Erasmus+ 2023

 

Μέλη του Συλλόγου Αγγλικής Γλώσσας & Φιλολογίας του Ν. Λάρισας στο Βερολίνο και τη Νίκαια της Γαλλίας στο πλαίσιο του διαπιστευμένου σχεδίου Erasmus+

2023-1-EL01-KA121-ADU-000135987

Ο Σύλλογος Εκπαιδευτικών Αγγλικής Γλώσσας & Φιλολογίας ν. Λάρισας (ETAL), ως διαπιστευμένος οργανισμός Erasmus, δίνει την ευκαιρία στα μέλη του να παρακολουθήσουν επιμορφωτικά προγράμματα σε Ευρωπαϊκούς εκπαιδευτικούς οργανισμούς με στόχο την επαγγελματική τους ανάπτυξη και ενδυνάμωση αλλά και την ανάπτυξη και τη βιωσιμότητα του ίδιου του Οργανισμού. 

Στο πλαίσιο του διαπιστευμένου σχεδίου Erasmus+ με αριθμό  KA121-2023-1-EL01-KA121-ADU-000135987, και στο διάστημα από 9/10/2023 έως 14/10/ 2023  πραγματοποίησε δύο κινητικότητες στις οποίες συμμετείχαν έξι εκπαιδευτικοί-μέλη του Συλλόγου. 

Η  πρώτη κινητικότητα πραγματοποιήθηκε στο Βερολίνο της Γερμανίας. Στην κινητικότητα αυτή συμμετείχαν τρία μέλη του Συλλόγου, η κ. Χάιδω Κολίτσα, η κ. Χρύσα Τάσιου και η κ. Μαρίνα Κολλάτου, Πρόεδρος της ΕΤΑΛ. Οι τρεις εκπαιδευτικοί παρακολούθησαν το πρόγραμμα επιμόρφωσης Design thinking for Educators που αφορούσε την παιδαγωγική προσέγγιση της Σχεδιαστικής Σκέψης, η εφαρμογή της οποίας βοηθά στην ανάπτυξη των δεξιοτήτων της δημιουργικότητας, της επίλυσης προβλήματος, της καινοτομίας. Το επιμορφωτικό πρόγραμμα προσέφερε ο Οργανισμός Europass Academy Berlin μέλος του δικτύου Europass Teacher Academy.

members of ETAL in Berlin attending the “Design Thinking for Educators” training course as part of the Erasmus+ accredited project 2023-1-EL01-KA121-ADU-000135987

In the framework of the accredited Erasmus+ KA121 project 2023-1-EL01-KA121-ADU-000135987, the English Teachers’ Association of Larissa (ETAL) realized the first mobility to Berlin, Germany from 9/10/2023 to 14/10/2023. Three members of ETAL participated in this mobility, that is Chaido Kolitsa, Chryssa Tasiou, and Marina Kollatou, Chair of ETAL. 

They attended the course “Design Τhinking for Educators” run by Europass Teacher Academy in Berlin

Their trainer was a passionate and efficient educator, Ms Barbara Di Stefano. The main objective of the course was the development of skills like creativity, problem-solving, and innovation. 

On the first day of the course (9/10/2023), the participants were involved in ice-breaking activities like collaborative portraying. They gave short presentations about themselves, their country of origin, and their field of work so they could get to know one another in the group better. The real introduction to the course was made with the "Design your logo" activity. Reflecting on the activity, it was made clear that to find a solution to a problem, it is of utmost importance to formulate the driving question which in that particular case was “How to design a logo (or anything) that would communicate something about themselves”.

On the second day (10/10/2023) of the course, the participants delved into the very sense of Design thinking theory. They got involved in the design thinking process, they reflected on it and they tried to come up with a definition. Then, with the help of their trainer Barbara Di Stefano, and her cleverly designed teaching which was enriched with expert interviews on the topic, online and printed resources, and thought-provoking activities, they started feeling more confident with their subject. 

The third day (11/10/2023) started with a challenging activity: to make music at Europass Berlin by using a fixing tools box. 

Following the stages of the design thinking process, the participants ended up composing music that surprised them all. The aim of the activity was not only to put theory into practice but also to help them realize that there is no limit to the materials we can use to achieve a goal. The second activity aimed at understanding the essence of “empathizing” one of the design thinking components. After reading the article “Powerpoint is evil”, the participants discussed the points made and they decided to investigate the issue even further. This way they got involved in the empathizing process by interviewing one another to collect data and define the problem. They kept working even after the day’s program had finished.

The fourth day’s session (12/10/2023) started with the presentation of the conclusions drawn from the data analysis collected from the previous day’s interviews. Then, the course participants went on to comprehend the "empathy map", a useful tool that helps view a problem from the users' perspective. This process led to the specification of the problem at hand with accuracy, which is a key stage towards solving it. The next step involved the ideation phase and several techniques that are available for designers. 

On 13th October, the fifth day of the course, the participants designed several prototypes and tested their product, which was a new tool for presenting information that allows bad speakers to satisfy their audience. 

Full of emotions of fulfillment, satisfaction, and pride, they celebrated the certificate awarding ceremony. 

Besides the rich knowledge and skills provided in the course, the participants had the chance to interact, collaborate, and communicate with educators of other training courses running at Europass Academy Berlin’s premises, which offered our participants insights into the educational systems in other European countries. 

The whole learning experience was augmented by visits to Museums like the Futurium that inspired us, and other sites like the Pergamon Museum Panorama exhibition, the Brandenburg Gate, the Berliner Dom, the Deutscher Bundestag/Reichstag, the Alexander Platz, the East Side Gallery, the Opera, and walks on the banks of the river Spree and at Museumsinsel, to name a few. 

Evaluating the whole experience, course, and trip leads to the conclusion that this mobility benefited the participants in many ways. They learned how to apply design thinking in their daily work and how to understand the unique needs around specific challenges. They enhanced their creative problem-solving skills and innovation mindset and developed a strong understanding of the design process and how they can apply it in and out of the classroom. Finally, they came up with and tested innovative ideas through experimentation. They also developed project-planning skills and skills like active listening, effective communication, self-esteem, and self-confidence. A positive impact on our Organisation’s (ETAL) growth is expected to be seen. 

ETAL'S second Erasmus+ Mobility

ETAL participated in the training course " The Collaborative Classroom: Teachers as Coaches, Classrooms as Teams" in Nice from 9th October to 14th October 2023 run by Europass Teacher Academy.  ETAL was represented by our members Doula Eirini, Natsiouli Maria and Evangelia Papapostolou. The group of participants consisted of 14 members coming from Estonia, Lithuania, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Greece.

The workings of the programme started with an introduction to the city and the course by our instructor, Ruby Soames. The members of the group introduced themselves, their schools/organizations and their countries. A line out of the course was presented. Pre assessment and goal setting activities took place in reference to the key terms of the course “Collaboration and Coaching”. We delved into the workings of coaching as a term and practice. Brainstorming activities about coaching and the role of the coach took place, the G.R.O.W. strategies (Goal setting,Reality,Options,Will) were discussed, the Relationship between students and the coach-facilitator was brought up and was elaborated on and the implications of the term Active Listening were exemplified through group activities.

We also discussed about the essential agreements for collaborative classrooms as well as the values and principles of Coaches. In groups, the Strategies involved in getting students to collaborate were outlined. The Probing Protocol for professional learning was modelled and exemplified by working on probing questions in groups. 

Activities further on focused on positive and negative emotions, since they are so important in the learning process. A Success Analysis Protocol was also examined. We also had the chance to exchange our views with colleagues on the most effective strategy promoting collaboration. Finally, the strategies of the " fishbowl debate" and " the tug of war" were presented. There was time for reflection on the whole week's workings too and we all pondered on the question whether our initial goals were accomplished. In groups we designed a lesson plan based on the techniques of collaborative learning and presentations as a follow up.

In our cultural programme we toured the Old City, the Promenade des Anglais and explored the whole city's history which dates back to ancient times and is connected to the greek civilisation (Nice, Νίκαια , η νικηφόρος πόλη). Hidden gems around the city were discovered together with our colleagues and networking took place in the afternoons when the lessons were over. We moreover had the chance to visit the National Museum of Marc Chagall and immerse into a multi-sensory experience.

This fruitful and constructive week has empowered, enriched and developed all of us professionally, culturally, cognitively and personally.

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