SCIENCE EDUCATION
ValIda, in collaboration with VisMedNet Association in Malta, is being a platform for the SEEP Network in order that it can deliver innovative training content for teachers of science in various levels of school education. Content follows the philosophy of SEEP with a focus on vision towards new and alternative applications of science and careers in science. To look at what we have been doing in training over the years you can visit http://vismednet.org/SEEP_past_training
Down to Earth Science Education
This course is intended for teachers of science who wish to bring the subject of environment and energy as a cross topic or cross curricular subject of discussion in science education. It will touch upon putting in green topics as an inspiration for future applications and careers in green science. It touches upon engaging video making in environment topics and interaction with stakeholders and players in the green economy and policy making.
Video Production in Science Education
This course is in part technical training in basic skills for video production and in part classroom and project management in video production. The underlying concept behind the training is the use of video production as a means for fostering cooperation and autonomy in the classroom, making the teacher less of a teacher and more of a leader and director. It is the introduction of video production in the science classroom as a means towards instilling interest in research in science and the acquisition of presentation skills on science subjects in the minds of the students.
NEW DIMENSIONS IN EDUCATION
ValIda, in collaboration with VisMedNet Association in Malta, is being a platform for the RICK’S cafe’ network in order that the network may continue with its work in the area of new dimensions in education including the introduction of innovative training content for teachers and school managers. Topics covered include human rights and values education, media education and intercultural issues in key with one of the results of RICK’S cafe’ network being more youth leadership skills within the school teaching and non-teaching staff. Other content derives from the experience in the RICK’S cafe’ network in using publishing as a means for getting teachers back into learning mode, engaging in research and upping their professional profile.
This activity is intended for
– teachers of citizenship to students from age 12 up,
– youth leaders aspiring to touch upon sensitive subjects and
– educators in general.
The ideal participants would be individuals with a positive attitude to using the creative arts of video and music as a method of learning.
The aim of this training activity is that of imparting knowledge and practical skills in the use of video production and music – and song – both as a vehicles for learning as well as for extra curricular or youth activities.
Values Education for Young People
RICK’S cafe’ network is working on an approach to values education that makes it easier for beneficiaries to look at values by looking around themselves and at their backgrounds. It fosters understanding about what is behind behaviour patterns. This approach is transferable to other perspectives in behaviour including in democratic values, intercultural dialogue and exchange in which values are seen as potential common ground between people.
This activity is intended for teachers of students from ages 8 upwards right up to secondary, senior and VET. Its content is apt for the teaching of practically any subject, cross curricular and cross disciplinary activities through the use of a number of formats that we explore during the training.
RICK’S cafe’ was a successful story in the publishing aspect in which members of the network chose topics related to the internationalisation of education, intercultural education, social issues and others. It was the members themselves who brought about the idea of taking publishing into the school. In this training we work with participants on two levels. We use publishing as a quality oriented school in so far as management and teachers are concerned as well as publishing activities with students that can generate opportunities for cooperation, media education, collaborative learning environments and the inclusion of students with a variety of learning patterns especially those at risk of falling out with formal education patterns when applied in an exclusive manner.
Self expression in school : forming opinions and fostering critical thinking in informal settings.
Self expression in school : forming opinions and fostering critical thinking in informal settings. This training is about leadership in school. The experience fits into the new roles of teachers in schools of teaching less and leading more. It is also an exploitation of a Youth in Action project in which the training team was involved in. The contents have been tried and tested in the RICK’S cafe’ network as well. The training engages participants in adopting creative avenues to open up the minds of students and bring into the school a sense of critical thinking education and self expression after informed opinions are formed.
Besides being attractive the content fits into new unhappy social dynamics that pertain to our times due to cultural and religious backgrounds becoming source of prejudice rather than friendships through diversity. The activities proposed during the training can be platform for cross disciplinary and cross curricular activities when combined with CLIL and other methodologies that foster cooperation and project work in school.
CONTENT AND LANGUAGE INTEGRATED LEARNING
It is the use of language as a great vehicle for internationalisation. It is as an efficient means whereby the use of a foreign language can become an efficient way of turning the school space into a bilingual environment at least as a minimum element of change. CLIL can also become the platform for internationalisation especially if it is used in the implementation of cross curricular and cross disciplinary methods of learning.This is over and above the benefits identified from people who have looked into or used CLIL as a a teaching method of a foreign language. CLIL is used by us in project oriented learning contexts in order that it may offer an opportunity for a “learning journey” where teachers and students are involved together in very much the same manner.