculum to students of all abilities; 
• Develop an understanding in students of critical modern-day democratic values; 
• Use ICT tools to empower students and develop intercultural awareness;
• Promote collaborative learning on international projects; 
• Promote schools’ European cooperation projects. 

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Introduction to the inclusive classroom

• Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
• Icebreaker activities;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools;
• Inclusive education and school: an overview of the various differences that can be present in a classroom.

Day 2 – Diversity and multiculturalism

• Understanding and managing a multicultural classroom;
• The notion of “diversity” and the values needed in order to understand and cope with this diversity;
• How to approach students about discrimination and minorities, raising their intercultural awareness.

Day 3 – Equal opportunities

• How to respect and exploit all the different students’ needs and abilities;
• Applying the concept of equality to the lesson, giving everybody the opportunity to learn and succeed, in school and life, regardless of their emotional, physical, and social particular condition.

Day 4 – Importance of ICT

• ICT as a positive resource: how to implement ICT tools in order to raise awareness about diversity and build a more inclusive learning environment.

Day 5 – Forward thinking

• The school for the future: learn how to promote international projects and include the classroom in European educational activities;
• Collaborative work.

Day 6 – Course closure & cultural activities

• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
• Excursion and other external cultural activities.