2016

Programming for the 21st century classroom

2 to 5-DAY COURSE | 17-21 October 2016 

Programming and computational thinking skills are becoming ever more important in our society and working life. Learning to code develops various skills such as problem-solving, logical reasoning and creativity, and can help student motivation in mathematics theory as it encourages them to apply their knowledge. Schools are key players in introducing programming to students in an engaging way, and help defuse negative stereotypes around computer science. During the course teachers will learn about the importance of programming in today's society and education, learn ways to introduce programming in cross-curricular work, discover and test different programming tools, explore ways to motivate and encourage students, and develop a programming lesson plan for their classrooms.

FCL workshop

The course is addressed to secondary school teachers: • Computer science teachers who want to get new ideas, tools for teaching their subject; • STEM and other teachers who would like to link to computer science concepts and/or apply programming in their subjects.

Participant comments (5-day course October 2014)

  • The most useful part of the program was to see how easy is coding without knowledge in java language. I did not know yet how to apply in my classroom.
  • I mostly liked Kodu Game Lab and Scratch since I think these two will be quite simple, but at the same time challenging for the students. I'm going to use these programs most often.
  • On the trainer: Very approachable and accommodating guy. Willing to provide additional explanation if requested and also willing to diversify if the need arises.

 


Developing an eSafe classroom

2 to 5-DAY COURSE | 14-18 NOVEMBER 2016

The Internet is part of daily practice of many classroom activities. Teachers use and, increasingly, produce more digital materials as part of course work. Many teachers and students now use social media and mobile tools to access and share information. But what do all of these new practices mean for eSafety in the classroom? How are online tools such as blogs, wikis, Twitter and Facebook used in the classroom in an effective and safe way? How do we manage issues such as copyright, privacy, personal safety and verification of sites? How do we get students to engage with these issues and their own personal safety proactively? This workshop is a hands-on, practical course, designed to help teachers embed eSafety within everyday teaching and learning.

Participant comments (2-day workshop in December 2013)

  • I found the information I got very interesting and useful to use at school and try to make the rest of school also get involved. In fact, I have used some of the course contents for my classes today. Students found the contents very relevant and so did the school principal, the ICT coordinator and the parents' association president and some other colleagues I was able to talk about.
  • Course leader was fantastic in communication, teaching.

The course is based on materials developed within an EC-funded CPDLab project. An example structure of a 5-day course:

eSafety course: 5-day course structure


Flipped classroom

2-DAY WORKSHOP | 26-27 November 2016 (weekend) 

In this workshop the teachers will explore "flipped classroom", an emerging form of teaching and learning: Students learn new content through material gathered or prepared by the teacher like video lectures, usually at home. What used to be homework (assigned problems) is now done in class with teachers offering more personalized guidance and interaction with students, instead of lecturing. The participants will get an introduction on how to plan flipped lessons, how to create activities and content, and what kind of ICT tools to use.


Developing Digital Skills in your Classroom

2-DAY WORKSHOP | 3-4 December 2016 (weekend) 

Digital skills are already an essential requirement for young people to succeed in an increasingly digitized society. Schools and teachers therefore need support to work with their students to develop a wide range of digital skills that ensure young people leaving school have the skills required by the labour market and by an increasingly digitized society. This workshop gives an introduction to developing a range of digital skills and introducing them to the tools and resources that are available to them.


Innovative Practices for Engaging STEM Teaching

6-days course | 14-19 September 2016
 

The "Innovative Practices for Engaging STEM teaching" course provides STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) teachers with resources and ideas to develop more engaging science lessons and to increase students' interest for STEM subjects and careers. The course includes various hands-on workshops (e.g. coding) and active exploring of resources such as virtual visits to research centres, the use of virtual and remote labs and other innovative tools in the classroom.

FCL workshop

The course also includes a visit to the "European Contest for Young Scientists" fair and to its Awards ceremony to get inspired by young aspiring scientists! The course is co-organized by Scientix, the community for Science education in Europe.
 


Collaborative schools development

2-DAY WORKSHOP + 2 WEBINARS | 6-7 OCTOBER 2016

Many schools struggle with developing a whole school approach to embedding the use of technology in teaching and learning. This workshop is designed for aspiring schools leaders and advanced teachers to explore strategies for whole school development and improvement using technology; to understand the main issues for mainstreaming best practice; to identify a specific development focus at classroom level and school level; and to implement change with peer support. Participants will be introduced to the ‘Framework for Mainstreaming Change' and a series of ten investigations that can be undertaken by teachers within their own schools, with a strong focus on mainstreaming the use of ICT to support whole school development.

FCL workshop

The workshop includes two follow-up online seminars (webinars) where the progress of the schools is tracked and shared. Change doesn't happen overnight, and therefore the participants should commit to work on the topic on a long-term and take an active role in the follow-up activities. The participants - aspiring schools leaders and advanced teachers - should have a good level of English.

The workshop will be lead by Diana Bannister, MBE (University of Wolverhampton)

Participant comments (workshop September 2015)

  • Most interesting for was the opportunity to exchange ideas constantly and interactive approach to work. Many ideas for work and discovered applications and use.
  • STEPS plan and Students as Digital Leaders were most useful parts for me.
  • Thanks for the excellent organization, the experience and the ability to communicate with the moderator and colleagues from Europe!

 


Interactive technologies for the future classroom

5-DAY COURSE | 4-8 July 2016 

The participants will learn in this course tools and methodologies to increase and enhance the level of interaction in the classroom. The pedagogically-oriented course addresses topics like student collaboration, freeware for brainstorming and mapping of students' pre-knowledge, interactive whiteboards (IWB) and using different widgets with them, creating interactive exercises and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).

FCL workshop

Download the example agenda here

Participant comments (courses organised in June and July 2015)

  • It was a great experience, I have improved my skills, I saw really the school of the future, I met tutors and classmates excellent!
  • Having recently installed IWBs in our school, the most useful part was definitely exploring the online tools like Proconnect and i3learnhub for creating lessons and interactive materials.
  • I strongly believe that our course leader was an excellent teacher, communicative, and particularly willing to help everyone in the class!

 


Make learning accessible: Special Educational Needs in my classroom

2-DAY WORKSHOP | 16-17 June 2016

According to the TALIS study in 2013, teachers stated that supporting students with special needs were one of their greatest needs. The term "special needs" usually covers those for whom a special learning need has been formally identified because they are mentally, physically or emotionally disadvantaged. ICT can benefit all students, but for those with disabilities it enables them to access learning, gives them greater autonomy, unlocks the potential for those with communication difficulties, etc. The workshop will provide an introduction for teachers who would like to learn how to design lessons and activities for children with social and emotional behavioural difficulties.


Game-Based Learning

2-DAY WORKSHOP | 21-22 May 2016

The workshop will explore the potential of games-based learning in schools. The participants will learn about the opportunities but also about challenges offered by integrating games into our teaching and learning. A lot of practical examples of gaming tools and activities will be provided and the participants get to learn through a mix of video, interactive activities and discussions as well as sharing of resources.


Entrepreneurial Learning with ICT tools

2-DAY WORKSHOP | 14-15 April 2016

"Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship" is a key competence to be acquired through education and should be developed from primary education in each subject. Entrepreneurship is an individual's ability to turn ideas into action. It includes problem solving, team-working, creativity, innovation, risk taking, ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. It is about enabling young people to develop the mind-set and skills they need for life and work. In this workshop the participants will explore methods and tools to support entrepreneurial mind-set and skills of learners and learn how to apply them in any subject and any age group with the help of ICT tools. The teachers will learn also how to integrate entrepreneurial dimension in their eTwinning projects and hear about useful online resources.


1:1 pedagogy and devices

2-DAY WORKSHOP | 20-21 February 2016 

This workshop will provide the participants with practical ideas to take forward 1:1 learning initiatives (one device for every student). The workshop is aimed both at teachers who are already using 1:1 pedagogies in their classroom and teachers who are interested to start such. The workshop will explore 1:1 teaching through 1:1 lesson plans, inspiring examples, practical tips, and exchange of experiences.

Participant comments (workshop March 2015)

  • "Did you gain valuable knowledge from the course?": 17 out of 27 says "strongly agree"; 10 says "agree"
  • The course leader's expertise in the topic: 23 out of 27 says "very good"; 4 says "good"

 


Developing an eSafe classroom

3-DAY COURSE | 22-24 FEBRUARY 2016

The Internet is part of the daily practice of many classroom activities. Teachers use and, increasingly, produce more digital materials as part of course work. Many teachers and students now use social media and mobile tools to access and share information. But what do all of these new practices mean for eSafety in the classroom? How are online tools such as blogs, wikis, Twitter and Facebook used in the classroom in an effective and safe way? How do we manage issues such as copyright, privacy, personal safety and verification of sites? How do we get students to engage with these issues and their own personal safety proactively? This workshop is a hands-on, practical course, designed to help teachers embed eSafety within everyday teaching and learning.

Participant comments (2-day workshop in December 2013)

  • I found the information I got very interesting and useful to use at school and try to make the rest of the school also get involved. In fact, I have used some of the course contents for my classes today. Students found the contents very relevant and so did the school principal, the ICT coordinator and the parents' association president and some other colleagues I was able to talk about.
  • Course leader was fantastic in communication, teaching.

 


Collaboration and augmented reality for the future classroom and staffroom

5-DAY COURSE | 7-11 March 2016 

In this course the participants will explore a range of tools and ideas that help them to promote collaboration and teamwork among students and to integrate ICT into their teaching practice in a collaborative and sustainable way. The participants will also learn about the ‘future staffroom' and explore possibilities for professional networking, sharing and lifelong learning. Moreover, the participants will get an introduction to augmented reality applications and how to use them to enhance standard educational material and to create personalised instruction or location-based learning activities.

Participant comments (2-day workshop in December 2013)

  • I found the information I got very interesting and useful to use at school and try to make the rest of the school also get involved. In fact, I have used some of the course contents for my classes today. Students found the contents very relevant and so did the school principal, the ICT coordinator and the parents' association president and some other colleagues I was able to talk about.
  • Course leader was fantastic in communication, teaching.