learning

Overview

The main thematic area of the network is Learning About Migration and Intecultural Relations (LearningMigration) . This means sharing experience and best practice of how best to deal with the educational challenge of the increasing number of immigrants into Europe, and also the greater movement of people between European countries. It also means integrating a better understanding of the phenomenon of migration into daily teaching in all parts of the educational community. It further means involving educational authorities in this network of educators with the purpose of testing how governmental plans and reforms are implemented in schools and teacher training, and also involves research institutions and NGOS in this process. Subthemes are Learning About Migration and Intercultural Relations in these areas: a: exchange of practices from teachers' daily school work b: exchange of didactical reflection and research between educators in teacher training c: analysis of relevant rules/regulations and evaluation of success and failures in implementing rules/regulations in schools. d: exchange of views on how best to involve NGOs in order to support schools and teacher training. Further , to make certain that the main theme and mentioned subthemes can be turned into practical working areas to organize a large network of institutions into well working transnational seminar groups of (a) local schools, (b) teacher training institutions, (c) institutions of didactical research, and (d) educational authorities that will discuss educational challenges in a comparative and sharing manner (an independent group for NGOs will not be set up). In addition, to organize within each participating country a group of 4-8 regionally based institutions that will act together in a complementary manner to solve practical problems in this field: (a) local schools acting together with (b) teacher training and (c) didactical research, with the understanding and support of (d) educational authorities. Also with collaboration of (e) NGOs working with migration and intercultural relations in that particular region or province. Thus there will established a parallel framework of collaborating institutions with overlapping membership: separate transnational seminar groups of educational authorities, of schools, of teacher training institutions, of research institutions on one hand, and on the other hand the regionally based groups in each country lead by a national coordinating institution that will assist the overall coordinator in managing this large network.

Migration is growing, and with it is also growing the challenge of living together across cultural boundaries. These challenges (and often they are problems more than just challenges) are important in education and didactical/pedagogical research. So important, in fact, that we believe that the working together of teachers in local schools with teacher training institutions and pedagogical research institutions is essential to enhance the practical understanding of what migration is and how it deeply affects intercultural relations, and thereby the everyday life in European schools. Further, we believe that educational authorities should be strongly involved, and that also NGOs can play a part. We believe that this philosophy of working together ( different types of institutions in the educational field) is a good way of following-up some important EU initiatives the last few years. We are referring to political documents published as a result of the Lisbon European Council and later elaborated in the Stockholm and Barcelona European Councils. From one of these documents, ”Draft Detailed Work Programme” (07.09.2001), we quote the need for ”ensuring that education and training

establishments are more effective in promoting solidarity, tolerance, democratic values and interest in other cultures, and in preparing people for active participation in society” and also the need for making ”the acquisition of basic skills fully accessible for those currently less well served by education and training systems, such as the disabled, elderly or immigrant populations, or those with learning difficulties.” Further in the same document that supporting of ”attitudes and opinions of young people to fighting racism, intolerance and discrimination” is important. – What these references (and many more) express is closely related to the challenge of increased migration and the way this challenge is being dealt with by educators. – Further, we will bring to the attention another document, ”Implementation of the ”Education and Training 2010. Working group ”Key Competences”. The same European Councils (2000) have made important contributions to the development of key competences for lifelong learning . The more recent understanding of key competences also include ”ability to learn”, ”interpersonal and civic competences, and ”cultural expression”. The increased migration and thereby greater number of immigrant and ethnic groups in school and teacher training will have as a result a greater interest in these competences and how they can be attained also by less advantaged groups.

- Third Annual Network Conference, 2008

“Intercultural Dialogue in Education:
Training Teachers for the Future”

Ramnicu Valcea, Romania, June 2–4

Program LM Romania

- 27-28 April 2006 conference in Stavanger 26-27 April 2007 conference in Sofia : In the conference participated more than 120 network members, guests and other officials. Main topics on which the participants put an accent were.

To be organized in April-May each year. To present and discuss outcomes from seminars and courses organized by the network Also to be a meeting point between network and a wider audience: Comenius projects and networks, interested public at large. Conference to start with a pre-conference event set up as a Contact Seminar Day (discussing new projects).

B: Annual Thematic Seminar for teachers in local schools (3 meetings in the whole network period)

To be organized in December-February each year. To discuss issues related to aims and objectives of the network and particularly focus on needs in the classroom.

C: Annual Thematic Seminar for teacher training (3 meetings in the whole network period)

To be organized in December-February each year. To discuss issues related to aims and objectives of the network and particularly focus on needs in teacher training.

D: Annual Thematic Seminar for didactical research institutions (3 meetings in the whole network period)

To be organized in December-February each year. To discuss issues related to aims and objectives of the network and particularly focus on needs in didactical research on migration issues as they appear in school and teacher training.

E: Annual Thematic Seminar for educational authorities (3 meetings in the whole network period)

To be organized in December-February each year. To discuss issues related to aims and objectives of the network and particularly focus on needs in Educational Authorities.

One such course is to be organized in mid October each year as a minimum – perhaps more than one course. It will be organized as a Comenius 2.1 course with network support only for the organizing partner.

To be organized late October 2008 in collaboration with the prestigious Stavanger2008 European Cultural Capital of Europe Event.

Printed reports based on discussions in the four parallel seminar groups. A dissemination on the following annual conference is foreseen.

Advanced WWW-database for support of ongoing activities + archiving of material (outcomes). It will have openness (transparency) to make monitoring and evaluation more easily. Service also for recruiting new embers (WWW-site is not for partners only) – weight on recruiting strategy and sustainability strategy.

Brochures/flyers: For network as a whole, for each transnational seminar group, and for each partner country (presenting partners and members in each group). Also for each main event: annual conferences, seminars, courses. Video examples of best practice from partners + from some of the main events: annual conferences, seminars, courses.

Overview | Partners | Background | Activities | Results | Press release | Duration