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Teaching in Europe – Europe in teaching

Content

The module ‘teaching in Europe, Europe in teaching’ will focus on how the two concepts ‘teaching’ and ‘Europe’ stand in relation with each other. During these three weeks, we will analyze this symbiosis more closely by weekly changing our focus going from micro, meso to macro level.

Micro level

  • Challenges for Education
  • Visiting interesting spots in Copenhagen whilst combining stories, statues and materials in the influence of the society on the individual.
  • Visiting a museum: art as social criticism
  • Introducing storytelling and multilingualism
  • City tour: The city as a gate to art, culture and society

Meso level

  • The differences and similarities in teaching and school curricula will be discussed.
  • Formal and non-formal education: a challenging dilemma …
  • The implementation of Erasmus+ projects for elementary and secondary schools
  • The organization of International and European schools
  • What does school structure and school climate tell us about perspectives on education

Macro level

  • Diversity and education:
    • 17 sustainable development goals (United Nations) – UNESCO: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning
    • European Union: What is an European teacher?
    • What is intercultural education?
    • What is culture? Identity? Perceptions, avoiding stereotyping
    • Intercultural attitude of a teacher
    • Discovering if Copenhagen is an intercultural city (excursion)
  • Interculturality in education:
    • in languages
    • in sciences
    • in teaching materials
    • in teacher’s attitude

Learning aims

Main objective:

Comparing educational systems on micro (classroom activities), meso (schools) and macro level (policy).

Knowledge aims – the student knows about:

  • The history and actual situation on educational, political and societal of the student’s own country and Europe as a whole. A teacher is a practitioner in culture and society and must be able to guide students in their discovery of the world.
  • To be able to compare educational systems on micro (classroom activities), meso (schools) and macro level (policy)
  • Be able to express in own words the European funded Erasmus+ possibilities regarding to international cooperation in the field of education.
  • Point out the main differences between formal and non-formal learning
  • Be able to explain the differences between international and European schools based on their curricula and standards

Skills aims – the students can:

  • Establishing an understanding and awareness of (inter)cultural teaching
  • Be aware of some characteristics of different cultures and introduce them in education
  • Bridge the differences between cultures and discover the link between culture and education
  • Express yourself in a relaxed and individual way using words, body, and materials in order to show the previous aims
  • Discover the power of art, multilingualism, and storytelling for educational purposes.
  • Be able to write out a draft for an Erasmus+ KA2 project

Literature

Byram, M., Barrett, M. D., Ipgrave, J., Jackson, R., & Mendez-Garcia, M. C. (2009). Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters: Context, Concepts and Theories. Strasbourg: Language Policy Division, Council of Europe Publishing. Retrieved July 22, 2015, from: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/autobiography/default_en.asp#lien_inactif

Hempen, B., & Vanleke, M. (2013). Chapter 2. Education in Flanders. In: M. A. Brown & J. White (eds.), Exploring Childhood in a Comparative Context: An introductory guide for students (pp. 16-27). London: Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-69651-7 (hardcover) 195 p.

Hempen, B. (2011) ETSize: European teachers synthesize part 2 of 4. In F. Bakker, H. Vogl, B. Hempen & M. Vanleke (eds.), e-Book on European Citizenship (pp. 8-11). Brussel: HUB-EHSAL vzw. 71 p.

OECD (2017), Education at a Glance 2017: OECD Indicators. Paris: OECD, https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2017_eag-2017-en

Hattie, J. (2008) Visible learning, A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. London: Routledge

Baker, T. J. (2012) The international Baccalaureate program. Washington DC: IB Global Centre.

European Union (2013) European Schools’ 60th anniversary (1953-2013). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union

Burdon, M. (2014) Lifelong learning from the ‘70s to Erasmus for all: A rising concept. in Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 116 ( 2014 ) 3005 – 3009

European Union () Lifelong learning programme: Comenius: good practices examples. Luxembourg: Publications office of the European Union

Assignments

1. Pre assignments

  • Prepare a presentation of your own educational system, which you compare with the Danish system (as well differences as similarities) in maximum 5 slides and 10 minutes . You can present the educational system in group by country. Contact your compatriots.
  • Bring pictures of artworks by their favorite artist, and search for some background information (all types: statues, paintings, buildings, books…)

2. Assignments

  • Based on the European Council’s intercultural cities (ICC) index, define if Copenhagen is an intercultural city? Are ICC-interesting institutions present? Visit an institute and explain how it contributes to Copenhagen being an intercultural city? Also describe how you can involve your pupils?
  • Record yourself telling an existing story (legend) with reference to multilingualism relating to an object or place in the city that reminds you of your own country.
  • Create and present expression activities
  • Design a poster with your group about your Erasmus+ KA 2 strategic partnership project. At the end of the week, you will give a short presentation. You will also hand in your project proposal.

Mandatory tasks for project days at schools

  1. Observation (make a reflection in your portfolio):
    a. Which aspects do you consider as valuable to an intercultural school climate where students feel welcome and are stimulated to make social contacts?
    b. Which aspects do you consider as valuable to an intercultural classroom where students are stimulated to learn?
    c. Based upon your own experiences with school teachers, which aspects do you consider as valuable to intercultural teaching? What makes a teacher an “intercultural” teacher: didactical and relational aspects?
  2. At the school, students will work together with pupils on storytelling. For example: students will draw a cover for a similar story, tell existing stories about themselves based on/by means of a picture ..
  3. Students should try to bring the outside world in the class or even better go with the schoolchildren outside to discover art at their level and try to let the children get involved with the theme or the thoughts that lie underneath.
  4. Go in dialogue with your teacher and/or management of your school based on your reflections and interviews during the whole semester. Determine a subject for an Erasmus+ KA2 project that will result in a, for your internship school, filled in application form.

Assessment Criteria:

Formative evaluation

  • Each week every the students will receive formative feedback from the lecturers regarding their participation and their product.

Summative evaluation

  • At the end of the module, all students will receive a score based on their overall participation and product. See online learning platform for more information.

Peerevaluation

  • At the end of the module, all students will score each other based on their overall participation and product.

Score ratio*: summative evaluation 70% + peerevaluation 30%