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Lifelong Learning Programme - Grundtvig EU Partnership EQUIPES - Using Diversity as a Learning Potential
Over the last 2 years people from 5 countries (Hungary, Germany, Austria, Italy and Romania) changed experiences through visits and presented their educational activity to each other. A common question was formulated at the beginning: how is it possible to fructify the diversity through common learning? The differences were obvious from start: the people who met speak different languages, live in different cultures, and work on various fields of activities. Three of the partner organizations are working with the TCI (Theme Centered Interaction), the other two are using other teaching methods.
From encounter to encounter the project partners learned together and from each other. They experienced that diversity can be an obstruction – many times as a language barrier – but also a value, a treasure. This is not easy but necessary: we live in one Europe, in one world. Many problems can be solved only together. For this, we must get acquainted with these differences.
Five countries, five miniprojects, one learning partnership - seven milestones on our common journey:
1) “The partners find their way”: Salzburg (Austria), October 24-25, 2009. The Kick off-Meeting took place in Austria. The Equipes established the common goal: learning from each other and together, and reflect in common on these learning processes. The way leading to the goal: the partners will present to each other educational projects and will get to know each other’s teaching and learning methods. In the same time, they will comprehend how the differences in learning can be used and be fruitful, in each individual project and in the European Grundtvig Project. A short video documentary was prepared by the Austrian partner after the first encounter.
2) “The Red Thread of Analysis”: Augsburg (Germany), April 8-11, 2010. The German Equipe invited the partners to the International Exchange Conference of Ruth-Cohn-Institutes International. The theme was: “Learning as an Emotional and Cognitive Adventure” at a congress with more than 250 participants, three plenary lectures to learn about the theme, and many good workshops. The major event didn’t make easy for the partners to overcome the initial strangeness of the international environment of the conference. The Grundtvig-Equipes, 18 participants from 4 countries, met during the Congress in smaller groups to evaluate the learning process they experienced here. For this they developed and used a “Red Thread” which referred to the TCI: Rolling Planning, Theme and Structure, The Attitude of the Leader, Development of Self-Responsibility.
3) “Sharing Common Experiences”: Budapest (Hungary), June 4- 6, 2010. The Hungarian Equipe presented the project “Feel Good Outdoors”: a member of TCI Hungary works as religion teacher among disadvantaged young boys, who experience, especially during the outdoor days, that they are valuable and important. The young boys are involved in archetypical manly occupations like archery, talking about tales and Bible stories, approaching this way their own life-themes. The project showed how the work with TCI can enhance self-efficacy.
4) “Personal Approach Opens Big Themes”: Innsbruck (Austria), October 8- 10, 2010. The Austrian Equipe invited the partners to participate at the General Meeting of the Austrian Ruth-Cohn-Institutes. Here there were presented and discussed the results of the research project of University of Innsbruck: “Reducing Violence and Promoting Social Contact with TCI”. The participants analyzed their thoughts on violence and asked what TCI can do for reducing it, and where are its limits.
5) “Diversity is based on Identity”: Târgu Mureș (Romania), March 18- 20, 2011. The Romanian Equipe (Human Centrum) presented their educational concept developed for young entrepreneurs. The partner-Equipes tried the training methods. The reflection on these learning processes led the group to turn towards the themes: majority, minority and identity. They concluded that diversity can be fruitful only if the basic needs of identity are set: belongingness, trust, safety, respect and self-esteem.
6) “Being different and still belonging” – both work in South Tirol (Italy), April 14-16, 2011. The Italian Equipe presented the project “Feel Good at School”. They took their guests to Ladin Schools and Kindergarten, where they speak and teach in three languages: Ladin, German and Italian. In the same time they integrate in schools and daycare centers children with disabilities. Thus every child can experience that he/she is unique and still belongs.
7) Evaluation meeting: Budapest (Hungary), May 27-29, 2011. The Equipes members summarized their personal thoughts on identity and diversity and reflected to their entire learning process.
A 30 minutes video documentary was prepared during the 2-year period to record and document the rich process the partners shared. A booklet to accompany the video documentary was also edited in German and English.
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