EU-funded projects in priority areas of school policy - European ...

Comeniusgood PracticesExamples→ Literacy→ Maths & Sciences and Technology→ Early Childhood Education and Care→ Early School Leaving→ Teaching Professions: Teachers,Teacher Educators, School LeadersLifelong LearningProgramme

ContentsGeneral Introduction ........................................................................... 5Chapter 1: Literacy .............................................................................. 7Reading, an active search for meaning ........................................................................... 8Imago 2010 ................................................................................................................ 9Using Web Comics in Education .................................................................................... 10The European Children’s Travelling Language Library ...................................................... 11Training teachers to make READing fun through digITal storytelling .................................. 12Teacher Learning for European Literacy Education (TeL4ELE) ........................................... 13Lifelong Readers: A European Reading Promotion Framework for Primary School Librarians,Educators and Administrators ....................................................................................... 14Discovering and supporting dyslexia in the early years .................................................... 15Reading is a Pleasure. Learn About Yourself Through Literature ........................................ 16G@t it! The European Feeling ....................................................................................... 17Increasing Literacy Skills ............................................................................................. 18Libraries without borders ............................................................................................. 19Methods to increase reading motivation ......................................................................... 20Creative Literacy through Innovation Project - CLIP ........................................................ 21Bibliooprevention ........................................................................................................ 22Europe: Reading is also the Future ................................................................................ 23Bookworms/Bookworms become actors! ........................................................................ 24Reporting without borders ............................................................................................ 25Bookraft .................................................................................................................... 26Let's introduce a book - The Little Prince ........................................................................ 27Young poets society .................................................................................................... 28Chapter 2: Maths, Science and Technology ........................................ 29EU-HOU: Hands-On Universe teacher training and support program .................................. 30Innovation in Mathematics Education on European Level (InnoMathEd) ............................. 31Biodiversity Education and Awareness to Grow a Living Environment (BEAGLE) .................. 32SETAC: Science Education as a Tool for Active Citizenship................................................ 33Science Pedagogy Innovation Centre for Europe ............................................................. 34UniSchooLabS: Remote Access for Schools to University Science Labs ............................... 35Stimulating Science and Technology Competences through Innovative Means for Teachingand Learning .............................................................................................................. 36Fly High - the principles of aviation as an opportunity to make physical theory accessible .... 37Connecting Europe through mathematics developing new teaching strategies –friends 4numbers .................................................................................................................... 38The schoolyard a place for outdoor pedagogy and creative playing .................................... 39PC Based Math Project for High School Students ............................................................. 40Explore Creativity and Innovation in Technology, Entrepreneurship and Design .................. 41School Math in learning English SMILE + Goal: Go Outside And Learn ............................... 42EU-EMSET Excellence in Maths and Natural Sciences ....................................................... 43Teacher trainers learning to show Maths ........................................................................ 44Teacher training in robotics brings an award to school ..................................................... 45Teaching Maths through the medium of English .............................................................. 463e’s: e-counting; e-culture; e-communications ............................................................... 47Chapter 3: Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) ..................... 49Naturbild ................................................................................................................... 50Towards Opportunities for Disadvantaged and Diverse Learners on the Early-childhoodRoad ........................................................................................................................ 51EASE - Early Years Transition Programme .................................................................... 52From The Waste Basket ............................................................................................. 5333

Euro-citizens of the future ......................................................................................... 544Democracy at school, based on respect and mutual understanding ................................ 555IN.DEM Quality in preschool through inclusive and democratic education ......................... 566Pathway to success ................................................................................................... 577Early Years and Equality – Observing and living each other's practice in Early Years toinform quality development ........................................................................................ 588MusEUms ................................................................................................................... 59Act-in Art ................................................................................................................... 60Once upon a time...it is time for our story ...................................................................... 61Our Feathery Friends ................................................................................................... 62Job-Shadowing of a Czech pre-school teacher in Sweden ................................................. 63Job-Shadowing at a French primary school ..................................................................... 64Assistantship at a Portuguese pre-primary school ........................................................... 65Chapter 4: Early School Leaving (ESL) ............................................... 67Social Mindedness In Learning community SMILY ............................................................ 68Physical and sport activities in different environments ..................................................... 69Heidi's Education Adventure ......................................................................................... 70Teenagers in the 21st century: between difficulties and hopes .......................................... 71European school and professional orientation: a necessity for all....................................... 72Eco-friendly construction for the future .......................................................................... 73DROPS dropout prevention in schools ............................................................................ 74Comenius Stay on Track .............................................................................................. 75Improving engagement and learning capacity for disaffected pupils................................... 76Improve inclusion – Reduce abandon. Solutions M.I.D.A.S ............................................... 77RETAIN – a course dealing with student drop-out ............................................................ 78Viv(r)e mon collège ..................................................................................................... 79Chapter 5: The Teaching Professions: ................................................ 81PROject-Based SCHOOL Management ............................................................................ 82Contextual Learning in Management and Teaching in Europe (CLIMATE) ............................ 83European CLiL in Development: A Primary Phase Consortium ........................................... 84European Leaders' Training in Education (ELTE) .............................................................. 85Competences of Professional Educators in Europe ........................................................... 86Self – evaluation in schools for better education ............................................................. 87Working at European Talent ......................................................................................... 88Standeduqual: Standards of the quality in education ...................................................... 89Enhancing quality in education and preserving it ............................................................. 90Future European Teachers: Training Kit According To the Lisbon Strategy .......................... 91Improving engagement and learning capacity for disaffected pupils................................... 92Classroom Leadership in Real Life ................................................................................. 93Students' guidance in IT based open learning environments ............................................. 94ISATT - ICT in Schools, Administration and Teachers' Training .......................................... 95Developing "Start-up Support" for new teachers in their first year of practice ..................... 96Schools in Europe develop talent .................................................................................. 97Effective Classroom Learning through an awareness of "Basic Competences ....................... 98Digital media? ICT? – Know how! .................................................................................. 99Cross-cultural practice-oriented teacher education ........................................................ 100Unlimited Learning .................................................................................................... 101Global improvement in teaching and learning across curricular transversal subjects .......... 102Pasi Siltakorpi, teacher from Finnland, and his ten eTwinning projects ............................. 103Annex: COMENIUS ........................................................................... 1054

General IntroductionI. Comenius: Europe in the classroomThe Comenius Programme focuses on all levels of school education, from preschoolto secondary. It is relevant for everyone involved in school education:mainly pupils and teachers but also local authorities, representatives ofparents’ associations, non-governmental organizations, teacher educationinstitutions and universities.Through the Comenius programme, the European Union invests around € 200 millioneach year in projects that promote school exchanges, school development, theeducation of school staff, school assistantships and more.Part of the EU’s Lifelong Learning Programme, the Comenius actions aim to helpyoung people and educational staff better understand the range of European cultures,languages and values. They also help young people acquire the basic life skills andcompetences necessary for personal development, future employment and activecitizenship. This is done by funding transnational mobility, European partnerships andprojects, education networks and school twinning. Larger scale projects and networksfocussing on key EU priorities have pooled expertise from different countries, anddeveloped innovative approaches. Please see Annex 1 for more details on the actions.With Comenius School Partnerships and eTwinning, 20,000 schools, 150,000 teachersand 400,000 pupils experience Europe in their everyday life at school each year.Comenius Regio Partnerships target the policy level of regional / local authorities.There are some 12,500 individual mobility grants for teacher education and pupilmobility awarded every year.The programme addresses issues strongly related to current discussions anddevelopments in school policy, such as: motivation for learning and ‘learning-to-learn’skills, key competences, digital educational content and inclusive education.II. School education: equipping a new generationComenius Projects help participating countries to work together to developtheir school education systems.Although in the EU each Member State is responsible for the organization and contentof its education and training systems, there are advantages in working together onissues of shared concern.The programme contributes to the cooperation of the European Commission withnational policy-makers to help them develop their school education policies andsystems in priority areas.5

EU Education ministers have set themselves priority areas for joint policy work:‣ To ensure that all pupils gain the competences they need in the rapidlychanging knowledge society. This includes: increasing levels of literacy andnumeracy and modernising curricula, learning materials and pupil assessment.‣ To provide high-quality learning for every student. Improving equity in schoolsystems involves making high quality pre-school education widely available,reducing early school leaving and improving support within mainstreamschooling for students with special needs.‣ To improve support for teachers, school leaders and teacher educators,through more effective recruitment and selection and better-qualityprofessional education.This publication shows the close links between European school policy developmentsand the Comenius projects implemented in the field. In the following pages you willfind an introduction to the topics and a selection of Comenius projects classifiedaround five themes:‣ Chapter 1: Literacy‣ Chapter 2: Maths, Science and Technology‣ Chapter 3: Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)‣ Chapter 4: Early School Leaving (ESL) and‣ Chapter 5: Teaching Professions: Teachers, Teacher Educator, School leadersThe project descriptions contain basic information on each project and its participants,together with links to more information.To learn more:http://ec.europa.eu/education/comenius/participate_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/comenius_en.htm6

Chapter 1: LiteracyIn the modern 21st-century society in which we live, literacy has becomemore essential than ever before. This raises the importance and urgency ofensuring that Europeans acquire effective reading and writing skills from anearly age. Despite the EU’s high standards of education, some young peoplefall through the literacy net for a diversity of complex reasons.There is no single cause of poor literacy and, hence, no magic pill or cure for it. Giventhe complexity and interrelatedness of the challenges involved, effectively addressingilliteracy and poor literacy requires the commitment and active engagement of a widerange of actors.Member States have a shared interest in improving literacy standards and improvingreading literacy. As this was one of the first objectives of the Commission's 'Educationand Training' work programme, launched in 2002, it was re-confirmed as a priority for2010-2020. Member States have committed to reduce the ratio of low-achieving 15-year-olds in reading literacy to 15% at most by 2020.In 2011 the European Commission established a High Level Group of Experts in thefield of literacy (HLG). This group examined how to support literacy throughoutlifelong learning, identified common success factors of literacy programmes and policyinitiatives and came up with proposals for improving literacy. The HLG concluded itswork and published its final report in September 2012. The report states that literacyis a fundamental requirement for citizens of all ages in modern Europe. Changes inthe nature of work, the economy, and society more generally are making goodliteracy skills even more important. Achieving real improvement in literacy requirespolitical ownership and cooperation across the policy spectrum and beyond. Thegroup's report seeks to raise awareness of the literacy crisis affecting all MemberStates and provides recommendations on how to solve it.Schools, teachers and parents have a crucial role to play in nurturing the literacy ofchildren and young people, while other key players, such as local authorities, traininginstitutions, libraries play important supporting roles. Therefore, close coordination,co-operation and partnerships promoted by the Comenius programme are essential ifinitiatives to develop literacy skills in children and young people are to succeed.In the following pages, there are several good examples of Comenius projects thatcontribute to the improvement the literacy skills in young people; they are very variedin terms of focus and types of authorities but they all implement strategies andmeasures that lead to concrete results and impacts. Many of them address teacher'scompetencies and teaching strategies; other focus on the learning processes ofchildren particularly those with low reading and writing skills.Most of the projects profit from the possibilities offered by ICT as a teaching andlearning tool and as an effective way of motivating pupils and teachers as well as ameans to sustain their outcomes and results.The project also highlights the relevance of the involvement of teacher traininginstitutions, parents and other organizations as libraries involvement in thepartnerships can contribute to a comprehensible approach to improve literacy.To learn more:http://ec.europa.eu/education/literacy/index_en.htm7

Thematic Field: LiteracyReading, an active search for meaningComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Zespól szkól w Przeclawiu (Poland), Initiative et Formation Belgique (Belgium),Association Européenne des Enseignants – Enseignement Libre (Belgium), Lycéefrançais Notre Dame de Sion (Turkey), Escola Secundaria C/3° Ceb de Afonso deAlbuquerque (Portugal), Liceu Teoretic (Romania), Universitatea din Bucuresti(Romania), Centre national de formation de l'enseignement technique privé (France)Coordinating institution:INFOREF – initiatives pour une formation efficace (Belgium)Key word: Low achievers in reading, Literacy strategies, Teaching skillsDescription:The project Signes@Sens addresses the problem of weak readingcomprehension. Many young and adults alike have low literacy skills; they candecipher words and short sentences but are unable to understand the meaning of anordinary text on everyday issues. And for longer, more complex texts with implicitmeanings and the use of symbols, the number of people with reading problemsincreases considerably, as shown by the PISA surveys.The Signes@Sens project has collected successful approaches to literacy and hasdeveloped an initial and in-service training module to help teachers improve theirknowledge of what reading actually involves, to better identify the real obstacles toreading comprehension and to develop teaching practices adapted to overcomethese hurdles. The methodology has been tested with different profiles of learners(age, socioeconomic background, and certain specific needs) and in different learningcontexts (learning French as mother tongue or foreign language, in the countries oforigin or in a foreign country, etc.).The project website gives access to all its results.The project contributes to the improvement of reading comprehension for all pupils,with a particular focus on the weaker pupils. These are the pupils who risk eventualexclusion from the education system, the labour market, and society in general. Thekey competence of "learning to learn" is an essential part of the project’s approachto reading literacy. It is about helping the learner (young or adult) to become aware oftheir mental processes and thus become master of his or her learning.Duration:2007-2009Webpage:http://www.signesetsens.eu8

Thematic Field: LiteracyImago 2010Comenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Sofia university Hl. Kl. Ochridski (Bulgaria), University Mozarteum Salzburg (Austria),Panepistimio Thessalias (Greece), Justus-Liebig Universität Giessen (Germany)Coordinating institution:Amt für Lehrerbildung Hessen (Germany)Key words: Literacy curriculum, Teaching skills, Digitalisation and literacyDescription:The main goal of this project was to develop and test a European-style curriculumfor visual literacy for teachers and student teachers in pre-primary and primaryschools.In the media age, children face reading literacy and visual literacy challenges evenat pre-school and primary school age. The development of broad literacy skills, whichgo far beyond a purely text-based approach (e.g. critical and competent use of visualmaterial, coding and decoding of pictures) would therefore appear necessary.However, school education has traditionally focussed primarily on the acquisition ofwritten language. The need for an "aesthetic literacy" remains mostly ignored.The purpose of this project was therefore to develop, test and evaluate newmaterials and curricula, where the use of symbols, images and texts can bepracticed and shared. The materials aim to develop elementary visual skills, evokeinterest in visual forms of expression, promote individual articulacy and help toadvance verbal and non-verbal linguistic skills in the form of best-practice examples.The early years are critical in the development of language and reading skills. Workingwith images is particularly appealing to children, promotes non-linear, lateral thinkingand can motivate for learning. Including (visual) literacy is particularly valuable inlanguage learning programmes for children from an immigration background.Elementary and primary school teachers are given the necessary professional skillsand trained in visual skills and level-of-learning diagnosis in training sequences andfurther training modules. The international comparison in the project gives an insightinto cultural differences and visual communication. The reference to three differentscripts (Latin, Cyrillic and Greek alphabets) makes this a particularly exciting project.The results of the project have been published for practising teachers,supplemented by publications for children. Articles intended for specialists andteacher trainers have also been published.Duration:2008-2010Webpage:http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/projects/public_parts/documents/comenius/acc_mes_final_report_2007/com_mp_142381_imago2010.pdf9

Thematic Field: LiteracyUsing Web Comics in EducationComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Centre for the Advancement of Research and Development in Educational Technology(Cyprus), Kindersite Project (United Kingdom), University of Granada (Spain),University of Cyprus (Cyprus), Politecnico Di Milano (Italy)Coordinating institution:University of Piraeus Research Center (Greece)Key words: Teaching skills, Promotion of reading, Digital competence, Suppport forchildren with reading difficultiesDescription:Literacy has become a problem in many schools, and teachers are looking for newways to teach that will be stimulating and fun while skill-building at the same time.Web comic books are an instructional medium that gives children the chance to usematerial from their own lives to conceive, write, and illustrate stories. They also offera dynamic way to teach elements of fiction that are required in many schools. TheWeb Comics combines text and imagery as well as hypermedia and streamingelements. They can be interactive means for studying as well as for selfassessment.Children having read some pages of the web comic book could be askedto respond to an online assessment test. Furthermore, Web comics can offerscaffolding to difficult scientific disciplines and concepts and can be an effectiveinstructional medium especially for reluctant readers and poor students.On that basis, the goal of the project was to help teachers and children effectivelyuse an alternative instructional method for learning about literacy and scientificconcepts by writing, designing, and publishing original web comic books. It placeschildren in the role of creators, rather than merely receivers of information. Childrenwrite and draw about their personal experiences and interests, thereby being engagedin the learning process and motivated to succeed. The idea is not to drop a web comicbook on a child’s desk and say: "read this". Rather, the project will train teachers todesign learning scenarios where students will have the opportunity to draw uponstories which they then revise, publish and share with others.The project collected and published best practices in terms of educational comicbooks on various subjects such as literacy, language learning, science education,authoring tools as well as effective learning strategies and lesson plans. It alsocreated training material for teachers and organised seminars for teachers; theseteachers applied strategies and lesson plans to their schools in order to gatherevidence of what works, why and under which conditions.Duration:2008-2010Webpage:http://www.educomics.org/10

The European Children’s Travelling Language LibraryComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Thematic Field: LiteracyÇukurova Ünivesitesi, Yabancı Diller Öğretimi ve Araştırma Me (Turkey), Jazykováškola s právem státní jazykové zkoušky PELIKÁN s.r.o (Czech Republic), SastamalanOpisto (Finland), Associazione Culturale Benalua (Italy) Asociacion Cultural LibreMente(Spain)Coordinating institution:The Mosaic Art And Sound Ltd (United Kingdom)Key words: Reading skills, Libraries, Teaching skills, Promotion of readingDescription:The EuroLib projects aims to answer 3 needs: to provide early European languageexperiences using a format that can resonate with the imagination of young students,to introduce books as the best source of autonomous lifelong learning, and directlyattack the lowering levels of book readership and to promote the idea of Europe andits cultural diversity .In the project, travelling libraries of the most beautifully illustrated children's booksin multiple European languages travel from school to school across Europe. Eachschool has the library for a period and has to carry out a number of pedagogic andcollaborative activities before, during and after the visit of the Library. They place theresults on the project website for use and viewing by other schools.Activities include inter-comprehension, comprehension, creative expression, criticism,reflection, task-based learning, collaboration and using languages within a socialcontext. On the project website and travelling with the library itself are tools, teacherdiaries and teacher guides.The impact on students includes exposure to the rich cultural heritage of Europe,motivation to learn languages, motivation to read books as a source of autonomouslifelong learning and reinforcement of emerging literacy.Duration:2009-2011Webpage:http://www.eulib.eu11

Thematic Field: LiteracyTraining teachers to make READing fun through digITal storytellingComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:University College Lillebælt (Denmark), Marsilio Editori (Italy), Scottish Book Trust(United Kingdom), Curtea Veche Publishing (Romania), Rüştü Akin Kiz Teknik MeslekLisesi (Turkey), Liceul Teoretic “Ovidius” Constanţa (Romania)Coordinating institution:Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi-Telematica (Italy)Key words: Digitalisation and literacy, Teaching skills, Reading and writing skills,Promotion of readingDescription:OCED data (2009) suggest that teachers often lack ICT skills, which prevents schoolsfrom fully exploiting technology to improve teaching and learning. To keep up thefast-moving technology, teachers need to be trained to integrate ICT in the classroom.In this context, the READ IT project aims to improve teacher skills through amethodology based on video production using digital storytelling, developing newteaching approaches through the use of ICT to support learning. According to the2009 Horizon Report, "There is a growing need for formal instruction in key new skills,including information literacy, visual literacy and technology literacy. Digital medialiteracy continues its rise in importance as a key skill in every discipline andprofession". In response to this, the project aims at developing an innovative didacticmethodology that integrates traditional teaching strategies with ICT tools to helpteachers acquire new skills through video production using digital storytellingtechniques. The techniques can be applied to different subjects but in this projectproduction of book trailers was used as a method to promote literature appreciation.The main outcomes are an e-learning platform delivering the e-course for teachers,READ IT methodology for video production and digital storytelling and modular course,Face-to-face seminars in each partner country involving teachers and students andBook trailers. Through the training, teachers will learn and test a new educationalapproach, based on digital technology (i.e. book trailers) that can help raise theinterest level and motivate students to read. Students will not only learn aboutstorytelling and how books are constructed, but will also develop transversal skills(e.g. communicative, ICT, teambuilding) useful for future professional development.The innovative aspect of the READ IT didactic methodology is to combine thetechnology in terms of Digital Storytelling and book trailer production with writingtechniques such as narrative and screenplay to reinforce teaching of reading andwriting in an interactive, creative and authentic way.Duration:2010-2012Webpage:http://www.readitproject.eu12

Teacher Learning for European Literacy Education (TeL4ELE)Comenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Thematic Field: LiteracyStrathclyde University (United Kingdom), National Centre for Reading (Denmark),University of Sydney (Australia), Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain), Institute ofTheoretical and Computational Linguistics (Portugal)Coordinating institution:Stockholm Education Administration (Sweden)Key words: Teaching skills, Literacy curriculum, Literacy strategiesDescription:The purpose of the project is to explore literacy pedagogy based on a FunctionalModel of language as recommended by the Comenius project: European CoreCurriculum for Mainstreamed Second Language - Teacher Education. All partners havean interest in working with genre pedagogy based on its success in Australiaparticularly with second language learners. Most partners have expertise inSystemic Functional Linguistics, which underpins this approach, and others havealready trialled the pedagogy and experienced success, particularly withdisadvantaged learners.The project partners have established clusters of interested educators who surveytheir national literacy environments in order to identify key areas for development.The clusters have produced "national literacy profiles" for each participating country.Knowledge about the Functional Model of language and its associated pedagogies isbuilt up through the sharing of expertise among project partners and enhanced byinput from the 3rd country partner, Australia.Based on the key literacy issues identified in each context, the partners makeappropriate adaptations and develop materials for their socio-cultural educationcontext. The project website provides e.g. lesson plans developed in the project.Cluster members trial their common teacher learning approach and train smallgroups of teachers to trial the culturally adapted pedagogy with students. Data onteacher implementation and student literacy achievement is collected in order toevaluate the effectiveness of the approach in each country. The project will thusproduce a shared pedagogy and a new group of experts in the previously trialledfunctional linguistic approach to literacy. These experts will then be able to train futuregroups of teachers.Duration:2011-2013Webpage:http://tel4ele.eu/13

Thematic Field: LiteracyLifelong Readers: A European Reading Promotion Framework forPrimary School Librarians, Educators and AdministratorsComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Κεντρο Ερευνων Πανεπιστημιο Πειραια (Greece), University Of Worcester (UnitedKingdom), Biblioteka Publiczna IM.W.J. Grabskiego W Dzielnicy Ursus Mst (Poland),County Meath Vocational Education Committee (Ireland), International Institute ForChildren´s Literature and Reading (Austria), Innovade Li Ltd (Cyprus)Coordinating institution:Center for the ADV. of RES. & DEV in EDU. TEC. LTD (Cyprus)Key words: Promotion of reading, Teaching skillsDescription:A lifelong learner is first and foremost a lifelong reader. Lifelong Readers (LiRe) aimsto provide school librarians, teachers, and administrators with guidance andtools for encouraging children of ages 6-12 to develop lifelong reading habits. Thelow level of young Europeans' literacy skills has been repeatedly documented, and theEU emphasizes the need for lifelong learning.The Lifelong Readers (LiRe) project aims to convince stakeholders about the need todevote more time and effort to reading promotion and to place reading for pleasureat the centre of their policies, approaches and practices, to provide stakeholders withguidance, training, and an array of tools for reading promotion in the primary schooland to initiate change by implementing reading promotion programmes in allparticipating countries.The LiRe project builds a reading promotion framework which features: summarydescriptions of successful reading promotion programs, strategies andapproaches, an extensive collection of reading promotion actions (grouped undercategories such as Reading Promotion through Play / ICT / Volunteerism / Awards /the Arts) reading promotion evaluation tools and a catalogue of relevant sourcesand resources.The training modules will address the reading promotion training of teachers, schoollibrarians, and administrators. The material will be piloted and implemented by allpartners.Duration:2011-2013Webpage:http://www.lifelongreaders.org/14

Discovering and supporting dyslexia in the early yearsComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries Involved:IT, SE, TR, CY, SI, RO, BGKey words: Support for children with reading difficulties, Teaching skillsThematic Field: LiteracyDescription:The project promotes "schools that work for everyone" by addressing how teacherscan support a dyslexic student as well as support the parents. The project hasdeveloped a teacher's guide focussing on best practices for teachers to helpstudents before school age and in the early school years in order to get good languageawareness and to prevent reading and writing difficulties.Dyslexia is a difficulty in the development of reading and writing skills. However, itis possible to identify those at risk of dyslexia, and who may have problems indeveloping the necessary skills that underpin the development of reading and writingeven before they learn these skills. This can be achieved through long termobservation in pre-school and careful monitoring and support.This project develops a system designed to prepare the dyslexic child for transitionfrom preschool to primary school. The work builds on a comparison of alternativepractices in partner countries, and development of a model of best practice that maybe widely used. This includes an Individual Support Plan (ISP) that provides details ofthe history of the child and their needs, as well as information to the primary school.It includes a checklist for identification of difficulties and an associated manual asthe basis of development of the ISP and support for these individuals when they enterschool. This material is aimed at all teachers working in pre-primary and in primaryschools, to provide a school-wide support, as well as at parents and others involved inhelping the dyslexic child.A series of resources have been produced: historical background and current studies,how to observe the child during the transition from kindergarten to primary schoolthrough specific checklist, Teacher’s Guide, Parents’ guide, Individual Educational Plan.The partners have also written a book with the title "Bridges over learningdifficulties", putting together the guidance material developed in the project. Thebook is designed for teachers, parents and others who want to acquire some newknowledge about discovering children at risk of developing dyslexia in the early years.Duration:2010-2012Webpage:www.bold-dyslexia.comhttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-IT2-COM06-1429815

Thematic Field: LiteracyReading is a Pleasure. Learn About Yourself Through LiteratureComenius Bilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:EE, DEKey words: Promotion of reading, Reading and writing skills, Digital competence, Ageand gender appropriate reading materialDescription:One of the serious problems today is that young people have lost interest in reading.Therefore, the main aims of the project are to encourage students to read goodfiction, and to motivate them to get information not only from the internet but frompaper books as well.The project aims to help students open and express themselves through drama andanimation, and to give students a possibility to compare and contrast teenagers' livesin different countries and different time periods. The project also aims to promoteEstonian and German literature in Europe and get to know the literature of thepartner countries. Reading books about teenagers, students will be able to see howthe matters of friendship and love, relationships with classmates, teachers, andparents etc., rights and duties, responsibilities... are solved. Discussing all theseimportant things at the round table with foreign students will help them solve theirown problems connected with the topics mentioned above.In each partner country, three books are chosen. The students read the books in theirnative language, and write summaries of these books in English to present them totheir partners. Animated films based on the books are made by the students.Extracts from each book are acted out by the students (theatre methodologyhelping students to express themselves and their emotions through acting). Studentsvisit theatre performances in both countries, visit museums (mostly literaturemuseums) and have meetings with writers. Round tables about youth problems areheld. As final products, students create 5 animated films and a video about theproject activities.Duration:2011-2013Webpage:https://sites.google.com/site/parnuborken/homehttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2011-1-EE1-COM07-0244316

Thematic Field: LiteracyG@t it! The European FeelingComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:ES, NL, TR, IT, FR, HU, PL, DEKey words: Writing skills, Reading across the curriculum, Digital competencesDescription:The main aim of the project was to have students work cooperatively in the creation ofarticles regarding European teenagers’ interests and culture. The themes of thedifferent issues were chosen by the students themselves through a questionnairecarried out in all the schools.The activities consisted of publishing a European magazine (paper and online),written by and for students, whose aims were related to the educational project ofeach school. It involved students of different levels of secondary education schoolsand the following subjects: Maths, Languages, Art, Sciences, Sports, Geography,History and Technology. The project took an interdisciplinary, inter-cultural,communicative, student-centered and multi-learning style approach, andsupported the development of creative thinking skills to foster the academic, personaland social growth of the participants.The project established a Web 2.0 social network for teachers and for students toshare ideas and project files, add comments, assign tasks and start discussionsconcerning the project. Four issues were published of "G@t it!" the European studentmagazine written with and for students.This project developed students' writing skills as well as cross-curricular and othertransversal key competences.Awards:EST star ProjectDuration:2008-2010Webpage:http://www.ejournal.fi/cfm33/index.php?action[]=IArticleShow::showArticle%28%2733173%27%29http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2008-1-ES1-COM06-0004617

Increasing Literacy SkillsComenius Regio PartnershipThematic Field: LiteracyInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:NO - NorwayPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:UK – United KingdomRingsaker municipalityNes primary schoolFagerlund primary schoolLibrary ServiceSouth Lanarkshire CouncilCrawforddyke Primary/NurseryLanark Primary/NurseryCarluke HighCoulter/Lamington PrimariesLibrary ServiceKey words: Libraries, Literacy strategiesDescription:In many regions there is little awareness and cooperation between the main publiclibraries on the one hand and schools and school authorities on the other hand. Thispartnership addressed this issue by exchanging experiences and looking at ways toinclude the public libraries in literacy education and provide library staff withcompetences and motivation to turn the libraries into literacy education resourcecentres, cooperating actively with schools and the school authority to improveliteracy education. In that sense, the partner regions worked to improve theirapproaches to and methodologies in literacy education.By exchanging experiences and results from the use of different literacy models andadditional literacy aid tools such as ICT-programmes in the two partner regions, thepartners gained better knowledge of models and tools, making the strategic decisionsfor school authorities easier and contributing to removing teachers' barriers againstusing new models and tools in literacy education. The project provided new insightsinto the effects of different pedagogical literacy and early intervention modelsand explored ways to involve public libraries more actively, efficiently andcoherently as pedagogical tools in literacy educationThe project has had considerable impact at all levels. Teachers from both regionsreport that they have benefited from the exchange of experiences. Similarly, thelibraries have exchanged ideas they want to implement in their practice, both withinschools and in the public libraries. The project has brought the participating schoolsand the libraries within each region closer together, and other schools in bothcountries have also benefited from the work. As a result of this project, links to thepublic libraries were introduced in the partner regions' local strategies to improveliteracy education in the early years of school.AwardsNational award in ScotlandDuration:2009-2011Webpage:http://ils-norwayandscotland.wikispaces.com/http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-NO1-COM13-0084718

Thematic Field: LiteracyLibraries without bordersComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:ES -SpainPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:PT - PortugalKey words: Libraries, Promotion of readingConsejería de Educación y Cultura del Gobierno deExtremaduraCEIP José Mª de CalatravaIES Jálama; IES El Brocense; CEIP Manuel Pacheco; C.R.AMaestro Don Victoriano MateosC.P.R Cáceres; C.P. R BadajozBiblioteca Municipal Juan Pablo FornerAsociación Cultural Extremeño AlentejanaDirecção Regional de Educação do AlentejoAgrupamiento de Escolas de Campomaior; Agrupamiento deEscolas de Elvas nº 1; Agrupamiento de Escolas de Elvas nº 4Grupo Nabeiro Delta-CafesCentro de formaçao de professores do Nordeste AlentejanoPortalegreBiblioteca Pública de Évora. José Antonio CalixtoDescription:This project links libraries and schools in the two participating regions in order tofoster reading and exchange academic experiences on the use of school libraries asan educational tool.The project identified good practices focussed on motivation, working methodologyand strategies to integrate the different students' capabilities and working paces,the use of e-readers to boost and foster reading habits, the use of school libraries asthe centres to manage and handle all the information that schools receive fromdifferent sources, etc.The project shows that collaboration and exchange of good practices betweenschools and educational institutions is possible. The interest in and impact of theproject has been even larger than expected. The coordinators of the project have beenrequired to detail the main project work lines at several national and regionalconferences and meetings; furthermore the schools have incorporated the initiativespromoted through this association in their daily teaching practice, for example, thedocumentary projects or the use of blogs as information and promotion tools andeducational resources. The partner administrations intend to maintain in the futurethe relationships regarding this and other similar projects.Award:EST star Project.Duration:2010-2012Webpage:http://biblioregiosf.educarex.es/, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M669W4lsHohttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-ES1-COM13-2064619

Methods to increase reading motivationComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:DE - GermanyPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:FI - FinlandThematic Field: LiteracyStaatliche Schulämter in der Stadt und im Landkreis PassauGemeinde-Bucherei Tiefenbach,Ausleihstelle HaselbachGrundschule WitzmannsbergVolksschule SalzwegGrundschule HaselbachSchool-Adminstration HaapajärviEmolahden koulu (Primary school Emolahti)PyhäjärviVenetpalon koulu (Primary school Venetpalo)KärsämäkiVäliojan koulu (Primary school Välioja)HaapajärviOksavan koulu (Primary school Oksava)HaapajärviHaapajärven kaupunginkirjasto, The Library in HaapajärviKey words: Age appropriate teaching material, Libraries, Promotion of readingDescription:The objectives of the project were to increase literacy, capabilities and skills in dealingwith modern media and to work with students from the partner country. The projecthas developed new concepts and methods to teach children reading. It started witha comparison of methods for promoting reading in both regions: the Finnish visitorsliked the cosy reading corners in the Bavarian elementary schools, while Germanteachers were convinced by the networking of Finnish schools and libraries. After theexchange of best practices, a new approach to reading was developed by thepartners.At the heart of the project is a pool of German and Finnish children's books. Thepupils discuss the books and exchange information about them. It's done through thebilingual literary game "Owlfinch", which has been developed specifically for theproject. Through this game, the children communicate with their partners in the othercountry. The project managers have found that this social interaction andcommunication through books encourages children to read more books.The project has produced a wide collection of reading methods on a Wiki internetplatform.On this website, teachers can find a number of different methods for use inschools, as well as a new e-learning reading method which can be used by everybody.Teachers, principals, students and library staff alike - all have benefited from thepartnership. The children have become more confident and interested, while theadults get an intense professional growth through the project. The involvement ofprofessionals has had a positive effect, so that the children are now reading more andtheir love of books has grown. The pupils are better at discussing what they read, andtake pleasure in sharing with their counterparts.Award:EST star ProjectDuration:2010-2012Webpage:http://comenius-regio-passau.mixxt.de/, http://www.pandio.eu/http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-DE3-COM13-1041520

Creative Literacy through Innovation Project - CLIPComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:UK- United KingdomPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:IE - IrelandPeterborough City CouncilNene Valley Primary SchoolSt Botolph’s Primary SchoolPeterborough City Council LibrarySt Mary’s Vocational Educational CommitteeSt Mary's Primary SchoolScoil GharbháinWaterford County Council Library ServiceThematic Field: LiteracyKey words: Cross-sector cooperation in literacy, Teaching skills, Literacy strategies,Promotion of readingDescription:The objectives of the project were to raise the literacy achievements of primary agedchildren with a particular emphasis on using up-to-date technology to enhance andimprove teaching and learning and to involve the wider community through bringingvolunteers into the schools to enhance the literacy experience for all ages.This project has developed a comprehensive and easy to use resource for schoolswanting to set up a "reading buddies" scheme. A "reading buddy" is a parent, anolder student or a volunteer from a business or from the wider community who givestheir time to help children develop their reading skills and takes an interest in thechild and works with them for a minimum of one term so that they can develop a goodrelationship. Reading buddies are role models, their ultimate aim being to developwithin the children a love of reading, increase the children’s confidence and selfesteemand leave the children with a real sense of achievement. Reading buddiesprovide schools with an extremely important resource – their time - and as a resultthey are very much appreciated and valued in the schools they attend.The "reading buddies" website is designed to be a "one stop shop" for all schoolswishing to organise their own volunteer reading programme. The written materialsinclude workshop notes with accompanying PowerPoint presentation, information forparents and how to involve secondary school pupils as reading volunteers. Apromotional film features volunteer readers, teachers and children who have takenpart in the project. The project produced a training pack that is easily adaptable forother schools and available to download free on-line.The reading buddy programme has had a positive impact on the literacy levels of thechildren, along with raising the general profile of reading among the school populationand the wider community. It has also resulted in a far reaching involvement by thewider community in the daily school life. The effects of the project have far outreachedthe partners' expectations. Three years later it continues to grow, and is nowself-sustaining as it has become an integral part of daily school life.Duration:2009-2011Webpage:http://reading-buddies.com/sites/reading-buddies/21

Thematic Field: LiteracyBiblioopreventionComenius Regio Partnership/eTwinningInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation: Municipality Of DomžalePartner organisations: Primary School RodicaSL - Slovenia Youth Center DomžalePublic Library Of DomžaleKindergarten DomžalePartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation: The City Of LodzPartner organisations: Grammar School No. 16PL - Poland Regional Pedagogic Library In LodzThe Association For Mentally Handicapped Children And YoungPeople "Closer To Yourselves"Key words: Reading skills, Literacy strategies, Support for children with readingdifficulties, Age appropriate reading material, Teaching skillsDescription:The topic of this partnership is the use of literature and reading as a method forteaching violence prevention and problem-solving in schools. As an outcome, theproject has created a model which could be used in other educational institutions.Through literature and reading, the method helps to develop an individual's selfconcept,relieves emotional or mental pressure, shows an individual that he or she isnot the first or only person to encounter such a problem as well as that there is morethan one solution to a problem. Using fictional narrative encourages pupils todiscuss the problems more freely. Pupils work in small groups, while the teacher is thementor and guide, encourages critical thinking, problem solving, and ensures everypupil feels accepted and respected. Furthermore, pupils learn to listen to each other.The methods developed were implemented in a practical context with pupils within aneTwinning partnership. Books were selected which were tailored to the age andreceptive ability of the participants, i.e. their reading preferences and moods. Thebooks chosen were novels which raise issues faced by teenagers. Bibliotherapeuticclasses were conducted in both partner schools, during which discussions were held onpreviously prepared questions. Students discuss reading books, talk about theirproblems, possible ways of solving them with the help of books, share theirexperience, etc. These classes allowed the young people to think about themselves,enhance their self-esteem as well as to strengthen their motivation to learn, andfinally to be able to activate it in the classroom.The project involved staff exchange with exchange of experience and good practiceconnected with the development of the method and its impact on students' behaviour.The project's public TwinSpace website contains further information and examples.Duration:2009-2011Webpage:http://www.etwinning.net/de/pub/profile.cfm?f=2&l=de&n=16906http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-SI1-COM13-0088022

Thematic Field: LiteracyEurope: Reading is also the FutureeTwinningInstitutions involved:Colegio de Educación Infantil y Primaria Tremañes (Spain), Circolo Didattico Statale"G. Rodari" di Opera - Scuola dell'Infanzia "F.lli Cervi" (Italy)Key words: Promotion of reading, Reading and writing skills, digital competenceDescription:This is a project for the creation of a children's campaign to encourage reading inEurope and the development of a collaborative creative writing workshop. Morespecifically, the aims to exchange experiences, knowledge and educational resourcesrelated to children's literature, reading and writing initiation, school libraries andencouraging reading, to promote pupils' self-esteem through believing in the creativepotential, to strengthen the role of literature, books and reading among the valuesand interests of the pupils, to provide new literary experiences for pupils to expandtheir creative skills and to strengthen positive attitudes toward books and reading.The project involves 4 to 5 year old children in a large number of activities such asthe design of a campaign for making reading attractive, collaborative "writing",blogging, video conferencing between the schools in Italy and Spain etc.Throughout the project, groups of children correspond across classrooms with pupils ofthe same age. They share photos, presentations, videos or games. Using a videochat programme, the children have virtual meetings with each other. Together withtheir partners, the children develop an advertising campaign in favour of reading inEurope, making slogans, posters etc.The project activities also include video production and collaborative writing andillustration of a story. The story is published as a digital book on theInternet. Children become familiar with the use of 2.0 applications for collaborativeonline drawing. The blog "Parliamo di Infantile Literature" contains the projectmaterials and information and experiences developed by the project.Duration:2010-2012Webpage:http://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/profile.cfm?fuseaction=app.project&pid=37240http://twinblog.etwinning.net/27772/http://infantiltremanes.wordpress.com23

Thematic Field: LiteracyBookworms/Bookworms become actors!eTwinningInstitutions involved:Dunston Primary School (United Kingdom), Siegerland Grundschule (Germany)Key words: Promotion of reading, Age and gender appropriate reading material,Digital competenceDescription:The main aim of the "Bookworms" project is to increase children's motivation toread. Since reading is a key skill, it is important to motivate children to read and toexploit a diversity of media.This project allows students (10-12 years of age) to learn about the culture of theirpartners through multimedia communication dealing with the fairy tales, myths,legends and history of the partner countries. The students write about what they read(tales, legends, fables and stories), and present their favourite books through readingdiaries, illustrations and presentation of the characters or heroes. With the help of theInternet, they research the authors, communicate (through e.g. blog and videoconference) with their partners, and use the TwinSpace.The activities are further developed through the additional "Bookworms becomeactors" project, where pupils explore European children's literature even further,through reading and then acting out scenes from the stories.A final result the project hopes to achieve the improvement of pupils' native languageas well as foreign language skills; intercultural exchanges and learning, developmentof pupils' multimedia competences and development of pupils' imagination throughteamwork.Duration:2009-2012Webpage:http://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/connect/browse_people_schools_and_pro/profile.cfm?f=2&l=en&n=17839http://new-twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p17839/welcomehttp://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/connect/browse_people_schools_and_pro/profile.cfm?f=2&l=en&n=46958http://new-twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p46958/welcome24

Thematic Field: LiteracyReporting without borderseTwinningInstitutions involved:Lycée Marguerite Yourcenar (France), Liceul Teoretic "Dr Mihai Ciuca" (Romania),Zespół Szkół nr 1 w Pszczynie (Poland)Key words: Digital competence, Reading and writing skillsDescription:In this project, pupils aged 15-19 cooperate to write an e-magazine: they selectsome topical issues they'd like to investigate, interview their European partners toknow their views on this topic, then organize the information collected and write theirarticles. All the articles written by the pupils are published in an e-magazine.Among other things, the project aims to develop collaborative writing and proofreadingskills and to develop critical thinking skills when selecting and organisingrelevant information; Furthermore it plans to write different types of articles(interview, report, survey, essay, opinion,…) on various topics, use ICT collaborativetools for publishing, editing, commenting, communicate efficiently with bothclassmates and partners abroad, develop inter-cultural skills, share ideas andconcerns with European partners and bring to the surface the personal interests of thestudents.Duration:2010-2011Webpage:http://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/connect/browse_people_schools_and_pro/profile.cfm?f=2&l=en&n=41236http://new-twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p41236http://issuu.com/ccoatanea/docs/e-magazine-rwb25

Thematic Field: LiteracyBookrafteTwinningInstitutions involved:5th Gymnasio Serron (Greece), Gimnazjum nr 3 w Lublinie (Poland), Primary SchoolLakatameias 6 "Ag.Stylianou" (Cyprus), Zespół Szkół Zawodowych w Bogatyni(Poland), 1 Geniko Lykeio Elefsinas (Greece)Key words: Libraries, Promotion of reading, Digital competenceDescription:In this project, school librarians cooperate with teachers in Poland, Cyprus andGreece to enhance pupils' enjoyment of books through crafts and creative activities.The pupils' ages are 11-17.The project aims to encourage reading pleasure through a variety of creativeactivities and crafts, to teach library services and media education througheTwinning, to apply peer education on a teachers' level, as well as on a studentlevel, to make the libraries more interesting and attractive and to make the pupils"library ambassadors".The expected result is a common blog with all the work and more interesting andattractive libraries with all the students crafts on books.Duration:2010-2011Webpage:http://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/connect/browse_people_schools_and_pro/profile.cfm?f=2&l=en&n=28256http://new-twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p28256/welcomehttp://etwinningbookraft.blogspot.be/26

Thematic Field: LiteracyLet's introduce a book - The Little PrinceeTwinningInstitutions involved:Scoala Gimnaziala Octavian Goga Cluj Napoca (Romania), 5ο ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥΠΟΛΗΣ (Greece), Direzione Didattica 3° Circolo (Italy)Key words: Promotion of reading, Digital competence, Reading and writing skillsDescription:Three primary school classes worked together on turning a chosen book - the LittlePrince - into theatre performances, slide presentations and comic books published onthe Internet. To make the experience more real, pupils produce a Little Prince visit totheir own country, present it on stage and organise an exhibition about the project.The pupils were 10-12 old and the aims of the project were to motivate pupils tolove reading, to help them improve their foreign language skills, make contact withpeers from other countries and to improve their computer, theatre, drawing, writingand speaking skills.Pupils use various techniques to design/draw scenes from the book. Pupils' drawingsare then scanned, exchanged between the classes and printed, and pupils organise anexhibition in their schools. The slide presentations made by pupils in all the classesare put together in order to create a joint presentation. Similarly, all the videos fromthe theatre performances are merged to create a joint movie.Duration:2010-2012Webpage:http://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/connect/browse_people_schools_and_pro/profile.cfm?f=2&l=en&n=43099http://new-twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p43099/welcomehttp://ourlittleprince.wikispaces.com/01.Home27

Thematic Field: LiteracyYoung poets societyeTwinningInstitutions involved:Sc. Gimn. Nr.29 Galati (Romania), Gimnazjum nr 16 im. Fryderyka Chopina w Lublinie(Poland), Γυμνάσιο Ζάρκου (Greece), Γυμνάσιο Οιχαλίας-Νεοχωρίου (Greece)Key words: Promotion of reading, Reading and writing skills, Digital competenceDescription:Poetry can motivate students and present a wide range of learning opportunities.Therefore, the project aimed to introduce students to the world of poetry and learn toread and different styles of poetry, to work collaboratively and communicate, shareideas and concerns, and discover ways in which pupils are connected, using poetry asa means for self-expression and self-realisation. Furthermore it aimed to motivatestudents to improve their use of the English language through reading and writingpoetry and reinforce their grammar, vocabulary skills, creativity anddevelopment of the child’s imagination.Through the “Young Poets Society” project, students aged 12-15 from exchangepoems by great poets of their countries, explore their characteristics and finally,cooperate to write their own poems using various structures and styles (haiku,cinquain, quatrain, sensory-emotion poems, couplets, diamonte poems, limericks,shape poems, tanka, ballad, and free verse poems). All these poems are illustratedwith the students own drawings and, finally, included in an e-book under the title"Young Poets Society: Collection of Poems". Students also use their poems creativelyto make their own video or audio files, dramatize them or make them into songs. Allthis material is hosted in a blog specially designed for this project.Duration:2010-2011Webpage:http://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/connect/browse_people_schools_and_pro/profile.cfm?f=2&l=en&n=35771http://new-twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p35771/welcome28

Chapter 2: Maths, Science and TechnologyA strong, competitive Europe needs a strong innovation basis. That meansdeveloping innovative skills from early years onwards - and inspiring the nextgeneration to approach mathematics and science with curiosity, motivationand determination.Tackling low achievement in maths, science and reading is the main focus ofcooperation among education policymakers at European level - one of the EU's 5 keytargets for education and training. The aim is that by 2020, less than 15% of 15-yearoldsshould be low-achiever (under ISCED 2 level) in those basic skills, as measuredby PISA tests.This is a considerable challenge, given recent low achievement figures for the EU as awhole: mathematics: 22.2% in 2009 – that figure must be reduced by almost a thirdto reach the 15% target and science: 17.7% in 2009.The current EU educational initiatives in this field are founded on the agenda forcooperation on improving basic skills in European schools, adopted by EU ministers inNovember 2010.The Thematic working group on mathematics, science and technology (MST) promotespeer learning between policymakers from participating EU countries to help themdevelop and implement policies to raise attainment levels and improve attitudes toMST. To date the Group includes members from 25 countries and representatives ofEurydice, OECD and ETUCE.Comenius Programme projects reflect these concerns and local regional authorities,schools, teacher, teacher training institutions and other actors, cooperate to improvethe performance of school students in those subjects. Some projects explore how ICTcan be used to address low achievement in maths and science, for example bydiversifying teacher approaches, facilitating personalisation of teaching and learning,encouraging problem-based or hands-on approaches. Other projects undertakeinquiry-based approaches, cross-curricular links, hands-on and co-operative learningto improve pupils' problem-solving skills and motivation. Furthermore, many projectsaddress the need to provide teachers with adequate skills and resources to study andteach these subjects by developing courses for effective initial teaching training.To learn more:http://ec.europa.eu/education/school-education/math_en.htm29

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyEU-HOU: Hands-On Universe teacher training and support programComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Université Pierre et Marie Curie (France), Observatoire royal de Belgique - Planétariumde Bruxelles (Belgium), Lykeio Agiou Nikolaou (Cyprus), Förderverein AstropeilerStockert e.V. (Germany), Instituto Diastimikon Efarmogon & Tilepiskopisis, EthnikoAsteroskopio Athinon (Greece), Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika W Toruniu -UMK (Poland) NUCLIO – Núcleo Interactivo de Astronomia (Portugal), Universitateadin Craiova (Romania) , Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain), VetenskapensHus (Sweden), University of Glamorgan (United Kingdom)Coordinating institution:Université Pierre et Marie Curie (France)Key words: Teacher education, Hands-on learning, Inquiry-based pedagogiesDescription:The project specialises in research in astronomy and aims to increase students'interest in science. The project provides resources for high school teachers andthe organization of a network of pilot schools and resource persons. The educationalmaterial is posted on the Web site of the project. The project gives the opportunity todevelop educational tools of high quality as part of a European partnership, and createsituations at the interface between research and teaching.The exercises developed by EU-HOU are designed to promote active learning bygiving students real astronomical data and the tools to analyse them simply andeasily in their own classroom. The project work is based on actual astronomicalobservations, often acquired by the pupils themselves. It uses a network of Europeanand international automatic telescopes operated via Internet as well as dedicated tools(Webcam systems, radio telescopes) developed for this project. These observationscan be carried out in class, and their analysis with software designed for educationalpurposes. Educational resources have been built in close collaboration betweenresearchers and teachers in partner countries.EU-HOU started in 2004 and is now in its third phase “2010-2012 EU-HOU -Connecting classrooms to the Milky Way”. In the “Connecting classrooms to theMilky Way” project, EU-HOU is developing the first European network of radiotelescopes for education, enabling schools to explore the Milky Way through theInternet, as well as inquiry-based pedagogical resources to be used inclassrooms.Duration:2010 – 2012 (third phase)Webpage:http://www.euhou.net/30

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyInnovation in Mathematics Education on European Level (InnoMathEd)Comenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics (Bulgaria),University of South Bohemia, Pedagogical Faculty (Czech Republic), TyroleanEducational Service (TiBS), Austria, University of Cyprus, Department of Education(Cyprus,), University of Bayreuth, Chair of Mathematics and Mathematics Education(Germany), Projekt Bildung Institut (Germany), German School Board Bolzano,Department for Mathematics and Science Education in Primary and Secondary SchoolsItaly), University of Oslo, Teacher Training and School Development (Norway),University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education (UK).Coordinating institution:University of Augsburg (Germany)Key words: ICT, Teacher educationDescription:The project InnoMathEd aimed at substantial innovations in mathematics education onEuropean level and developing pupils' key competences and their ability to use ICTfor learning maths. As a result, the project InnoMathEd partners collected experiencesof using computers in mathematics education, didactic concepts, pedagogicalmethodologies and innovative learning environments on European level. These resultsare published in a book together with a CD containing learning environments withsoftware.The project also included the development of strategies and courses for effectiveinitial and in-service teacher training. The long-term impact of InnoMathEd on theEuropean educational system is ensured by: distributing the innovative didacticconcepts through initial and in-service teacher education; disseminating bestpracticelearning environments via web-based tools and print media; includingpolicy-makers and education administration as well as the larger public in thedissemination processes; distributing the InnoMathEd results to the scientificcommunity so that further research in the fields of didactics and pedagogy canbenefit from the outcomes of the project.Duration:2008 – 2010Webpage:http://www.math.uni-augsburg.de/prof/dida/innomath/http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/projects/public_parts/documents/comenius/com_mp_141831_innomathed.pdf31

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyBiodiversity Education and Awareness to Grow a Living Environment(BEAGLE)Comenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Helmholtz – Centre for Environmental Research (Germany), Hungarian Society ofEnvironmental Education (Hungary), Miljolare.no, Norwegian Environmental EducationNetwork (Norway), Slovak Environmental Agency (Slovakia), Field Studies Council(UK).Coordinating institution:University of Warsaw Centre for Educational Studies (Poland)Key words: Teaching materials, Sustainability, Awareness, Environmental educationDescription:BEAGLE is an online free biodiversity project open to all schools in Europe. The overallobjective of the BEAGLE biodiversity project was to improve the quality of learningoutside the classroom and enhance pupils’ motivation to learn. It encouraged theawareness and understanding of teachers and young people that European andglobal scale solutions are required for successful sustainable development.As a result, it enhanced teacher's knowledge and understanding of biodiversityand sustainable development through effective and relevant out of classroomlearning experiences for young people. It motivated pupils to explore the curriculum ina non-classroom based context and encouraged them to make connections with othersubject areas. A school in Denmark used this model to build the curriculum aroundan environmental theme.In practical terms the project involved online tree monitoring, supported by acomprehensive teaching guide. The monitoring was carried out via the website whichwould continue for 5 years. This method has been particularly effective in primaryschools which are more used to a multidisciplinary approach.Duration:2008 – 2010Webpage:http://www.beagleproject.org/en/http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/projects/public_parts/documents/comenius/com_mp_142340_beagle.pdf32

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologySETAC: Science Education as a Tool for Active CitizenshipComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Catholic High School Kempen (Belgium), National Museum of Playing Cards (Belgium),Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen, (Denmark), DeutschesMuseum – Masterpieces of Science and Technology (Germany), Technical University ofMünchen (Germany), Hungarian Natural History Museum (Hungary), TechnicalIndustrial State Institute "Marie Curie" (Italy)Coordinating institution:National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci (Italy)Key words: Teacher education, Integrated science educationDescription:The project aimed at the development of science teaching. The activities forteachers and students have improved knowledge about ‘how science works’ in order totake conscious and informed decisions about science and technology. The projectfocused on the building of skills for addressing science and technology in everydaylife (and not only during school teaching sessions, or through textbooks) and forbecoming active and informed citizens participating in issues of social interest andconcern.The project developed a new pedagogy that draws on different fields (psychology,museum education, scientific research, civic responsibility) and methods (observation,inquiry, experimentation, children’s misconceptions, authentic questions, dialogue anddebate) and considers museums and science centres as fundamental resources. Thepartners also devised a series of activities for schools focusing on health, energyand climate change and using inquiry, debate and direct participation in experiments.Other results include a European in-service training course for primary andsecondary school teachers and a publication: "Quality Science Education: Where do westand?" Guidelines for practice from a European experience in the form ofrecommendations for practitioners working in formal and informal sciencelearning institutions. For students it provided different tests, games, questionnairesand simulations to be used in the classroom.Duration:2008 – 2010Webpage:http://www.museoscienza.org/setac/http://acea.ec.europa.eu/llp/projects/public_parts/deocuments/comenius/acc_mes_final_report_2007/com_mp_142449_setac.pdf33

Science Pedagogy Innovation Centre for EuropeComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyDirecção Geral de Inovação e Desenvolvimento Curricular (Portugal), DumZahranicnich Sluzeb MSMT (Czech Republic).Coordinating institution:European Schoolnet (Belgium)Key words: Teacher educationDescription:The project was targeted at secondary school students and teachers and established aScience Pedagogy Innovation Centre for Europe (SPICE). The main objective was tocollect, analyse, spread innovative pedagogical practice, especially those whichenhance pupils' motivation for science studies.The SPICE project is a continuation of cooperation started under the project INSPIRES(Innovative Science Pedagogy in Research and Education). The SPICE project involvesteachers and experts from 16 participating countries. In each country one mathsand/or science teacher has been selected to be part of the SPICE teacher panel,which, along with a science expert panel, has helped the SPICE partners in defining 24good practices, so that they could be transposed and tried out in schools in othercountries. Each selected good practice was tested in more than one country.The project is a successful example of how teachers from across Europe can work andlearn from each other. The positive feedback received proves the need forcollaborative projects that allow teachers to exchange good practices and are animportant opportunity for professional development, encouraging teachers to reflecton their own practice. The importance of assessment methods in IBSME should bestressed and more collaborative efforts are needed. The partners and teachers thatparticipated in the project will furthermore continue to disseminate the results of theproject via conferences, presentations, teacher training, etc.Duration:2009 – 2011Webpage:http://spice.eun.org/web/spicehttp://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/projects/public_parts/documents/comenius/com_mp_502244_spice.pdf34

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyUniSchooLabS: remote access for schools to university science labsComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:European Schoolnet (Belgium), MENON Network (Belgium), Ellinogermaniki Agogi(Greece), Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (Italy).Coordinating institution:Scienter (Italy)Key words: Problem solving, Virtual learning environments, Teacher educationDescription:The UniSchooLabS aimed at improving quality in science education in Europe bypromoting collaboration between universities and schools in the provision ofremote access to science laboratories for primary and secondary schools throughinternet. The project produced a tool-kit which supports the teachers in selecting aremote or virtual lab and developing a lab activity based on an inquiry modeltemplate.The UniSchooLabs activities are composed of a number of pages and associatedfolders that facilitate the teacher in organizing experiments for the students usingremote or virtual labs. The use of internet-based services and mobiletechnologies allows access to science experiments that would not otherwise bepossible, because of the difficult or fragmented access to science laboratories in mostschools, especially for those based in rural areas.The pedagogical approaches and scenarios developed within the project rely uponinquiry-based learning and problem-solving approaches, where learners learn bydoing and through inquiry (science experiments) both in real and in virtualsettings. These approaches foster creativity, analytical skills and motivate learners tolearn through the pleasure of discovery.Duration:2010 – 2012Webpage:http://unischoolabs.eun.org/35

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyStimulating Science and Technology Competences through InnovativeMeans for Teaching and LearningComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Phaenovum Schülerforschungszentrum Lörrach-Dreiländereck e.V. (Germany),Steinbeis Innovation gGmbH (Germany), Colegiul National “Nicolae Titulescu” Craiova(Romania), Elhuyar Foundation (Spain), Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain), St. Mary’sUniversity College, Queens University Belfast (UK).Coordinating institution:Elhuyar Foundation (Spain)Key words: Teacher education, Partnership with businessDescription:The main objective of this project is to foster the interest and take-up of scienceand technology among the European students from 12 to 18 years old. The projectaims at increasing the motivation of students to study science and technology, andto contributing to the improvement and development of key competences. The projectis working on creation of specific teacher training methods and programmes,addressed to current and future science and technology teachers.The STIMULA project encourages the active involvement of the world of work(universities, research and innovation centres and companies) in educationalactivities. The core of the project focuses on designing, implementing and validatingnew educational initiatives. The project is testing diverse curriculum extendinginitiatives, aimed at fostering students' interest in science and technology and theirentrepreneurial spirit. The gap between schools and the world of work is bridgedthrough different networking models established between them.Duration:2011 – 2013Webpage:http://stimula-project.eu/36

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyFly High - the principles of aviation as an opportunity to make physicaltheory accessibleComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:BG/BRG Seebacher (Austria), Steirische Volkswirtschaftliche Gesellschaft (Austria),Hochschule Bremen (Germany), Christelijk Lyceum Delft Secondary School(Netherlands), Inholland University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), Universidadpolitecnica de Madrid (Spain).Coordinating institution:Fh Joanneum University of Applied Sciences (Austria)Key words: Teacher education, Problem solving, Cross-subject collaborationDescription:The project was initiated in order to address the major challenges of modern Europeanschool systems, namely how to teach and learn abstract forms of natural scienceslike mathematics and physics. The substance of the subjects envisaged createpedagogical challenges in a more and more concrete, practical and life oriented schoolenvironment. The project Fly High is using the theme of aviation to teach maths,physics and other subjects like geography, economics or languagesThe project is targeting secondary school students and teachers, and also vocationalschool students and trainers. FlyHigh is producing teaching materials which providean appropriate and practically relevant methodology for teaching physics andmathematics, fostering a problem solving, more self-guided and practically relevantlearning approach. The content of the materials is based on the secondary schoolcurricula of the countries, taking part in the project, and is composed of separatemodules to be adaptable to various educational systems in the EU.All results will be available in all partner languages as well as in an English masterversion for further use. Fly High also organises a student competition "Fly HighChallenge", and a series of teacher training courses.Duration:2011 – 2013Webpage:http://flyhigh-321.eu/home37

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyConnecting Europe through mathematics developing new teachingstrategies –friends 4 numbersComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:PT, SE, ES, GR, IT, TRKey words: Teacher education, ICT, Diversifying teachingDescription:The project was started in response to concerns across Europe regarding the fallinginterest among children in mathematics. It aimed at improving teachercompetences and increasing their awareness of pupils’ needs and difficulties inlearning maths.The partners analysed the teaching methods used by each of the participating schoolsand made teachers more aware of their pupils’ expectations. The project developednew teaching practices different learning materials, including a multilingualdictionary of mathematical terms, a selection of virtual learning resources and aselection of articles related to teaching maths and promoted pedagogical innovationamong all the teachers.During the project, all the teaching staff was engaged in pedagogical innovation.The involvement in this project also fostered the use of the new technologies and ofdifferent European languages and thus increased the feeling of belonging to theEuropean community.Award:EST star projectDuration:2009 – 2011Webpage:http://xtec.cat/centres/a8005072/index.htmlhttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-ES1-COM06-0987838

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyThe schoolyard a place for outdoor pedagogy and creative playingComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:SE, FI, PL, RO, TRKey words: Contextualising learning, Diversifying teachingDescription:For partner schools, mathematics seems to be a challenge and a phobia for manystudents and bookish mathematics can be boring and stifling when it's only taught in aclassroom environment. As a consequence, many pupils find maths difficult and theyhave difficulties reaching the goals for the subject.Therefore, the aim of the project was to make learning maths more attractive forstudents. The project was successful in merging the learning of maths and differentoutdoor activities and setting up the outdoor integrated maths teachingmethodology which helps the pupils to acquire the mathematical competences.The schools created a mathematic lab at every school with educational toolsnecessary for outdoor maths. In addition, the partners learned how to create aschoolyard which supports pedagogy with varied methods for all types of learningand social training.Duration:2009 – 2011Webpage:https://sites.google.com/site/outdoorpedagogy/http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-SE1-COM06-0189939

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyPC Based Math Project for High School StudentsComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:CZ, PT, PL, NO, LT, IS, DE, FI, DK, AT, SKKey words: ICT, Diversifying teaching, Teacher education, Problem solvingDescription:The main objective of this project was to improve the quality of mathematicseducation in secondary schools. This was achieved by targeted instructions with thehelp of modern software. 14 schools in 11 countries took part in the project.The students learned to work with new software and later they developed a projectof applied mathematics. The students used their math and ICT knowledge to develop,calculate and document mathematical models. The project used e-learningsoftware, such as M@th Desktop (MD) on the basis of Mathematical which is aComputer Algebra System. MD supports various teaching styles through its flexiblehandling. The math project was planned and carried out together with the partnercountries.The teachers got a sound training for teaching math with the help of moderneducational software and they came to understand the benefits of the "BlendedLearning" concept. The outcome was the presentation of the different math projectsby the students and a web page, from which all math projects documents aredownloadable.Duration:2008 - 2010Webpage:http://www.lyska.net/MathProject/http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2008-1-CZ1-COM06-0005740

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyExplore Creativity and Innovation in Technology, Entrepreneurshipand DesignComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:BE, NO, DE, CZ, DK, ISKey words: Hands-on learning, Cross-subject collaboration, Experimental workDescription:The project was created by secondary schools and offered possibilities for practicalwork in creating a technological assembly line so as to motivate students' to getinvolved in learning science and technology.The project work focussed on intercultural learning, the use of foreign languages,the use of modern communication media and modern technological techniquesand self-contained planning, organisation of interdisciplinary work forms. The studentsand teachers took care of the design, the creation and the connection of severalhandling units. The challenge of the project was to let the units work separately aswell as joined.To make the project work, the students and the teachers had to communicate on avery detailed scale. Each school was responsible for one part of the project consistingof mechanical modules, controlling units and a mainframe unit. The ability to workin a team with partners all over Europe was a perfect simulation of the realisticindustry operation. The result of the project was creation of the multi-purposeprogrammable assembly-line.Award:EST star projectDuration:2010 – 2012Webpage:http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-BE3-COM06-0237641

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologySchool Math in learning English SMILE + Goal: Go Outside And LearnComenius Bilateral School PartnershipsCountries involved:FR, PLKey words: Cross-subject collaboration, Teacher education, ICT, Problem solvingDescription:The project was created in response to the lack of students’ interest in learning(especially maths and science), and also sought to improvement of foreign languageskills. The S.M.I.L.E. project aimed to reverse these negative trends and strengthencooperation between students, teachers and local communities. It focused onlearning languages and maths and concentrated on using new methods in teaching,which were are effective and attractive for students.The project is a good example how standard cooperation project evolves into aneTwinning project. In the bilateral partnership teachers and students experimentedwith many innovative lessons or activities using modern communication tools,working in a CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) context. The results ofthe bilateral partnership were produced as tutorials or videos.In the eTwinning GOAL! project (Go Outside And Learn) teachers cooperated, planedand shared ideas of lessons outside the classroom, which were a part of ordinaryschool timetable. The topics of these lessons were related to curricula and integratedseveral subjects. Students cooperated and communicated using electronic devices andthe Internet, and worked in groups. GOAL! is an example of Problem BasedLearning project integrated in the school timetable and curriculum.Teachers analysed, compared and used different methods in teaching includingcomputer programmes, on-line teaching and CLIL.Award:EST star projectDuration:2009 – 2011Webpage:http://www.exemple-site.fr/smile/http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-PL1-COM07-0519642

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyEU-EMSET Excellence in Maths and Natural SciencesComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:SE - SwedenPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:UK - United KingdomCity of Västerås, Pedagogiska nämndernas stab/LEARönnbyskolan, VästeråsSt Ilians skola, VästeråsLindboskolan, HallstahammarABB (Automation and Power Technologies), VästeråsVafab Miljö ABMälardalen UniversityMediecenter Mälardalen ABAsköviken Nature SchoolVästmanlands Kommuner och LandstingInternational Education Office, Gloucestershire County CouncilCirencester Deer Park SchoolWyedean School and Sixth Form CentreUniversity of GloucestershireGloucestershire First Economic PartnershipForest Education Business PartnershipReal Ideas OrganisationKey words: Teacher education, Teaching materialsDescription:Before starting the project the local authorities identified a need to improve thequality of education in science, maths and technology, and designed a project whichprovided measures for stimulating teaching and learning through developing ajoint framework for supporting students' involvement in learning.The objectives of the partnership were to improve the quality of education in mathsand the natural sciences, and to increase the take-up of these subjects in uppersecondary and higher education. The project resulted in university co-operation oninitial teacher training, identifying and sharing materials and resources forteaching and learning (by using a web-based learning facility Natural Science andTechnology for all and developing units of cross-curricular work in maths, scienceand technology for primary and secondary schools. The regions also learned frompractices already in place and considered implementing similar measures at home.The project triggered further bilateral cooperation between the schools in Swedenand the UK on students' preferences for learning Maths and Science (2010 – 2012)and another Comenius partnership (2011 – 2013) on how young Europeans couldbuild a sustainable future together, which involves schools from France, Hungary,Spain and Turkey.Award:EST star projectDuration:2009-2011Webpage:http://eur-emset.wikispaces.com,http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-SE1-COM13-0149743

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyTeacher trainers learning to show MathsComenius In-Service TrainingInstitution involved:Mary Immaculate College, Limerick (Ireland)Key words: Teacher education, Hands-on learningDescription:The Mary Immaculate College in Limerick trains future teachers of primary schooleducation. Niamh Armstrong is a teacher of IT and Mathematics in the College, andshe learned new skills in the training course "Using Video to support lifelonglearning".The course provided training in a combination of practical and theoretical information.The practical course involved writing a scenario for video, learning how to shootvideo, use of light and sound, and use of cameras, sound recording equipment andediting software.Back at the College N. Armstrong developed a short CPD workshop for staff, andshared her knowledge with other colleagues. They began working on a project todevelop video materials for mathematics and hope to develop this idea to provideresources for maths teachers. N. Armstrong reported that the course provided avaluable resource to include video in her teaching and learning portfolio andincorporate additional material into her future courses which she hopes will improvethe performance of her students.Duration:The training took place in 201044

Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyTeacher training in robotics brings an award to schoolComenius In-Service TrainingInstitution involved:Kristiine Gümanasium, Tallinn (Estonia)Key words: Teacher education, Hands-on learningDescription:Lauri Vilibert from Kristiine Gümanasium in Tallinn took part in the training courseon robotics, and not only learned modern teaching methods and approaches, butalso improved foreign language skills and established international contacts, whichled to development of new international project.Back in his school the teacher used the acquired knowledge in his lessons and underhis guidance students won an award in the robotics competition at national level.The training focused on one of the Estonian national priorities, namely Science andTechnology. Theoretical part of the training course was aimed at the past, present andtomorrow's changes and challenges in the field of robotics. The training dealt with theimpact of robotics on pupils of different age groups. Participants were learning bydoing, they were constructing and programming robots themselves. The training gavea lot of new ideas on how to use Lego NXT Mindstorm sets in the classroom and howto integrate different subjects to help students to understand the subjects better.Duration:The training took place in 201045

Teaching Maths through the medium of EnglishComenius In-Service TrainingInstitution involved:J. Rainis Secondary School, Daugavpils (Latvia)Key words: Teacher educationThematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyDescription:Ludmila Voitova, a teacher of Mathematics, improved her skills in CLIL (Content andLanguage Integrated Learning) application after taking part in the course “TeachingEffectively through the Medium of English (CLIL), English language, educationand culture for teachers of other subjects” in the United Kingdom.During the course she learned new CLIL approaches and obtained useful materials.The participants of the course had also observed 8 lessons of Mathematics in differentschools in Wales.Back in Latvia, Ludmila Voitova has been approved as a trainer to deliver masterclasses on CLIL for other teachers and she already shared her experience withteachers in other schools by giving an open lesson of Mathematics in another regionof Latvia. The new contacts allowed the teacher to continue international cooperationby developing European projects.Duration:The training took place in 201046

3e’s: e-counting; e-culture; e-communicationseTwinningInstitutions involved:Thematic Field: Maths, Science and TechnologyDun Guzepp Zerafa, Fgura Primary A school (Malta), Cauldeen Primary School (UnitedKingdom), Scuola dell'infanzia ex I.P.P.A.I. (Italy), Escuela Infantil Gloria Fuertes,Gijón (Spain)Key words: CurriculumDescription:In this activity oriented project pre-school and primary children were encouragedto explore and discover mathematical concepts in an exciting and interesting way.They performed a series of hands-on mathematical activities using ICT basedlearning which were shared between all participants. Children were encouraged toinvent and play games whilst they learn to follow rules.To realize this vision the project team work together to raise awareness of theimportance of mathematics in early education, sharing sound pedagogicalapproaches to mathematical teaching and learning and developing essentialresources to support high quality equitable mathematical experiences for all youngchildren.In different activities involving new ICT tools children created mathematical digitalpuzzles and games. Different European cultures and languages are also introduced tothe children. The results and descriptions of the mathematical activities and digitalgames and puzzles were published on the project’s website. Parents were introducedto the website to observe the development of the project and to use the educationalgames and puzzles with their children.Award:Spanish National eTwinning award in 2009.Duration:2008-2010Webpage:http://3eees.wikispaces.com47

Chapter 3: Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)Early childhood Education and Care services should provide a safeenvironment for children, giving them the emotional, physical, social andeducational support they need to start a successful and full-filling life.Recognizing that early childhood education and care can lay the foundations foreducational success, personal development, social integration and lateremployability, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, there has beenan increasing focus on this sector at the European level in recent years.Education and care systems for children below the compulsory school age vary indifferent countries; Member States are co-operating to develop ‘pre-primary’ or ‘preschool’provision across the EU. Education ministers from across the EU set a targetthat by 2020 at least 95% of children between four years old and the age forstarting compulsory primary education should participate in early childhoodeducation. It is also increasingly recognized that the quality of such services isparamount.In February 2011, the Commission set out the key issues for future European cooperationin early childhood education and care with the aim to improve access andquality of services from birth to the start of compulsory schooling: "Early ChildhoodEducation and Care - providing all our children with the best start for the world oftomorrow " In May 2011 EU Education ministers endorsed these plans and launcheda process of policy co-operation at European level in the : Council conclusions onearly childhood education and care. The main aim of the policy cooperation betweenMember States' representatives is to develop a proposal for a European QualityFramework in ECEC based on evidence from research, policy and practice.At EU programme level, many of the Comenius projects presented here havecontributed in different ways, to improving ECEC systems. Some of them havepromoted the reinforcement of the staff competences through training and providingtools and strategies to improve their practices.Other projects have focused on the quality of ECEC by revising the pedagogicalcontent, the curriculum, developing methodologies based on children's diverse needsand competences and involving and supporting parents. It is important to stress thatmany of the projects have been designed and implemented by taking into accountthe diversity of the different ECEC institutions and the special needs of somedisadvantaged groups.A key element of success in these projects has been the involvement of staff traininginstitutions as well as of the relevant authorities responsible for education in thearea.The gathered examples of good projects show how supporting cooperation andexchange programs have had direct impact on improving ECEC and have deliveredconcrete results such as changes in the staff training curricula and training courses,assessment tools, manuals, good practices, etc.To learn more:http://ec.europa.eu/education/school-education/childhood_en.htm49

Thematic Field: ECECNaturbildComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Pädagogische Hochschule Oberösterreich (Austria), Sofiiski Universitet "Sveti KlimentOhridski" (Bulgaria), Kecskeméti Fõiskola Tanitokepzo Foiskolai Kar (Hungary),Universitatea Babes-Bolyai, Facultatea de Psihologie si Stiinte ale Educatiei (Romania),Selye Janos University (Slovakia), Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia)Coordinating institution:Pädagogische Hochschule Ludwigsburg (Germany)Key words: Staff competences, Curriculum, Transition to schoolDescription:The partners focused on the importance of "Nature and Technology" in the earlyformation processes of children as early education is key towards improvementsin the field of science and technical education, as pillar of the knowledge society.They identified deficiencies at different levels; on the conceptual level of content(training plans, curricula), at teacher level as they are not sufficiently trained in thefield and on the institutional level where the cooperation between kindergarten andPrimary school is not adequate developed.The project approach takes as starting point children’s creative and constructionalskills and encourages them to look at natural phenomena close to children lives fromnumerous perspectives. It involves playing and experimentation, building andhandicrafts, exploration of the world, improvised movement and the aestheticexpression of movement, social co-construction, the explicit interpretation ofphenomena, the inclusion of imagination, literature and poetry as well as autonomousexploration through learner-centred projects.The partners developed efficient teaching strategies and scenarios for challengingchildren in transition from pre-school to school education to discover andunderstand natural phenomena and solve technical problems. It focused on theimproving of skills of pre-primary teachers to deliver scientific and technicaleducation. Some of the scenarios are provided in the video format accompaniedwith detailed comments for teachers.Duration:2008–2010Webpage:www.projekt-naturbild.eu50

Thematic Field: ECECTowards Opportunities for Disadvantaged and Diverse Learners on theEarly-childhood RoadComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:University College South Denmark (Denmark), West University of Timisoara(Romania), Artevelde University College (Belgium), Kingston University (UnitedKingdom), University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd (Germany), Instituto Politécnicode Santarém (Portugal), Universitat Ramon Lull (Spain), Haute Ecole Libre Mosane(Belgium)Coordinating institution:Universitetet i Stavanger (Norway)Key words: Quality, Diversity, Parental involvement, Staff competencesDescription:The project shows the educational potential of high quality education and care incentre-based settings for toddlers, in particular for those from low education/lowincome/migrant families.The project focuses on the development of provisions for toddlers and investigatesdifferent approaches to improve curriculum and teaching strategies and tostrengthen parental engagement. The project is based on the principle that themost enduring cognitive results are achieved when both cognitive and socio-emotionaloutcomes are pursued simultaneously. The involved teacher training institutionscooperate with student teachers, teachers working with toddlers and policy makers.The project collects knowledge and experience on how to enhance equity in earlyeducation (0 - 3 years) and implements this in teacher training programmes of theinvolved institutions.The knowledge and examples of good practice gathered within the project will bedeveloped into a European in-service course and a course module for studentteachers. The course material shall invite practitioners and students to reflect on thelearning conditions for disadvantaged children in early childhood settings andprovide them with tools for their better integration in schools.Duration:2010-2013Webpage:http://www.toddlerineurope.eu51

Thematic Field: ECECEASE - Early Years Transition ProgrammeComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:School of Education, Aarhus University (Denmark), University of Western MacedoniaSchool of Education/Department of Early Childhood Education (Greece), Apor VilmosCatholic College (Hungary), Pädagogische Hochschule Burgenland (Austria), WroclawUniversity, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Institute of German Philology (Poland),University of Gothenburg, Department of Education (Sweden), School of Education atUniversity of Iceland (Iceland), Erzbischöfliches Berufskolleg Köln, St. UrsulaBerufskolleg Düsseldorf, Georg-Kerschensteiner Berufskolleg Troisdorf, BerufskollegEhrenfeld Köln, Berufskolleg des Kreises Heinsberg, (Germany)Coordinating institution:EU-Geschäftsstelle Wirtschaft und Berufsbildung, Bezirksregierung Köln (Germany)Key words: Transition to school, Curriculum, EvaluationDescription:The objectives of EASE were to maximize the exchange and cooperation between theEarly Childhood sector and primary schools and thus facilitate the transition ofchildren from one stage to the next one. The project wanted to promote theinvolvement and exchange of views between parents and professionals in bothsectors and to develop connecting curricula in early literacy and language practicewithin a play-oriented and participatory approach.The project used a learning stories approach to evaluate children's progress inlanguage and early literacy. The children were involved in progressively morecomplex patterns of reciprocal activity and challenged by gradual shifts in the balanceof power from the teacher to the learner. These shifts reflect children's growing abilityto set their own goals, assess their own achievements, and take on responsibility fortheir learning. Children's development was stimulated by learning experiences andguided participation and both adults and peers nurtured children's learning anddevelopment.Among the concrete outcomes and results the project developed curricula forteacher training in early literacy and language practice and an early childhoodframework curricula which emphasized continuity in children's education. Thepartners developed methods to assess children's literacy learning which put anemphasis on children's empowerment and capacity to reflect on their own learningprocesses. Furthermore, a European handbook of transitions was developed thatsummarized the main findings of the project across the participating countries.Duration:2008-2010Webpage:www.ease-eu.com52

Thematic Field: ECECFrom The Waste BasketComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:BG, EE, FR, IT, SI, UKKey words: CurriculumDescription:The purpose of the partnership was to raise the awareness of the recycling issue atkindergarten level, with the help of teachers, parents and school staff. Thechildren learned about the waste that is thrown away, what happens to it, and how itcan harm the environment.Thought the different activities, children learned about the partner countries,exchanged items they had made from recycled materials (toys, artwork, postcards,etc.) and enriched their vocabulary and understanding about the recycling issue.Two booklets were produced for partners on paper and plastic recycling withactivities and products made of paper by children involved in English. The exhibitionsof the children's work were displayed publicly in each school for all children andteacher's to see; furthermore, questionnaires were distributed to raise the awarenessalso of parents about recycling.A brochure containing information about the partners, the project objectives, activitycalendar, instructions for making items with recycled materials, etc. was distributed toall the families involved in the project and also to officials. At the end of the projectthe outcomes were assembled and published on the project website.Duration:2009-2011Webpage:http://www.from-the-waste-basket.eu/http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-FR1-COM06-0717353

Thematic Field: ECECEuro-citizens of the futureComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involvedFR, IC, IT, PL, SE, UKKey words: CurriculumDescriptionThe partner nursery schools from 6 countries with different climates, landscapes,latitudes and natural heritage, aimed to encourage pupils to become euro-citizensresponsible for their environment through the theme of sustainable development.Throughout the project pupils created their own “eco-code” step-by-step that depictwhat is suitable and unsuitable for our planet hoping that this citizenship educationwill change their habits for the benefit of themselves as citizens of the future. The ideawas to let children mind about that and together find and exchange ideas to spreadtheir ecological message. ICT tools and video and photos featured greatly in allproject activities.The project also produced a book on the subject of the respect of ourenvironment, consisting of a chapter by country invented and illustrated by children.The travelling mascots were the heroes; their adventures reflect the discoveries madeby children during the project. Each chapter was written in both language of itsauthor's country and reader's native language, to enable as many parents, childrenand potential readers the opportunity to understand the stories. The book waspublished on paper and digital version.Award:EST star projectDuration:2008-2010Webpage:http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/search.php?&P0=A.COM06&&P1=E.FR&&P2=E.IS&&P3=E.IT&&P4=E.PL&&P5=E.GB54

Thematic Field: ECECDemocracy at school, based on respect and mutual understandingComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:IC, IT, NO, ES, TRKey words: Voice of the childDescription:The project was based on the desire wish to make children's thoughts, opinionsand imagination visible for teachers and peers. Following the assumption thateveryone has the right to be seen and heard in a democratic society, children shouldlearn about concepts such as freedom, rights and obligations.All activities aimed at creating in the pupils with strong moral personalities,autonomy and critical skills. Throughout the diverse activities, children had theopportunity to express their opinions (no opinion is stupid or inferior), to listen to, totalk with, to meet argument with argument, to explain decisions with concretereasons.Among the products there were project newsletters, a publication about Democracymade with the direct input of the pupils and a Tool Booklet for Democracy andparticipation in Kindergarten and at School which contains observation forms,interview guide, questionnaire for teachers to use in the future (directly down able).Throughout and after the end of the project the participating schools experienced thatthe project has influenced their lives and changed attitudes within the staff. Allinvolved partners agreed that the project offered a unique opportunity to understandother cultures, exchange experiences and learn to work together across borders andlanguage barriers.Duration:2008-2010Webpage:http://sw.lme.lausn.is/doc/908?download=falsehttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2008-1-PT1-COM06-0004655

Thematic Field: ECECIN.DEM Quality in preschool through inclusive and democraticeducationComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:IT, NL, SEKey words: Quality, Staff competences, DiversityDescription:This project focuses on the experiences in the field of age 0-6 education developed inthe pre-schools participating in this project. Its main goal was to share anddisseminate a discussion about quality in education. The basic principle was the ideathat children have strong abilities ever since birth. They master different languages:verbal and non-verbal, visual, body and symbols. This project sought to explorehow teachers can create opportunities to offer children the chance to develop suchlanguages and ways to express themselves. This idea, common and known on atheoretic level, but not on a practical one, could lead to create new high qualityopportunities for children. Therefore, the project intended to offer and provideteachers with proper tools and specific skills throughout education.The different project activities such as study-visits highly fostered the desire todiscover other cultures and social, political, educational histories; it also gave theopportunity to enforce the idea that the experience about children demonstrates howeducation can be considered an essential resource for the countries and for thedevelopment of a quality daily way of living.The Indem Project Blog showcases the most significant events that havecharacterized the project (as conferences, workshops, study visits). The project alsocreated a "Best Practices Book".Award:EST star projectDuration:2008-2010Webpage:http://www.progettinfanzia.eu/it/?page_id=50http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2008-1-SE1-COM06-0021656

Thematic Field: ECECPathway to successComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation: Municipality of ŠumperkPartner organisations: Happy Kindegarten, pre-primary school in ŠumperkCZ -Czech Republic Pedagogical-psychological counselling of OlomoucregionPartner Regio 2Key words: Staff competencesDescription:Coordinator organisation: Municipality of PrievidzaPartner organisations:SK -SlovakiaPre-primary school in PrievidzaEducational and psychological counselling andprevention centre, PrievidzaThis was a pioneering project on how to develop teacher mentoring skills by usingICT. Its main objective was getting a better understanding of how learning with ICTtools takes place in open learning environments and how it can be enhanced. Thespecific scope of the project was the role of teachers and tutors in such blendedlearning arrangements and the question to which extent self-organised learning ispossible and how guidance and feed-back to the pupils can be organised in thebest way in order to allow well customized learning for each pupil. The projecttherefore did not only have a didactic side but also touched aspects of staffresource economy and school organisation.The project activities were carried in four stages: First, to analyse the practice andconditions of ICT use in self-organized learning and the specific requirements ofsupport for learners offered by the school; Secondly a guidance and feed-backmodel, the “Learn Desk” concept developed to improve students' results inschoolboy increasing access to the teachers during the day as a help-desk and becomplementary to the availability of regular teachers for student support. Next, the“Learn Desks” were tested and finally the results were disseminated in work-shopsaddressed to the regional and national open learning community in both countries.Project results are available for download on the project website and the teachers inVarberg produced a short film describing how the participating schools worked with it.Award:National Comenius award in the Czech Republic in 2012 and EST star project.Duration:2009-2011Webpage:http://www.sumperk.cz/cs/mesto-sumperk/projekty-eu/ukoncene-projekty/cestickak-uspechu.html;http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-CZ1-COM13-0193657

Thematic Field: ECECEarly Years and Equality – Observing and living each other's practicein Early Years to inform quality developmentComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:UK – United KingdomPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:BE - BelgiumStaffordshire County CouncilStafford Children's CentreCentre for Research in Early ChildhoodCity of AntwerpStedelijk kinderdagverblijf (Children's Day Care Centre DeDuveltjes)Kinderdagverblijf Kadee (Childre's Day Care Centre Kadee)KDV 't FoliekeBasisschool UnescoschoolGO! Onderwijs van de Vlaamse GemeenschapKey words: Quality, DiversityDescription:The overall purpose of the project was to improve quality in early year's provisionsand settings and aimed to examine what quality overall means and in particular inrelation to equality and diversity within provisions, early language acquisition,transition points in a child's learning and development.The exchanges of staff (job shadowing weeks in both regions) offered early yearspractitioners in Flanders, Belgium and in England a unique opportunity to have firsthandexperiences of early years practice in the other country, and to explore withcolleagues in the other country aspects of practice and the reasoning behind it.Proactive and mutual reflection help practitioners and their counterparts in theother country, as well as their colleagues ‘at home’ to attain maximum benefit fromcollaborative reflection. The learning and the improvements in practice thus acquiredbenefit all the children of the schools involved.At the start of the project a toolkit was produced to give information to practitionersabout observation and reflection and it provided a coherent framework and commonlanguage to collect practitioners’ ideas, thoughts and questions. The revised toolkit isand free for use by others although practitioners should be given instructions andsupported by their managers before, during and after the whole process of using thetoolkit.Duration:2010-2012Webpage:http://eyeproject.euhttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-GB1-COM13-0619858

Thematic Field: ECECMusEUmseTwinningInstitutions involved:Przedszkole nr 48 z Oddziałami, Zabrze (Poland), Southwater Infant School (UnitedKingdom)Key words: Curriculum, DiversityDescription:The aim of the project was to help kindergarten pupils (age 4-7) to learn about thehistory of the home town and another town in Europe and to recognise andappreciate the similarities and differences between them.During the project, each school selected an artefact (for example a brick from thesecond world war, a plush dinosaur and a coal stone) that was linked to the history oftheir town and sent it to the other kindergarten. Through various activities involvingICT tools, the children learned more about each artefact, which helped them to havean idea of each town and what is was like in the past. Each of the artefacts and otherrelated information were displayed throughout the year in a museum in eachkindergarten to share with the wider community. To assist the process, the pupils alsovisited a selection of local museums over the year and shared these experienceswith their partner schools.As outcome, children gained a better understanding of their own history, and how itlinks to the history of other places in Europe. Furthermore, by seeing the similaritiesbetween themselves and their new friends in Europe, they were able to develop theirsense of being Global Citizens.Award:The project received the UK National eTwinning Award 2011, the Polish NationaleTwinning Award in 2012 and the European Quality Label in 2011.Duration:2010-2011Webpage:www.emuseums.wordpress.com59

Thematic Field: ECECAct-in ArteTwinningInstitutions involved:Kindergarten of Launegg (Austria), Kindergarten of Jules Ferry (France), Kindergartenof Kaparelli (Greece), Kindergarten of Mežmaliņa (Latvia), Kindergarten of Porto deMós (Portugal).Key words: Diversity, CurriculumDescription:The goals of the project were to develop an appreciation for the art of other countriesand cultures, and to acquire confidence to express own thoughts and feelingsthrough art. Throughout the different interactive activities children developed artisticskills and the talent of each pupil through creative ways of activities.Pupils from each partner school started an artwork on a canvas based on the style of apre-chosen artist, and they send it to the next school by post. Every 2 months eachpartner joined the ‘traveling artwork’ which arrived at the school and together withthe pupils they did research to identify the style of the specific artist they had to workon. This way, all partners build together 5 visual biographies. Each partner uploadedthe pupils' work of each phase on a Glogster as well as produced a short video thatshows how they worked, which is available on the Wikispace.The outcomes of the project were a better understanding and appreciation of art as anexpression of cultural diversity, to realize that art communicates ideas and feelings ina visual format. In addition, children explored a variety of art media, got familiarusing art vocabulary and created unique art works.Duration:2010-2012Webpage:http://act-in-art.wikispaces.com/Project60

Thematic Field: ECECOnce upon a time...it is time for our storyeTwinningInstitutions involved:Agar Children’s Centre, London (United Kingdom), Przedszkole Mieiskie nr 13, Olsztyn(Poland)Key words: Curriculum, Staff competences, parental involvementDescription:The project consisted of six story times (three of them were classic and well known,like Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella) and was aimed at children within the EarlyYears Foundation Stage (3 to 5 years), inclusive of children with Speech &Learning difficulties and children with English as an Additional Language. Theobjectives of the project were to exchange story-telling methods betweenteachers, to become familiar with different methods and techniques used to tellstories, to develop language learning with the children and to develop teachers' ITskills. During the sessions teachers incorporated new and different techniques tomake story time as captivating as possible for the children.The project attempted to incorporate all areas of development such ascommunication, language, creativity, numeracy, physical activities and socialskills. The children developed a real interest and enjoyment in the books and learnedto share and interact with each other through participation in the various activitiesrelating to the stories. Learning was also evident on a deeper level, whereby childrencollaborated and engaged in a range of activities, having been given different roleswithin a group setting, using various ICT tools and fun activities, which appealed todifferent senses. To further support this, the project gave way to different learningstyles, within different physical contexts, involving peers, teachers and parents.This ultimately gave children the opportunity to engage with Polish and English cultureon many different levels.The most outstanding result was the progress the children made in theircommunication development. From analysis at the end of project almost all of thechildren (including children with speech and learning difficulties and English as anadditional language) were achieving above expectations in this area.Award:The project received the UK National eTwinning award for Best newcomer in 2012.Duration:3 months in 2011Webpage:http://new-twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p5137661

Thematic Field: ECECOur Feathery FriendseTwinningInstitutions involved:Leikskólinn Bakki, Reykjavík (Iceland), Flataskóli, Garðabær (Iceland), Ceip LaAngostura school, Canary Islands (Spain), St Albans Road Infant school, Dartford(United Kingdom), Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School, Dartford (United Kingdom)Key words: CurriculumDescription:Based on the assumption that young children are curious about the world surroundingthem and the young age is the best to reinforce lifelong learning skills about thenatural environment, this cross-curricular project helped pupils to learn about theirlocal environment and to understand that there are no boundaries for nature. Pupilsobserved local birds and compared them with partner countries.In different activities they produced bird feeders, visited local nature reserves, learnedsongs in native and partner languages and made observational drawings of birds andexchanged them with partners. Pupils also practiced their reading skills using aspecial “Bird” library and taking challenges to read more books than their partners.Flashmeetings helped to compare the reading challenge results and set newchallenges. Through traditional stories and singing songs pupils learned about eachother's cultures.Pupils benefited from exploration during the visits to nature reserves leading topresentation of their own findings using ICT tools. The carried out activitiesaddressed a wide range of topics and were in line with the preschool curriculum. Allproject partners felt a great impact on their schools.Duration:2009-2010Webpage:http://new-twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p16809/welcome62

Job-Shadowing of a Czech pre-school teacher in SwedenComenius In-Service TrainingInstitutions involved:Thematic Field: ECECMateřská škola Karlovy Vary, Komenského 7 (Czech Republic), Katrineholms kommun,Sjoholm-Strangsjo BOU (Sweden)Key words: Staff competences, ContentDescription:This job-shadowing in the Swedish kindergarten was an excellent opportunity for MsHana Komárková to observe the teaching methods used with the pre-schoolersabroad and thus help her in thinking of how to enhance the quality of teaching in herhome school.In her report from the In-Service training, she says: "Children have similaropportunities to acquire knowledge and experience as in my country. Yet, I was veryimpressed that the Swedish teachers give their children far more freedom forautonomous selection of both room for play and equipment - particularly in thecountryside. I was very surprised by the standards of environmental educationand by the children's knowledge, skills and attitude to nature. I was also surprised bytheir approach to assuming responsibility for their behaviour and relationshipswithin the group. Teachers carefully helped children develop and refine theirknowledge. All activities take place in a quiet, relaxing atmosphere that reminded meof a harmonious family. Children get a more practical experience with the variousethnic groups due to the increasing rate of migration. They learn to live with thesechildren in friendship, with respect for their culture, and the same is expected fromthem."In addition to the exchanges of teachers, both kindergartens continue theircooperation involving children. Existing cooperation with the Swedish kindergarten iscarried out through well-established means – mutual communication per letters, e-mails or Facebook. Czech children play the same plays as their Swedish friends andthe Czech kindergarten sent also some ideas and suggestions for future commonplays and competitions. The fruitful cooperation of the above mentioned institutionsshall continue in the future.AwardNational Comenius award in the Czech Republic in 2011.Duration:6 days in 201163

Thematic Field: ECECJob-Shadowing at a French primary schoolComenius In-Service TrainingInstitutions involved:Ecole Primaire Dacier-Angers (France), Direzione Didattica Pallavicino, Palermo (Italy)Key words: Staff competences, Content, QualityDescription:Scelfo Donatella, a teacher working at a pre-primary school in Italy did a jobshadowingactivity at Ecole Primaire Dacier in Angers (France). Both involved schoolswere already working together in a Comenius partnership, which allowed for a verygood preparation of the training activity and a strong impact on teacher, host andhome institution.The Italian teacher had the possibility to compare and share various methodologiesof teaching small children; she worked together with the French teachers from thehost institution in various "didactic atelier" with children of pre-primary schools.Some of the activities were also carried out in mixed groups of children (pre-primaryand primary) in order to facilitate the "continuity" of didactic exercises and allowchildren to be better integrated in the school environment. The experience wasconsidered by the beneficiary to be excellent and with an important impact on herprofessional life but also on the home institution.After the Job-Shadowing, the teacher was able to meet the needs of her school bydeveloping small units of action to face problems related to management ofdifferentiated teaching methodologies within the same class, management oftimetables and activities respecting programmes as well as collaboration andcommunication with students’ families.Furthermore, among the results figured an assessment procedure and preparation ofmore readable, easy and effective documents to evaluate pre-primary schoolsand continuity and collaboration among different classes (in perspective of “verticaldidactical continuity” within the school). After the Job-Shadowing the beneficiaryprepared a presentation with detailed description of the host school, consequentactivities concerning the organisation of school and the working with parents whichwas published on the school website and on the website of the schools' network inwhich the institute is participating.Duration:One week in 201064

Thematic Field: ECECAssistantship at a Portuguese pre-primary schoolComenius AssistantshipInstitution involved:Escola Básica de Vivalva, Agrupamento de Escolas n4 de Evora (Portugal)Key words: Content, Staff competencesKey words: Staff competences, DiversityDescription:Ms Klára Černá from the Czech Republic followed a Comenius assistantship for 10months at a pre-primary school in Évora (Portugal). The assistant worked with threeclasses in the kindergarten (children aged 4-6) as well as with children of the 1st and2nd class in the primary school. With one of her classes she started a Czech-Portuguese project in cooperation with a kindergarten in Prague-Vinoř. The aim of theproject was to provide children with the basic knowledge of Czech and Portugueseculture by exchanging experiences, photographs, letters, pictures and songs.On a personal level, the assistantship represented a great learning experience,giving the chance to improve her language skills in English and Portuguese.Furthermore, the experience abroad clearly added value.Her personal report reflects the good integration of her in the hosting school andthe strong impact the assistantship had on her professional as well as private life:"As our school is small, there is very nice atmosphere. We know and support eachother. My colleagues are also my friends. We talk not only about working matters, butalso about our joys and serious topics. I realized that although we come from differentcultures, we have similar problems and strive for similar goals. I believe that I will beglad to return to Portugal anytime."Duration:10 months (2012-2013)65

Chapter 4: Early School Leaving (ESL)In June 2010 the European heads of state and government adopted theEurope 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.Early school leaving and its consequences for the individual, society and economyhamper smart and inclusive growth. Reducing the share of early school leavers to lessthan 10% Europe-wide by 2020 is therefore one of the headline targets underpinningthe Europe 2020 strategy. In addition, the Member States agreed to set specificnational targets.Early school leaving is a serious problem both for individuals and society. Nearly 13%of all 18 to 24 year olds in the EU finish their education and training with only lowersecondary education or less. That means that one in seven young people faces anincreased risk of being unemployed or in precarious employment, of being in povertyand in poor health, and is more likely to depend on social benefits throughout life. Italso means that European societies and economies currently lose out onapproximately six million young people who could otherwise contribute to Europe'ssocial and economic development. There are many reasons why some young peoplegive up education and training prematurely: learning difficulties, social problems or alack of motivation, guidance or support, etc. The impacts of individual and socialconditions are also affected by the set-up of the educational system and theenvironment in individual schools.Therefore tackling early school leaving is the responsibility of many actors at differentlevels: from policy makers to schools, teachers, parents and the local community.At EU policy level, in June 2011 the Education Council adopted a Recommendation onpolicies to reduce early school leaving. It defines a common understanding ofevidence-based and comprehensive policies to reduce early school leaving and is oneof the tools to help Member States reducing their early school leaving rates. Followingthis, Member States started to exchange their practices and knowledge on the mosteffective ways to combat early school leaving.At EU programme level, Comenius has supported local and regional authorities,schools, teachers, research and training centers and parent's efforts to fight ESL atfield level. In the following pages we have included only a sample of many projectsthat have had worked at school level in specific strategies such as identification ofearly warning signals, provision of specific competences and tools for teachers,development of career guidance services, motivation of students and teachers, healthat schools , transition from different educational levels and cross-sectoral cooperation.The benefits and impact of participating in the projects have been felt at individuallevel (students, teachers) but also at institutional level (schools) that will ensure thesustainability of the results and the willingness to continue working to reduce theproblem.To learn more:http://ec.europa.eu/education/school-education/childhood_en.htm67

Thematic Field: ESLSocial Mindedness In Learning community SMILYComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:University of Catania – Dipartimento di scienze della formazione (unict)- (IT); PMFS.r.l. (PMF) – (IT); 4system Polska sp. z o.o (4SYS) – (PL); Kocaeli ProvincialDirectorate of National Education (KOCAELI)- (TR); enigma interactive (ENIGMA)-(UK); Gimnazjum nr. 2 im. Adama Asnyka)– (PL); Colegiul National Mihai EminescuIasi (CMU)– (RO).Coordinating institution:University of Catania – Dipartimento di scienze della formazione (unict) (Italy)Key words: Early warning signals, Motivation, Mental health and wellbeing at schools,Targeted educational supportDescription:Nowadays, we are used to hearing about bullying at school, vandalism and otheracts of violence in which young people are protagonists. All this lets us think that thenew generation doesn't have the basis of social awareness and civic mindedness.Many articles and studies find that the major causes of these violent attitudes can betraced back to the parental relationship, peer pressure, rejection and popularity,school failure, a system of dominator values, etc.The SMILEY project aims to reach the fundamental target of transforming thedifferences that exist between pupils so that they become a resource for rather than abarrier to integration. This will be achieved through a digital-integrated e-learningplatform and an ERPG (Educational Role-Playing Game), connecting students andteachers from the partner countries, and promoting the use of ICT and Web 2.0technologies in order to test a reflexive approach to effective conflict-resolutionstrategies and best practices to avoid exclusion in different school contexts.A methodology was developed on how to reach young people on important themessuch as bullying, racial/religious discrimination etc. through the use of the enjoyableonline ERPG. This methodology will help teachers to get a closer understanding ofyoung people and their needs. Furthermore, it was intended to train at least 160referred teachers directly and 1600 teachers indirectly from 5 countries on how touse and exploit ICT in education with products such as edu-games, e-Journals andsocial networking for educational and intercultural purposes to make learningattractive for young students.Finally, the project partners created online games for young people to analyse theirlevel of social awareness. Thus, a new approach for each student can be developedand so assist in preventing violent attitudes, exclusion practices and the ability tostart early re-education to foster social and cross-cultural awareness at school andin everyday life.Duration:2010-2012Webpage:http://www.smileyschool.eu/4sch/servlet/MainServlet?wbts:page=core.article.show&68

Thematic Field: ESLPhysical and sport activities in different environmentsComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:PT, IT, ES, AT, BG, GR, TR, DK, ROKey words: Mental health and wellbeing at school, extra-curricular activities,Motivation, Disadvantaged groupsDescription:The project, ''Physical and sports activities in different environments -PYSA'', focusedon the important role of physical and sport education of young generations inEurope. The objective of PYSA was to make pupils to appreciate and discover playingsports not only in school, but outside school hours and throughout their long life. PYSAaimed to enhance variable planning, methods in quality manner for predicting extracurricularsport practice, the only way to make mind and body to work togetherwithout effort, giving them the sensation of a healthy, proud and useful life as activeEuropean citizenship.Besides the individual and recovering actions, the teachers of all partner schoolsaimed to increase motivation with a range of curricular and optional activitiessuch as sports, theatre, dancing, gardening, fitness, etc. Sport represents an idealway of extending participation in educational opportunities, above all for teenagers.The project wanted to increase the value of physical and sport activities throughinterventions aiming at the acquisition of a healthy behaviour, also involvingimportant environmental and sanitary aspects and improving social engagement. Toall partners, the project offered a valid opportunity to overcome the socioeconomicdisadvantage, reducing early school leaving and making the integration of thedisabled attending the lessons easier.Duration:2010-2012Webpage:www.pysa-comenius.comhttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-IT2-COM06-1432069

Thematic Field: ESLHeidi's Education AdventureComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:TR, IT, PL, RO, SKKey words: Disadvantaged groups, Transition from primary to secondary,Involvement of parentsDescription:The countries involved had similar cultures and common problems. The projectfocuses on primary school children and problems during transition periods in theeducation path. It dealt with the culture of students coming from suburbs to citycentres for high school education since pupils in suburbs had many problems whenthey went to city centre in order to go on with their education and they were sentthere without taking any precaution.Therefore, the aim of this project was to find solutions to their problems by involvingparents, pupils, teachers, local and school managements, publicorganizations, the association of school and family membership in the process.Through questionnaires, home visits, exchange of students it was possible to get firsthandinformation about the issues and real problems.Furthermore, the project carried out an evaluation based on the data collected and aplay was presented to the students to help them to identify pupil's problems andtheir expectations. A seminar was prepared for all related institutions. At the end, abulletin and brochure were designed as products and were promoted on the websiteas well.Thanks to this project, intercultural dialogue was promoted and solutions identified.All the countries prepared a CD/DVD to introduce their own culture, traditional playsand dances.Duration:2008-2010Webpage:http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2008-1-TR1-COM06-0212670

Teenagers in the 21st century: between difficulties and hopesComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:BE, SE, PL, FR, HU, PTThematic Field: ESLKey words: Disadvantages groups, MotivationDescription:This was an inclusive project involving children and youths from disadvantagedcontexts from heavily depressed rural areas who did not view school as analternative future. The project intended to provide them with an opportunity tobroaden their personal horizons. It dealt with teenagers' problems associated withadolescence, the different experiences they encounter and the issues related to theireveryday life.In a difficult transitional period between childhood and adulthood, the teenagersusually reject authorities, rebel, and are in conflict with others. Lacking confidencein themselves, they often use violence, aggressive behaviour and fighting as toolsto assert themselves. Thanks to the project the teenagers realised that they canbuild their future through hope, optimism, cooperation and creativity because they arethe citizens of a constantly evolving world and of a new century too. Even if they meetproblems and difficulties on their way, they can fight against them and find the waytowards solutions and overcome the problems, they can handle their future,broaden their minds, and be sensitive, deal with civic and humanistic issues.As concrete results, the partners produced pedagogical material/lesson plans withdifferent activities related to educational issues prepared by teachers of all partnerschools; during the projects, citizenship campaigns and meetings with experts(psychologists, pedagogists, nutritionists, priests, local government, social welfare andadvisors) were organized for students in local schools to discuss the difficulties andhopes in teenage life.Meeting other European teenagers in various countries helped them to become awareof sharing and facing the same problems, which motivated them to work togetherand think about their role in our society.Duration:2008-2010Website:http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2008-1-PL1-COM06-0088671

Thematic Field: ESLEuropean school and professional orientation: a necessity for allComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:GR, IT, FI, DE, ES, RO, FRKey words: Guidance and orientationDescription:The project provided the opportunity for students and teachers from differentcountries to work together on educational and vocational guidance: a must for all.The project aimed at the active participation of students and the collaboration ofteachers with the school management concerning pedagogical, administrative andorganisational responsibilities.The project focused on the importance of preparing students for their future, to beautonomous, sociable, and competent in their personal and professional lives now andas adults. For young people with special needs or with difficulties of learning oreven adaptation the challenge is always superior. The partners focused on the activeparticipation of students in the project which addressed the issues of racism,xenophobia, European citizenship, etc.It is essential for the project partners to sensitise the students with regard to theEuropean dimension of Life Long Learning, professional orientation, the professionsand the job market. The activities were integrated into the regular activities of thecentres. Students were involved in all phases of the project and in the planning,organization and evaluation of activities.Award:EST star projectDuration:2009-2011Web site:http://comenius-orientation-eng.blogspot.be/http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-GR1-COM06-0154572

Thematic Field: ESLEco-friendly construction for the futureComenius School Bilateral PartnershipCountries involved:UK, BGKey words: Transition from school to work, MotivationDescription:The partnership involves pupils aged from 14 to 17 and focusses on the topic ofsustainable construction techniques. Both schools have identified that studentscurrently involved in the Construction curriculum often have poor levels of aspirationand tend to be less academically motivated or successful.Both schools have identified community partners to support the constructioncurriculum and ensure that students have a real life work based experience. Inboth cases the partners, Civil Association Korea in Bulgaria and Teasdale CommunityResources in the UK are developing 'green' techniques of construction usingsustainable resources.The project not only developed the construction skills of the students but alsoaimed at broadening their horizons, raising aspirations and developing initiativeand entrepreneurship within a wider European context; It allowed students to workjointly with their peers in the partner country on a specific construction challenge andlearn about the use of sustainable resources in construction, to develop constructionand entrepreneurial skills, to experience daily life in a different culture and developlinguistic skills and to experience a success while teachers had the opportunity toshare pedagogical approaches.Award:EST star projectDuration:2010-2012Webpage:http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-GB1-COM07-05678;http://est.britishcouncil.org/product_show.php?id_project=2010-1-GB1-COM07-05678-1&id_product=173

Thematic Field: ESLDROPS dropout prevention in schoolsComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation: Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung -Außenstelle NeuköllnPartner organisations: Röntgen-SchuleGE – Germany Alfred-Nobel-SchuleTandem BQGEuropaBeratung BerlinPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:NL – NetherlandsInternational Education Office, Gloucestershire County CouncilHervion CollegeKoning Willem 1 CollegePSW arbeidsmarktadviesKey words: Drop-out, Early warning signals, Transition from school to workDescription:Both project regions face problems with early school leaving and youthunemployment. In order to reduce drop-out quota and improve the transition fromschool to work, relevant testing instruments and methods would be needed as well asan extended network of actors. Therefore, the main goal of the co-operation betweenBerlin Neukölln and s’Hertogenbosch was to develop a “toolbox” for the earlyrecognition and reduction of the dropout threat.Through the exchange of experiences, systematic comparison of different approaches,job-shadowing visits, workshops and meetings and compilation of examples of goodpractice, it was possible to fill this “toolbox” with a collection of partners, measures,bodies/organisations, checklists, etc. The aim was to make this “toolbox”transferable in its application beyond the participating project partners. This"toolbox" is meant to be an important key to improve the networking of regionalactors dealing with dropout problems, and it can be used by any school. At the end ofthe project both regions, together with other European partners, developed a followupproject.Award:EST star projectDuration:2009-2011Web page:www.comenius-regio-drops.euhttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-DE3-COM13-0558574

Comenius Stay on TrackComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:BE - BelgiumPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:AT - AustriaKey words: Drop-out, Truancy/Absenteeism, Guidance and orientationDescription:Stad Antwerpen - Algemeen OnderwijsbeleidCentral Meldpunt AntwerpenArktos vzw – Stedeljk Vormingscentrum Stad AntwerpenFonds voor Vakopleidingen in de Bouwnjiverheid BrusselLeonardo Lyceum CDO AntwerpenDon Bosco Werken en Leeren WilnjkCDO Spectrumschool DeumeCK&W TNA – Het Leercentrum, MerksemStadtschulrat für Wien - Präsidialabteilung – EuropabüroPVS der KPH Wien/KremsKUS Network for education, social action, sports and cultureJugend am WerkVocational school for Gardeners and FloristsVocational school for ConstructionThematic Field: ESLThe project "Stay on Track" tackles the issues of drop-out and truancy at school andalso at part-time employment such as apprenticeships The project intends to bringtogether strategies and good practices in a innovating modular toolbox in order to: -counter truant behaviour in school and on the job - prevent early school leaving -improve and increase the quality of pupil guidance at school and on the job.During bilateral meetings, study visits and job shadowing partners exchangedknowledge and experiences concerning educational systems and policies regardingtruancy and drop-out: - How to prevent, detect and remediate truancy in part time /dual vocational education? - How can we help youngsters to find a job in the labourmarket? - How do we organize student guidance at school? They illustrated andcompared their specific solutions and approach by way of case studies.Partners developed a toolbox consisting of measures, approaches, questionnaires,manuals and good practices. They also developed models and templates to thoroughlyprepare and evaluate work meetings and job shadowing visits. Furthermore, studyvisits were organised for policy makers, supervisors, inspection, schoolmanagement and representatives of the partner institutions to fortify the regionalnetwork. The school partners compared their approaches using a truancy mirror,checklists for evaluation of student counselling at school, in the transition to work andfollow up on the job; the trainers in companies were invited to share their knowledgeon guidance and evaluation of youngsters learning on the job.Overall, partners learned more about the importance of networking betweendifferent levels of guiding and counselling. Dissemination of collected anddeveloped material was ensured through the frequently updated website.Duration:2010-2012Webpage:www.stayontrack.euhttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-BE3-COM13-0225775

Thematic Field: ESLImproving engagement and learning capacity for disaffected pupilsComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:UK – United KingdomPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:DK - DenmarkShropshire CouncilSt Laurence CE Primary SchoolEdge Hill UniversityHvidovre KommuneEngstrandskolenLaereruddannelsen ZahleKey words: Motivation, Educational attainmentDescription:Staff from all partner organisations engaged in, and supported, action research togather evidence on the impact of interventions on pupils at risk ofunderachievement. It focused on how the outdoor environment could be used as acontext for learning to enhancing pupil confidence, self-esteem, independence andemployability and to raise standards in Science.The development of the confident use of Information Technology to supportlearning and to share ideas across the partner institutions was integral to the project.‘Mobilities’ were used to enable local authority and partner organisation staff to visiteducational settings within the partnership in order to extend their knowledge of therange of strategies available to support pupils through the use of the outdoorenvironment as a context for learning.Findings were disseminated across the partner organisations, and shared with nationalagencies and beyond, to build capacity and establish a sustainable network,enabling links between the partners to continue beyond the life of the project. Theproject enabled Shropshire and Hvidovre to better support pupils in danger ofdisaffection, by providing opportunities for local authority, partner organisation andschool staff to work together to reflect upon the impact of their practice.Duration:2009-2011Website:http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-GB1-COM13-0367076

Improve inclusion – Reduce abandon. Solutions M.I.D.A.SComenius Regio PartnershipThematic Field: ESLInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:ES - SpainPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:PT - PortugalAyuntamiento de XativaIES Sant Vicent FerrerIES SimarroCentro de Formación de Profesorado de Alzira (CEFIRE)Asociación InnoeducaCâmara Municipal de ParedesEscola Secundária de VilelaCentro de Formação Contínua de Vilela (CFAEP)Key words: Extra-curricular activities, Drop-out, Early warning signalsDescription:The project aimed to involve teachers, authorities and teacher training centres tointegrate the connections that should exist between formal and non-formaleducation; to create a learning community between the participating regions,integrating local authorities, participating secondary schools, teachers, and teachertraining centres, encouraging the use of the computing platform It also aimed to coverthe real dimensions of dropout in compulsory and post-compulsory education and toencourage and upgrade school integration of students at risk of social exclusion. Theproject also addressed the promotion of use of foreign languages, improve the use ofthe Information Technologies and to use benchmarking techniques to get betterpractices.The results of the project are sustainable, consisting of a learning community forthe participating regions, local authorities, secondary schools and training centres, aswell as of a Guide with theoretical and practical materials for teachers, foreducational centres’ psych pedagogical cabinets, for City Halls, and for trainingcourses. Furthermore, two conferences were held - in Valencia and Oporto - with morethan 600 teachers as participants, surveys were carried out, and institutionalprogrammes applied in each partner country were reviewed.Award:EST star ProjectDuration:2010-2012Webpage:www.iessantvicent.com/projectes/midashttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-ES1-COM13-2094377

Thematic Field: ESLRETAIN – a course dealing with student drop-outComenius In-Service TrainingInstitutions involved:City of Gothenburg, Education Administration, (Sweden in co-operation with projectpartners and placed in Bled, (Slovenia).Key words: Disadvantaged groups, Motivation, AbsenteeismDescription:Maria Noghi is a primary teacher at Scoala Generala nr. 2, Pecica. The schoolpopulation contains 92% Roma pupils. From the first years of teaching there, shenoticed that Roma pupils were not at all motivated to come to school and most ofthem left the school long before finishing the compulsory education.Therefore, she started to look for diverse methods to reduce school absenteeism andultimately school failure. She discovered that these pupils were willing to undergoactivities which involved them directly and had practical aspects. Hence, the teacherparticipated at the training activity called "Outdoor environmental learning"which took place in Sweden. The objective of the training was to give the participants’tools and methods how to prevent students dropping out from education and training.This course gave her the opportunity to learn multiple games and diverse practicalactivities which she could apply to her class. Moreover, she realized the importance ofthese activities and the positive impact they have on raising the motivation of herpupils to come to school.Since her return back home, the teacher has already used most of the activities learntand she could notice that the pupils were extremely enthusiastic to participate withtheir whole being. For example, she went on a short trip with the pupils in order toobserve nature and the changes undergone in autumn. On this occasion theyorganized a team contest, where each group of pupils represented a season of theyear and had to present the changes that take place in nature in the respectiveseason. She could notice their joy and the way they worked in teams, which broughtthem closer and more interested in school. This In-Service training had an immediateimpact on the pupils: the number of school absences was reduced by 20% forher class and the teachers' professional development as they were motivated andencouraged to participate to the course.Duration:15-20 May 2011Webpage:www.retainproject.net78

Thematic Field: ESLViv(r)e mon collègeeTwinningCountries involved:BE, ES, FR, GR, IT, RO, TRCoordinating institution:Collège St-Joseph de la Lys, Comines, (Blgium)Key words: Motivation, Involvement of parentsDescription:The project aims to engage a shared reflection on the various forms of early schoolleaving, identifying causes and defining prevention and remediation. Anothergoal was to develop and evaluate common tools and methods in their fight againstthis phenomenon.In practice, the project aims to make students main actors in the process ofremediation or prevention, through participation in interdisciplinary activities thatpromote values such as tolerance, fight against discrimination, citizenship, citizenship,cooperation, and self-esteem. The project also aims to involve parents in order toenhance the value of work and encourage a participatory approach in the context ofthe education of their children.Impacts for students have been (re)mobilization of their education through thedevelopment of autonomy and cooperative work which are key challenges,improved ICT skills and the development of foreign languages skills. For teachers,the impact was the development of project-based teaching and learning tools andremediation and development of foreign language skills. Impacts for parents: to valuethe work of students and teachers more highly, increased involvement in theschooling of their children, development or improvement of relations with the schooland promotion of European identity. Finally for institutions, the impact was thedevelopment of international cooperation.Webpage:http://new-twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p93420/welcome79

Chapter 5: The Teaching Professions: Teachers,Teacher's Educators and School LeadersThe quality of an education system depends largely on the quality of itsteachers, of those who educate them, and of School Leaders. Teachers play avital role in helping children and young people to develop their talents andacquire the complex range of knowledge and skills that they will need in theirfuture lives.The teaching professions now face rapidly changing demands, which require a new setof competences. The pace of change in the world is so fast, that every teacher needsto keep her practice under constant, critical review and adjust it in the light ofstudents’ outcomes and latest research. Teaching staff need to offer individualisedteaching so that all learners achieve specified learning outcomes, whatever theirparticular learning needs, cultural or social background; they need to take maximumadvantage of the latest technologies and methodologies.In short, teaching staff in the 21st century need a radically broader and moresophisticated set of competences than before, and developing the competences ofteaching staff and school leaders, including those who have been in the profession fora long time, is a continuing and increasingly urgent priority in all Member States.The challenges also affect school leadership and the support schools are providing todevelop and maintain teacher quality. Schools need to develop into learningcommunities where everyone - pupils and teachers - is involved in sharing skills and increating new knowledge; into environments for successful learning and teachingpractice.This cannot be achieved without significant improvements to the ways that teachingstaff are encouraged and supported so that they can help every learner to achieveoptimum educational outcomes. The objective has to be the establishment of highlyefficient and effective mechanisms to attract, recruit, educate, retain and supportthroughout their careers teachers, school leaders and teacher educators. TheCommission has recently proposed ten priority areas for action in its document‘Supporting the Teaching Professions’ (Nov. 2012).The European Commission facilitates the exchange of information and experiencebetween national policy-makers. A group of them meets regularly to discuss commonchallenges in teacher education and to share good practices. These 'peer learning'activities lead to policy recommendations that support national efforts to improvepolicies on teachers and teacher education. A good example of this work is theHandbook for Policy Makers on the induction of beginning teachers published in April2010.To complement this policy work, through the Comenius programme, the Commissionhas also supported projects tackling the different challenges facing the teachingprofessions. This compilation includes just some of these projects, which have helpedteachers, student teachers, School Leaders and schools to improve the quality oflearning and teaching by developing their professional competences; other projectsfocus on school and pupil evaluation and assessment in order to identify challengesand possible solutions. Many cross national partnership projects encourage teacherreflectivity to improve their teaching styles and strategies; the issues of mentoringand leadership are present in many projects.To learn more: http://ec.europa.eu/education/school-education/teacher_en.htm81

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsPROject-Based SCHOOL ManagementComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Agenzia Nazionale Per Lo Sviluppo Dell' Autonomia Scolastica (IT); UNIVERSITY OFPeloponnhsos (GR); Inspectoratul Scolar Al Judetului Brasov (RO); UNIVERSITYCollege Ghent (BE); Universitatea "Transilvania" Brasov (RO); Universidad DeZaragoza (ES)Coordinating institution:Menderes Town Education Directorate (Turkey)Key words: School leadershipDescription:The rationale behind the project was that increased management abilities of schoolmanagers will improve the effectiveness of schools, effective schools will bring upmore successful students and successful students will be a contribution to society.Therefore, PRO-SCHOOL project intended to provide tools to make schools better andmore productive environments by developing a new school management methodologyand project-based school management.The project produced six national research reports (TR, IT, GR, BE, RO, CZ) and acomparative report on school management approaches and effective schoolindicators in partner countries (available in English and in national languages) plusadditional research on school managers' in-service training needs.Furthermore, it developed contents/curriculum elements for in-service training forschool managers, based on these research results. The project resulted in a trainingcourse for school managers.A book on project-based school management methodology and training curriculumas well as training modules (in 7 languages) were distributed to target groups andused in a Comenius In-service training course.Duration:2008-2010Webpage:http://www.pro-school.eu/http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/projects/public_parts/documents/comenius/com_mp_142320_proschool.pdfhttp://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/comenius/documents/Com_en_2008.pdf82

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsContextual Learning in Management and Teaching in Europe(CLIMATE)Comenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Högskolan I Gävle (SE); Staatliches Seminar für Didaktik und Lehrerbildung(Gymnasien) Tübingen (DE); Tartu Ulikool (EE); Platform Opleiding, Onderwijs EnOrganisatie – Universiteit Leiden (NL); Zavod Rs Za Solstvo (SI); Umeå Universitet -För Svenska Och Samhällsvetenskapliga Ämmen (SE); Noordelijke HogeschoolLeeuwarden (NL)Coordinating institution:Free University of Brussels (Belgium)Key words: School leadership, Improving learning, Teacher reflectivity, TeachereducatorsDescription:This project intended to provide tools to make schools a better and moreproductive learning environment for teachers. It investigated the relationshipbetween characteristics of the work environment, learning processes within teams andthe quality of their work.The project targeted facilitators of professional learning: teacher educators, in servicetrainers and advisors. As a basis for further work the project carried out research intothe knowledge productivity of managers and teachers in schools. During the lifetime of the project, teacher teams in 16 schools were involved as associated partners.It developed instruments that help teachers to scan their work environment to seeto what extent it may be considered a learning environment for them. The project alsodeveloped guidelines on how to introduce the framework and the instruments, processand analyse data, provide feedback, make use of the conclusions and how to turnthese into actions and on how teachers may turn their work environment into alearning environments thus developing their own corporate curriculum.The projects chose to measure and describe "quality" within an area of performancethat is relevant for teachers all over Europe: dealing with diversity among students.Therefore – as a side effect - CLIMATE also provides descriptions of practiceillustrating how teacher teams' knowledge productivity in dealing with diversity can beraised.The partnership developed an inventory of good practices of how teachers developparts of their own corporate curriculum and provided examples of how lifelonglearning of staff affects the key competences of pupils and students.Duration:2008-2010Webpage:http://www.socialsciences.leiden.edu/plato/climate/http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/projects/public_parts/documents/comenius/com_mp_142382_climate.pdfhttp://www.socialsciences.leiden.edu/plato/climate/project/envisaged-impact.html83

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsEuropean CLiL in Development: A Primary Phase ConsortiumComenius Multilateral ProjectInstitutions involved:Universita 'Ca' Foscari Di Venezia (IT); Berlin Senate for Education, Sciences andResearch (De); Universidad De Sevilla (ES); Jagiellonian University (PL); UniversityCollege Plymouth St Mark & St John (UK)Coordinating institution:Liverpool Hope University (United Kingdom)Key words: Teacher competences, Teacher educatorsDescription:An initial needs assessment in five countries identified support for teacher educatorsworking with colleagues developing CLIL-based approaches within the secondaryphase but little existing support for those involved in the primary phase. Theconsortium, comprising members from six institutions concerned with initial teachereducation, formed to support primary teacher educators in introducing and developingCLIL pedagogies with their student teachers.The results of the project are relevant for teacher educators, both in pre- and inservicetraining, as well as student and practising teachers with an interest inCLIL. They include a mapping of national and regional contexts (CLIL approaches andtheir application in the classroom), a profile of a primary CLIL teacher (a developmentof the European Foreign Language Teacher Profile); an online portfolio (amonitoring/assessment tool) enabling student teachers to record their achievementsand areas for development, and the tutor to monitor the student teacher’s progressand identify where support is required; and a series of training packages, onpredetermined CLIL areas enabling teacher educators to address a range of primaryCLIL issues with student teachers. These include commentaries on usage of videofootage of students or experienced teachers trialling and exemplifying CLIL strategieswithin primary classrooms.Duration:2008-2010Webpage:www.primaryclil.orghttp://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/projects/public_parts/documents/comenius/com_mp_142328_euclid_appc.pdfhttp://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/comenius/documents/Com_en_2008.pdf84

European Leaders' Training in Education (ELTE)Comenius Multilateral ProjectThematic Field: Teaching professionsInstitutions involved:Hogeschool Van Arnhem En Nijmegen (NL); Akdeniz Üniversitesi Egitim Fakültesi (TR);Umeå Universitet (SE); Latvijas Universitate (LV); Pedagogiko Institouto Kiprou (CY)Coordinating institution:University of Education in Upper Austria (Austria)Key words: School leadershipDescription:The most important outcome and the core of the ELTE programme is the 30European credits' training programme for leading personnel which was producedas a handbook.Another result is the implementation of the ELTE curriculum. In Linz, Austria thewhole ELTE curriculum will be implemented in a Master's Programme starting in thesummer semester 2011 which is called “Educational Management and SchoolDevelopment” (in German “Bildungsmanagement und Schulentwicklung”).This was possible after introducing and discussing the ELTE handbook with the rectorand vice rectors of the University of Education in Upper Austria and after approval bythe study commission. In Riga, Latvia the ELTE curriculum will also be implemented ina similar Master's Programme dealing with educational leadership. In Umeå,Sweden, parts of the ELTE curriculum are already implemented in principals' in-serviceactivities. In Antalya, Turkey, there are considerations and good chances to implementthe ELTE curriculum in an existing doctoral study programme in the area ofeducational management. In the Netherlands it is up to the community and theschools to offer principals' training courses.According to the consortium the added value of the whole partnership can be seen inthe process of learning from each other. All institutions are experts in the area ofprincipals' training. All countries have different systems of training and partners foundit interesting to realise the different approaches of the methodology used in themodules.Duration:2008-2010Webpage:http://www.swap.ac.uk/projects/a-z/0607/elte.htmlhttp://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/projects/public_parts/documents/comenius/com_mp_141867_elte.pdf85

Competences of Professional Educators in EuropeComenius Multilateral ProjectThematic Field: Teaching professionsInstitutions involved:Cardinal August Hlond Upper Silesian College Of Pedagogical Education (PL);Bucharest University (RO); Universiteit Twente (NL); University College Jelling /University College Lillebaelt (DK); Bergen University College (NO); TeachersContinuing Education Institution In Gdansk (PL); Casa Corpului Didactic (RO);Universitat De Les Illes Balears (ES); Saxion Hogescholen (NL)Coordinating institution:CEP MANACOR (Spain)Key words: Teacher competencesDescription:COPE aimed to make a contribution to study the competences of teachers in Europeat the levels of both initial and in-service teacher training. The participants in theproject were institutions which provide initial and/or continuing teacher training.The project identified teachers' competences and the corresponding training needs,both current and desired, which was the baseline for developing a first pilot courseat a national level in teacher competences, with different designs adapted to eachparticipating country.Drawing from the results and best practices of that experience, the consortiumelaborated and conducted an international Comenius course, based on a commondesign, with teachers from all the partnership's countries, in order to help promote aEuropean education dimension by describing the educational system and sharingsituations and experiences regarding multiculturalism and inclusion in the classrooms.It has also produced a matrix of twenty four indicators on teachercompetencies adapted to all participating countries/regions. This instrument hasbeen an important asset of the project, since it has influenced many institutions at thetime to design local teacher training plans.Teacher materials are available on CD and on the web site, and numerouspublications resulted from the project. After the end of the project, COPE hasimplemented Comenius-Grundtvig teacher training courses to take place in differentcountries up until 2013.Every partner institution has developed a series of actions, some still taking place, inorder to transfer the results and outcomes of the project among students to beteachers, in-service teachers and teacher trainers and academic staff. Andtherefore because of the wide amount of connections with teachers at schools anduniversities, headmasters and policy/decision makers have made it possible for theCOPE information to spread widely to a very large number of people and differentdepartments involved in education.Duration:2008-2010Webpage:http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/projects/public_parts/documents/comenius/com_mp_141800_cope.pdfThematic Field: Teaching professions86

Self – evaluation in schools for better educationComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:IT, DE, UK, CY, GR, PL, TRKey words: Pupil assessment, Leadership, Teacher competences, Teacher reflectivityDescription:Self-Evaluation of Schools is very important to raise the quality of learning and liesat the heart of well managed and effective school improvement. It is based onevidence about the standards achieved by pupils, the quality of teaching and theeffectiveness of leadership and management. The use of attainment evidenceenables head teachers to be more confident in the identification of priorities andtargets for improvement. It is also essential to provide the baseline from whichprogress can be measured, both in terms of previous best and when makingcomparisons with other schools.The “Comenius Project SELF-EVA” puts the self-evaluation done by the pupils in thecentre of its activities. The “SELF-EVA-Project-Team” will test and prove: how selfevaluationdone by the pupils will work, how self-evaluation can be done byquestionnaires, how self-evaluation can be done and transferred via computers andhow self-evaluation will lead to better quality in schools.The outcomes of the project can to be downloaded from the projects portal anddistributed on a CD-ROM; more specifically, there is a calendar for pupils, in which oneach sheet for each month a specific main topic of self-evaluation is explained, a shorthandbook in each of the participating schools, how self-evaluation will help duringthe learning process and how everybody can participate easily, extensive report witha collection of all the materials and questionnaires.Duration:2011-2013Webpage:http://www.self-eva.eu/http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2011-1-DE3-COM06-1889887

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsWorking at European TalentComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:BE, NL, SEKey words: Improving learning, Teacher competences, School leadership, TeacherreflectivityDescription:Three schools from very different parts of Europe with specific educational andteachers from different disciplines worked together to introduce new didacticmethods, based on the latest scientific insights to cater for the specific differences ofstudents. The project tried such methods in order to achieve differentiation fordifferent groups of learners thus enhancing the motivation of the various groups oflearners. The project intended to works both ways, teachers will become more awarewhat didactic tools to use for which groups of learners and the learners will learnto select the approach which works best for them.The two years are divided into four parts. The groups of students selected for the trialperiod was measured at the start and end of each period. Evaluation took place atthe end of each period and was reported to the international team international level:per period the evaluation and findings were used during the mobility moment ofmembers of the core teams. The evaluation of all partner schools per period was usedas the core of the visit the hosting school presenting its strong didactic point to thevisiting partners so the teachers got the opportunity to work with the colleagues oftheir own discipline in order to exchange ideas gained during the preceding period aswell as try out the chosen didactic approach together.The teachers were tested for their personal learning styles, this information waspassed on to the headmasters, enabling them to use this knowledge in theirleadership style to develop the school - to develop basic competences in definingand dividing proper groups of students according to well-defined criteria - to developbasic competences in guiding students to profit most from the knowledge of their ownlearning style. Furthermore the teachers learn from each other: about the wayshow to divide students into different groups concerning their learning styles and otherspecific criteria such as learning disabilities, ethnic backgrounds and non-nativespeakers. They also got more experience in designing and implementing lesson plansor didactic methods that address the different groups and are suitable for thosespecific groups and were able to discuss and evaluate pros and cons in the classroomsituation.Award:EST star projectDuration:2010-2012Webpage:http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-BE3-COM06-0236988

Standeduqual: Standards of the quality in educationComenius School Multilateral PartnershipThematic Field: Teaching professionsCountries involved:TR, BG, IT, ROKey words: Improving learning, Teacher reflectivity, School leadershipDescription:To improve the quality of education is a challenge and is a complex process. It impliesa good planning and the effective achievement of the expected learning results, theobservation, the self-assessment and the evaluation of the results and theirpermanent improvement. The project responded the necessity of schools in thepartner countries of collaborating in exchanging information and experience inimplementing quality standards, of generalization or transferring of the goodmanagement of quality practices.The participants analysed the legislative frameworks and the right strategies of thecurriculum following the demands of local, regional and national development. TheEuropean partnership offered to the managerial teams and to the differentcategories of personnel flexibility, a greater opening to new things, tocommunicating with other educational systems, collaboration and transferring ofinformation. It ensured a clear picture of the role of schools in relation with thedynamics of change that work market is undergoing, challenging people to think, tomake an objective report of the reality in the domain of their own institution,encouraging the expressing of personal opinions, of the individual initiative in order toreach the quality standards in their own institution or domain.The project benefited from its own web site which displayed the main coordinates:objectives, partners, undertaken activities. Surveys, photographs, video materials andlinks useful for visitors were also published. At Products there are materials carried outby teachers and students, available to everyone interested. The site is a space createdto disseminate the project, the management and didactic experience, eachpartner’s performance, promoting also the school value; other school institutions havealready benefited from the results and the processes, results, products have potentialfor transferability.Duration:2009-2011Webpage:www.standeduqual.rohttp://www.cn-minulescu.rohttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-HU1-COM06-0139289

Enhancing quality in education and preserving itComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:RO, PL, TR, SE, ESKey words: Improving learning, Teacher competencesDescription:Thematic Field: Teaching professionsThis partnership was set up to contribute to the improvement of the Europeaneducational process, by providing examples of best practices to the institutionsinvolved, presented and applied models of lessons and classes in various schoolsubjects, tackled issues related to school administration, student counselling,parental collaboration, school failure, increasing learners’ motivation, attendance,evaluation criteria and stimulating extra-curricular activities.The project objectives were reached by developing methods and rules that are inthemselves tools for a better, qualitative process of education. It improved teachingabilities and professional performances of people involved, developed teamwork andresponsibility while working in an international team. Active cooperation, involvement,problem-solving and exchanging experience were key terms of this project. Theparticipants also compared systems of education and investigated managementissues, offering to the school managers involved the chance to exchangeinformation, experience and approaches responding to their various needs.The project book of e.qu.e.p. -golden rules for increasing quality in education,intends to make a positive contribution to the European educational framework. Therules aimed at increasing the value of the educational process and it was written forteachers of any subject, principals, inspectors, trainee-teachers. It alsodescribes project activities that led to achieving its objectives.The website includes general information about partners and the project itself,pictures, summary and objectives, the plan of activities for the 2 years, contacts and adetailed Download section-with project work and results disseminated.Award:EST star projectDuration:2008-2010Webpage:http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2008-1-RO1-COM06-0002690

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsFuture European Teachers: Training Kit According To the LisbonStrategyComenius Multilateral School PartnershipCountries involved:IT, GR, TR, RO, ESKey words: Teacher competencesDescription:This partnership analysed the initial European teachers training in secondaryschools, with the aim to outline a ‘training model’ able to implement the postulatesof the Lisbon strategy in the equipment of the future teachers basic skills.The training through apprenticeships promotes a virtuous synergy among thesubjects operating on a `good practical of training' Framework activating: a) Europeandimension in initial training; b) analysis of credit transfer related to the professionalqualification (EUROPASS); c) initial teaching training focused on thepedagogic/didactic innovation, the improvement of the European linguistic diversity,the use of the ITC methodologies, stimuli to innovation through new didactic creativepractices; d ) a space for analysis of European training models, as for futureteachers, tutors, mentors, headmasters .The partnership developed the following items: Analysis of initial teachers trainingsystems in EU; Notebook - `target skills ' of the future teacher analysis; assessmentof the mobility feasibility; Guide for Trainings tutors; `Handbook of good practicalfor trainee’; Framework/ operating profile of mentors; KIT for trainees.All these documents produced during the two-year partnership are available on thewebsite EUROKIT. The Framework is provided in an e-book format.Duration:2009-2011Webpage:https://files.itslearning.com/data/231/64/EuroKit2.htmlhttp://www.scuole.provinci.itwww.nfk.itslearning.com/index.aspxhttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-IT2-COM06-0627491

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsImproving engagement and learning capacity for disaffected pupilsComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:UK – United KingdomPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:DK - DenmarkShropshire CouncilSt Laurence CR Primary schoolEdge Hill UniversityHvidovre KommuneEngstranskolenLaereruddannelsen ZahleKey words: Improving learning, Teacher competences, Teacher reflectivity, Teacher'seducatorsDescription:The project enabled Shropshire and Hvidovre to better support pupils in danger ofdisaffection, by providing opportunities for local authority, partner organisationand school staff to work together to reflect upon the impact of their practice. Itfocused on how the outdoor environment could be used as a context for learning toenhancing pupil confidence, self-esteem, independence and employability and to raisestandards in science. The regional teacher training college was involved in order tosupport the integration of the approach into teacher training.Staff from all partner organisations engage in, and supported, action research togather evidence on the impact of interventions on pupils at risk of underachievementand focussing on creativity and innovation in the area of training of teachers andtrainers. The development of the confident use of Information Technology to supportlearning and to share ideas across the partner institutions was integral to the project.‘Mobilities’ were used to enable local authority and partner organisation staff to visiteducational settings within the partnership in order to extend their knowledge of therange of strategies available to support pupils through the use of the outdoorenvironment as a context for learning.Findings were disseminated across the partner organisations and shared with nationalagencies and beyond, to build capacity and establish a sustainable network,enabling links between the partners to continue beyond the life of the project. Theresulting pedagogical and methodological studies are available at request.Duration:2009-2011Webpage:www.shropshirelg.nethttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-GB1-COM13-0367092

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsClassroom Leadership in Real LifeComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:SE - SwedenPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:UK – United KingdomFörvaltningen för lärande och kultur, HudiksvallBromangymnasiet, HudiksvallUmeå Universitet, UmeåDevon local authority children and young people's services,Exeter, EnglandNewton Abbot College, Newton Abbot, EnglandKeywords, Newton Abbot, EnglandKey words: Teacher competences, Pupil Assessment, LeadershipDescription:The geographical, economic and in philosophical outlook similarities of both regionsinspired this project to enhance teacher professionalism and collaboration toenable transferable life-long learning skills to empower all students to be activelearners within a world class education system and equip them for making informedjudgments within today’s rapidly changing society.The joint expertise across the partnership used evolving and innovative approachesto learning to learn, incorporating personal learning and thinking skills within anenvironment that develops the entrepreneurial spirit and the use of new technologies.It draw together, students, schools – primary, secondary and tertiary, universities,local/regional authorities and associated businesses to utilize, share and developparticular strengths and expertise to provide a European dimension to both learningoutcomes and teacher involvement.The project had large impact; the final conference was arranged as two professionaldevelopment days for all teachers and head teachers in the whole Swedishmunicipality and the UK partner made up the majority of the workshops offered verysuccessfully. Applying Entrepreneurial Learning and Personal Learning and ThinkingSkills (PLTS) in the classroom makes students aware of their own learning process,helps students acquire transferable learning skills and enables teachers to give skillrelatedand formative feedback.The result was a digital self-assessment tool with which the student him-/herselfassess his/her abilities for the PLTS; the result of the self-assessment can be used bythe student and tutor when they meet. The tool (educational software) can beordered and the printed materials can be directly down able.Awards:EST star projectDuration:2010-2012Webpage:mealar@gmail.com;http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-SE1-COM13-0470493

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsStudents' guidance in IT based open learning environmentsComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:DE - GermanyPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:SE - SwedenStadt Osterholz - ScharmbeckHaupt-und Realschule Osterholz- ScharmbeckEuropäisches Institut für Innovation (EIFI) e.V.Volkshochschule Osterholz-Scharmbeck Hambergen / Schwanewede e.V.Initiative D21 e.V.Varbergs municipalityPeder Skrivares SkolaLindbergs skolaLärarförbundet - the Swedish Teachers’ Union, VarbergLärarnas riksförbundKey words: Improving learning, Teacher competences, Collaborative learning,MentoringDescription:It's a pioneering project on how to develop teacher mentoring skills by using ICT.Its main objective has been getting a better understanding of the process of learningwith ICT tools in open learning environments and the enhancement of ICT basedlearning processes. The specific scope of the project was the role of teachers andtutors in such blended learning arrangements and the question up to what extendself- organised learning is possible and how guidance and feedback to the pupilscan be organised in the best way in order to allow well customized learning for eachpupil. Thus the project had not only a didactic side but touched also aspects of staffresources economy and school organisation.The approach to achieve the objectives has been fourfold: First, to analyse thepractice and conditions of ICT use in self-organized learning and the specificrequirements of support for the learners offered by the school; Secondly a guidanceand feed-back model, the “Learn Desk” concept was developed to improve thestudent’s results in school. The “Learn Desk” should increase the access to theteachers during the day as a help-desk open from 8 to 8 and be a compliment to theordinary teacher allowing helping students which are not able to assist ordinary schoolsessions for whatever reason. The concept was been developed by local expert groupsin each region. Next stage was to implement the “Learn Desks” in the participatingschools and a 6 months testing phase. Step four was dedicated to the disseminationof project results by planning work-shops addressed to the regional and national openlearning community in both countries.The web page has the option to download the project results. The teachers in Varbergproduced a short film describing how the participating schools worked with it as a wayto make the school more accessible and flexible for students.Duration:2010-2012Webpage:http://www.learndesk.eu/; http://vimeo.com/34886518http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-DE3-COM13-1040694

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsISATT - ICT in Schools, Administration and Teachers' TrainingComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:DE- GermanyPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:FI- FinlandAdministrative district of CelleChristian-Gymnasium HermannsburgStudienseminar für das Lehramt an Gymnasien CelleMunicipality of TuusulaHyrylän lukio, TuusulaUniversity Jyväskylän yliopisto/ rehtori-instituutti JyväskyläKey words: Improving learning, Teacher competences, LeadershipDescription:The growing importance of ICT in school management is well known and shown bythe growing network of administration with school and other training centers via datatransmission. The use of efficient school administration programmes is standard, butacquiring and setting them up involves high costs for the educational authority whichhave to be justified by application. This also goes for personal tutoring. Set in thiscontext, the goals for the project were to analyse the value of the use of ICT forpupils’ media competence (eLearning), the school equipment (material and staff)and needs of teachers’ training.The main activities carried out were the comparison of the educational school systemsof the partners in the form of assignments to the students of the teacher trainingseminar, inquiry among teachers and student teachers on the employment oftraditional vs. new teaching methods in class and in teacher-training; presentation ofthe results of a test trial; analysis of the relevance of Content Management Systems(Moodle, iserve, Xmood) in teaching; Information on a Master’s degree program ineducational leadership of the university of Jyväskylä, Finland, and other advancedtraining programs (employment of interactive boards and tablets, data abuse andsecurity) and development and management of a website for the project.The findings of the project have led school administration to plan for the acquisitionand installation of new media in classrooms (stationary and mobile presentationunits). The method of inquiries was introduced as a tool for evaluation and planningand the existing personnel planning (Assignment of a Media Assistant position) wasreconfirmed. The comparison of the educational school systems led to new insights inthe area of advancement /support of slow-learning students and in other areas ofschool management (inclusion).In working together with schools and school administration, the participatingteacher training institutions succeeded in developing and implementing teachertraining concepts.Duration:2009-2011Webpagehttp://www.isatt.eu/fi/home/http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2009-1-DE3-COM13-0587595

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsDeveloping "Start-up Support" for new teachers in their first year ofpracticeComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:DE - GermanyPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:ES - SpainStaatliches Schulamt Gießen/Vogelsberg (HESSE EducationAuthority, Giessen-Vogelsberg)Ricarda-Huch-Schule, GießenStudienseminar GHRF GießenDelegacion Provincial de Education de Granada, SpainCentro de Profesorado de MontrilIES AlpujarraKey words: Teacher Career, Teacher competencesDescription:Regardless of the specific situation of the individual school (rural school or city school,focus school or elite high school, etc.) the introduction to the practice of the teachingprofession is a challenge; the question of career companion for teachers wasidentified by the partners as an issue of common interest and considerable importancefor a successful career start.Therefore the project partners agreed to develop and test a manual (pilot version)of common benefit to young teachers in both partner regions, which enables them tofind better access to their first year of teaching practice, to exchange existing goodpractice in partner regions and to highlight best practice examples; the project willalso carry on a survey/questionnaire for teachers in their first year of practice abouttheir experiences and expectations and to evaluate the feasibility of the manual, toimprove it and to disseminate it in both regions.The manual, in paper and digital version, will be available in the website for everyschool in both regions and it is intended to offer a broad variety of “Start-upsupport” for new teachers and it will help new teachers to improve the process of firstorientation at schools; furthermore it will also offer the possibility to identify existingcommunication structures in individual institutions and between them. This mayprepare the basis of transparency and systematic information structures.Awards:It was awarded as Project of the Month 2012 by the German National AgencyDuration:2011-2013Webpage:http://comenius-regio-giessen-granada.com/http://www.kmk-pad.org/praxis/pdm/pdm-10-2012.html#c14536http://comenius-regio-giessen-granada.com/?p=1770http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2011-1-DE3-COM13-1885896

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsSchools in Europe develop talentComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisationPartner organisations:DE - GermanyPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:AT - AustriaRegierungspräsidium Tübingen, Abt. 7 Schule und BildungStaatliches Seminar für Didaktik und Lehrerbildung(Gymnasien) StuttgartSchulzentrum Ulm-Wiblingen, Albert-Einstein-GymnasiumLandesschulrat für Oberösterreich, LinzVerein Stiftung Talente, LinzRamsauergymnasium Linz (Bundes- und Realgymnasium)Key words: Improving learning, Teacher competencesDescription:The project focuses of the different ways that education of gifted pupils is addressesin different partner regions: on the one hand segregate in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg,in integrative forms in Linz, Upper Austria. The best of both funding schemes wererecognized conceptually and systemically analysed and developed. It controlled theschool administration at the same time running processes, extracurricularpartners were responsible for the development and evaluation process, theparticipating schools developed the curricular models and tested it. The study alsoconsidered in this context, issues of gender, migration and transfer to secondaryschools.The Ramsauer High School and the Albert-Einstein-Gymnasium developed specializedEnrichmentkonzeptionen on the basis of their educational plans and offered to designinnovative forms of teaching. Additional extracurricular activities such as theSummer School or College students were integrated. The Department of Curriculumand Teacher Education Association Foundation and the Staatliches Seminar Stuttgartaccompanied talents and evaluated these operations. They helped to determine thediagnosis and individual needs with differentiated measures within the heterogeneousneeds. The development of a training plan for teachers allows the professionalhandling of heterogeneity and leads to a much larger potential cognitive andsocial activation in appropriate learning arrangements. This leads to an overallstrategy of gifted education that is provided to all schools with integrated andsegregated funding available, so as to optimize an appropriate European contributionto the development of special talents. The outcomes, Pedagogical and MethodologicalStudies are directly downloadable in the project site.Award:EST star projectDuration:2010-2012Webpage:www.schulen-foster-begabungen.euhttp://est.kmk-pad.org/product_show.php?id_project=2010-1-DE3-COM13-10380-0&id_product=JOINT_1http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-DE3-COM13-1038097

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsEffective Classroom Learning through an awareness of "BasicCompetencesComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:UK – United KingdomPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:ES - SpainBournemouth CouncilShadows Professional DevelopmentAvonbourne School; Glenmoor SchoolBishop of Winchester AcademyPortchester School;St Michaels PrimaryStourfield PrimaryMoordown St John’s PrimaryMalmesbury Park PrimaryPokesdown PrimaryKey words: Improving learning, Teacher competencesDescription:Delegacion de HuelvaCEP Bollullos-Valverde; CEP Huelva- Isla Cristina;CEP AracenaShadows AndalucíaIES San Blas (Aracena); IES Delgado Hernández (Bolludos)IES Rafael Reyes (Cartaya)CEIP Dunas de Doñana (Matalascañas); CEIP El Lince (Almonte)CEIP Manuel Pérez (Bollullos); CEIP Manuel Siurot (Huelva)CEIP Juan Ramón Jiménez (Cartaya)IES La Palma (La Palma del Cdo.)The objectives of the project were to developing approaches to teaching and learning/pedagogical skills that support the acquisition by all students of the ““BasicCompetences” including the training of teachers in adopting a holistic approach toachieve the above; to encourage teachers in the classroom to integrate the “BasicCompetences” into their subject teaching and to provide support: linguistic,methodological, IT support and the sharing of best practice.It has developed 32 topic-based "Units" in accessing Science through English as aforeign (additional) language; the language-neutral, subject-neutral "Model" which willbe used as a teacher-training tool in the production of the "Units" will also allowfuture development of "Units" in other languages/subjects.The target students have benefited from clearer linguistic access to the curriculum,teachers have benefited from more effective lesson planning and teacher trainershave benefited from a wider vision of meeting the needs of their CLIL teachers inschools. The results are Didactic materials.Duration:2010-2012Webpage:http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/educacion/adistancia/profesorado/login/index.phphttp://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-GB1-COM13-0620198

Digital media? ICT? – Know how!Comenius Regio PartnershipThematic Field: Teaching professionsInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation: Kuratorium Oświaty w RzeszowiePartner organisations: Podkarpackie Centrum Edukacji Nauczycieli w RzeszowiePL - Poland Publiczna Szkoła Podstawowa w CzarnejPubliczne Gimnazjum nr 1 w ŁancucieGimnazjum Katolickie w Stalowej WoliSzkoła Podstawowa nr 11 z Oddziałami Integracyjnymi w JarosławiuPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Unterricht und KultusPartner organisations: Akademie für Lehrerfortbildung und Personalführung DillingenDE - Germany Bischof-Ulrich-Schule IllertissenJosef-Anton-Schneller-Volksschule (Hauptschule) DillingenBismarckschule Memmingen (Hauptschule)Dominikus-Hertel-Volksschule (Grundschule) BoosKey words: Teacher competences, Improving learning, LeadershipDescription:The main objective was to update teachers' skills and knowledge so that they makebest use of the new opportunities created by information and communicationtechnologies to support learning and teaching, and competence development. Inrelation to the subjects taught by the teachers involved and regarding the technicalequipment of the partner schools, the project focussed on how to use multimediadevices (e.g. interactive digital whiteboards), how to use the internet for creatingteaching materials and aids, which computer programs can be used during lessons,how to teach using e-learning, make lessons more attractive and the role of ICT inself-learning, search of an optimal balanced mixture of computer-based and traditionallearning methods and finally how ICT can support headmasters' management.The promotion of digital media equipment enabled the participating schools topurchase necessary modern technology for teaching and learning with a focus ondigital interactive whiteboards. The new methods tried and approved by singleteachers aroused interest among the colleagues of the participating as well as ofsurrounding schools.As the (in-service) teacher training institutes of both regions were leadingpartners of the project all results will have a direct and enduring impact on theircourses and programs. Due to the positive experiences during the project theparticipating teachers, headmasters and personnel of the central institutionsare more capable to convince decision makers of the advantages of self-guidedlearning with digital media and the necessity of appropriate equipment as well asorganisational and structural procedures. The results were published and distributedamong schools and other educational organizations in the partner regions and it isavailable on their website.Award:EST star projetDuration:2010-2012Webpage:http://www.multimedia-;http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-PL1-COM13-11547ict.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=15&Itemid=20&lang=en99

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsCross-cultural practice-oriented teacher education - Interkulturellepraxisorientierte LehrerbildungComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:DE - GermanyStaatliches Schulamt für den Landkreis und die Stadt Kassel,HessenGeorg-Christoph-Lichtenbergschule(Kassel),Studienseminar für Gymnasien in Kassel, Zentrum fürLehrerbildung der Universität Kassel, HessenPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:FR - FranceKey words: Improving learning, Teacher's educatorsDescription:Ville de Nancy, LorraineLycée Général et Technolologique Ernest Bichat, UniversitéHenri Poincaré, Nancy 1 (IUFM de Lorraine), CentreRégional de Documentation Pédagogique Lorraine,LorraineThe project's objective was to ensure better coordination between the differentphases of the training of teachers and to improve the provision of education andtraining in the partner regions. The emphasis was on intercultural and languageskills of teachers and the provision was intended oriented practices. The projectpartners grasped the complexity of both systems and were engaged in theimplementation, information, training, publishing and distribution of resources forstudents and teachers.The project focussed to provide tools and devices for perennial continuing educationfor teachers of French-based civilization and culture. It has developed an interculturalportfolio for support to teachers, students and trainee teachers in training observation,a model of the intercultural approach to secondary education in France, a modelstudy tour in France teachers for German students intending to teach French, centeredobservation classes in school and organised exchanges with French counterparts. Italso developed intercultural module for students in the course teaching M1 German /French or DNL (non-linguistic discipline).All products of this partnership are transferable to other regions/countries and beadapted to the needs expressed elsewhere. On the German side, an association(Frankreichforum Hessen) was created to broadcast the ideas from partnershipthrough projects. All results of the project are available on the homepage of theproject.Duration:2010-2012Webpage:http://regio.lg-ks.de./http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-DE3-COM13-10560100

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsUnlimited LearningComenius Regio PartnershipInstitutions involved:Partner Regio 1Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:SE - SwedenPartner Regio 2Coordinator organisation:Partner organisations:TR - TurkeyChildcare and Education department, city of MölndalBifrost pedagogical unitLackarebäck pre-primary schoolsKrokslätt primary schoolSörgård general secondary schoolAskengren & Co.Giresun Milli Egitim Mudurlugu (municipality)Yetmisbesinci Yýl AnaokuluCumhuriyet Ðlköðretim OkuluGazipasa Ðlkögretim OkuluEspiye Halk Egitim Müdürlügü (adult education)Key words: School leadership, Collaborative learningDescription:The aim of project was to create and offer Unlimited Learning for all children andstudents in the partner regions and go from a teaching organisation to a learningorganisation. More specifically, the project objectives were to define and try outindicators for a learning organisation, to find out how to organise and manage alearning organisation, to create sustainable local and European networks, to useICT as a creative tool in the pedagogical process and to try and evaluate ActionLearning (AL) as a method for cross border cooperation.A learning organisation needs to be managed by a learning leader; a non-learningleader will not recruit learning persons and will also suppress a learning attitudeeventually. Action Learning can be useful for organising learning groups that help inconstant learning, the foundation for a learning organisation. Therefore, learningleaders are the core of the learning organisation and learning management sets theframework for the learning organisation. During the first year partners, discussed thechallenges: “what is a learning leader? What is a learning organisation? What are theoptimal conditions for learning?”. During the second year, it addressed theidentification of the needs and competences of a learning leader and develops actionsfor change and development.Main results were studies of local and transnational action learning groups,workshops on “leadership” and “competences”, movies reflecting the effect of i-padson pupils, learning exhibitions, project logo, website, learning materials and bookletof the project, published in three languages. The movie showcases interviews withheadmasters and teachers on how they perceive their own inner journey and changeand what they see at this point in time. They also discuss how this inner change is thebasis for organisational change. The materials are available in EST site.Award:EST star projectDuration:2010-2012Webpage:http://www.europeansharedtreasure.eu/detail.php?id_project_base=2010-1-SE1-COM13-04705101

Thematic Field: Teaching professionsGlobal improvement in teaching and learning across curriculartransversal subjectseTwinningInstitutions involved:ES Barres i Ones (Badalona, Spain); 12. Schule in Mitte (Gymnasium) (Berlin,Germany); The Long Eaton School (Long Eaton, UK); Perstorp Gymnasium (Perstorp,Sweden); ITIS con Liceo Tecnologico (Crema, Italy)Key words: Improving learning, Teacher competences, Teacher reflectivity,Collaborative workDescription:This project, involving schools from across Northern and Southern Europe, aimed toembed Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) into the curriculum of allpartners. Through learning the content of different subjects, including concepts suchas learning to learn, in a foreign language, the project aimed to increase students'awareness of the need to be able to communicate effectively and enable them to bemore autonomous learners.These skills will allow students to be more successful in a globalised society. Teachersparticipating in the project had the opportunity to develop, test and share CLILmaterials in a wide variety of subject areas including Maths, Science, Technology andHumanities.Through a constant process of evaluation, the project asked teachers to identifyand encourage best practice by combining ideas and methods from across thepartner institutions. A continual focus on using collaborative work andcommunication as the main tools for developing the partnership ensured that allparticipants benefit from the pan-European nature of the project.Duration:Year 2012Webpage:http://www.etwinning.net/it/pub/profile.cfm?f=2&l=it&n=85476http://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/profile.cfm?f=2&l=en&n=85476102

Pasi Siltakorpi, teacher from Finland, and eTwinningeTwinningInstitutions involved:Pääskytie school, Porvoo (Finland)Key words: Improving learningDescription:Thematic Field: Teaching professionsThe ten eTwinning projects coordinated by one teacher from Finland have increasedthe motivation of pupils with learning difficulties and attracted other teachers fromthe region to start European cooperation. The projects were implemented via theeTwinning platform and themselves did not receive any funding from the Commission.They covered a wide range of themes including: upgrading ICT, video and digitalimaging skills, intercultural communication skills, using ICT to support the learningprocess of children with special educational needs, support for transition to workinglife and looking at career opportunities in the EU, and introducing eTwinning toother teachers from the town and the region. The project activities have attractedthe attention of the national media which brought better visibility and recognition ofEuropean projects to a wide public.Pasi Siltakorpi says "For my pupils it has been very uplifting to find out that they cancommunicate with their foreign friends although they have learning difficulties. Thisand all the good publicity we have had in newspapers and even on national televisionhas strengthened their self-esteem; not forgetting national awards that we have wontwice. I feel that our example has also encouraged other teachers to do projects.At least the number of projects in my hometown has increased during the last years.Doing international projects has its effects on everyday school work as well. I havealways believed that learning should be fun and motivating. eTwinning is one way tomake it happen."Duration:diverse projectsWebpage:http://www.edu.fi/etwinning/opastusta/kuukauden_opettaja/pasi_siltakorpi_kumpulan_koulu103

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Annex: COMENIUS ProgrammePart of the European Life-Long Learning ProgrammeWhat are the aims?Specific objectives:‣ To develop knowledge and understanding among young people and educational‣ staff of the diversity of European cultures and languages and its value‣ To help young people acquire the basic life-skills and competences necessaryfor‣ their personal development, for future employment and for active European‣ citizenship‣ Operational objectives‣ To improve the quality and to increase the volume of mobility involving pupils‣ and educational staff in different Member States‣ To improve the quality and to increase the volume of partnerships between‣ schools in different Member States, so as to involve at least 3 million pupils in‣ joint educational activities during the period of the programme‣ To encourage the learning of modern foreign languages‣ To support the development of innovative ICT-based content, services,‣ pedagogies and practice in lifelong learning‣ To enhance the quality and European dimension of teacher training‣ To support improvements in pedagogical approaches and school managementWho can participate?Basically everyone involved in school education:‣ Pupils in school education up to the end of upper secondary education‣ Schools, as specified by Member States, from pre-school up to the end of upper‣ secondary level‣ Teachers and other categories of staff within those schools‣ Associations, not-for-profit organisations, NGOs and representatives of those‣ involved in school education‣ Persons and bodies responsible for the organisation and delivery of educationat‣ local, regional and national levels‣ Research centres and bodies concerned with lifelong learning issues‣ Higher education institutions‣ Bodies providing guidance, counselling and information servicesSpecific eligibility rules:Schools participating in the Comenius Programme must be located in a countryparticipating in the LLP and belong to any of the types of institution specified by therelevant National authorities in their list of eligible school types(link: http://ec.europa.eu/education/comenius/eligible_en.htm)105

Please note also the specific cases below:1) Schools under the supervision of national authorities of another country(e.g. lycée français, German school, UK "Forces" schools). The national authoritiesresponsible for supervising the administrative, financial and curricular regime of theschool concerned shall decide which establishments are eligible to participate. Thisprinciple implies the following operational modalities:The participation of the "national schools" located in a different country will besupported by the Comenius budget of the supervising country (= "country of origin").These national schools can participate in any type of Comenius activity and the samerules shall apply to them as to any other eligible school from the supervising country.2) Specialised schools. The decision on the participation in Comenius of othernational schools, such as minority schools, private schools for expatriates etc. is theremit of the national authorities of the country in which the institution is located.3) European Schools. The European Schools are official educational establishmentscontrolled jointly by the governments of the Member States of the European Union.European schools are eligible institutions for participation in Comenius. They shallapply to the NA of the country in which they are located and shall be subject to thesame selection procedure as local schools. In the case of Belgium, the three NAs willagree on appropriate arrangements. European schools are subject to the sameComenius rules as any other eligible school in the country in which they are located.However, the participation of European schools - either as a coordinator or as apartner - will be limited to one European school in each Partnership. Staff fromEuropean schools are entitled to participate in Comenius in-service training under thesame conditions as staff from any other eligible school.What types of activity?The following actions are supported by the Comenius Programme:‣ Mobility of individuals to another European country, which may include:exchanges of pupils and staff within the context of a project or partnership,individual pupil mobility in the context of an on-going or previous Schoolpartnership, participation in training activities for teachers and othereducational staff, preparatory visits for School Partnerships, Networks andMultilateral Projects and assistantships for future teachers.‣ School Partnerships between schools from different European countries, witha view to developing joint learning projects for pupils and their teachers.‣ Comenius Regio Partnerships between local and regional authorities with arole in school education. Their aim is to enrich the educational offer for schoolaged young people by supporting the cooperation between school educationauthorities, schools and other educational providers in different Europeanregions.106

‣ The eTwinning initiative takes advantage of the possibilities offered by theInternet and digital media to promote European school cooperation,collaborativelearning and project based pedagogy.‣ Multilateral projects aim to develop, promote and disseminate new curricula,new teacher training courses or materials and new teaching methodologies,and to provide a framework for the organisation of mobility activities forstudentteachers.‣ Multilateral Networks aim to promote European co-operation and innovationin specific thematic areas of particular importance to school education in aEuropean context.‣ Accompanying measures aim to support various activities which will clearlycontribute to achieving the Comenius Programme objectives.What are the COMENIUS actions?‣ COMENIUS Preparatory Visits‣ COMENIUS Assistantships (Assistants)‣ COMENIUS Assistantships (Host Schools)‣ COMENIUS Individual Pupil Mobility‣ COMENIUS In-Service Training for Teachers and other Educational Staff (IST)‣ COMENIUS Multilateral school partnerships‣ COMENIUS Bilateral school partnerships‣ COMENIUS Regio Partnerships‣ COMENIUS Multilateral projects‣ COMENIUS Multilateral networks‣ COMENIUS Accompanying measures‣ eTwinningTo learn more:http://ec.europa.eu/education/llp/official-documents-on-the-llp_en.htm107