Content (SS)
Structured Course:
“Sustainable School: theory and practice”
TYPE OF TRAINING ACTIVITY:
Erasmus+ programme. Key Action 101 and Key Action 104
CONTENT
The Sustainable School is the educational model which responds to the claim for Sustainable Development. It is an effort to transform the school into a learning organization through the implementation of a quality indicators approach (sustainable school indicators). This effort is directed towards the sustainability of the school as social structure and as a learning organization. The sustainable school indicators are at the same time quality criteria and incentives for the school community to engage in the common effort for sustainability.
This course on Sustainable School Theory and Practice is structured on three different modules:
A. The introduction to Sustainable School Indicators as a school quality system;
B. The methodology of introducing a set of indicators as a quality system;
C. The management of the school’s human resources in order to establish the change.
This approach is challenging as these 3 aspects are interacting and interdependent. Introducing the “whole school approach” strategy will guarantee the educational quality improvement.
EU is suggesting that schools adopt the European Development Plan, which means a quality development plan for each school. It is one of the priorities of all policy makers and educational authorities in Europe. Our course aims at answering the questions of how to start and develop a quality management plan based on the Sustainable School Indicators.
The course provides the knowledge, methodology, insights and skills needed to achieve this goal. During the course the trainees will be introduced to methods which will enable them to organize their own quality system.
THEMATIC FIELDS
· Education for Sustainable Development
· Environmental Education
· Citizenship Education
· Global Education
· The school as a learning organisation
· Pedagogy and didactics
· Combating failure at school
· European dimension
· Active Citizenship
WORKING LANGUAGES
· English
· (Greek)
EDUCATIONAL SECTOR OF THE PARTICIPANTS
· Pre-Primary Education
· Primary Education
· Lower-Upper General Secondary Education
· Vocational/Technical Secondary Education
· Special Education
TARGET AUDIENCE
· Head Teachers/School Principals
· Teachers (Pre-Primary to VET)
· Teacher trainers
· Education counselors
· School Inspectors
· Parents’ associations’ members
· Local Government officials
METHODOLOGY
This course employs a variety of teaching-learning approaches and methods. There is a mix of workshops, with presentations and lectures, self and team reflection, pair work, small group activities, peer teaching sessions, simulations and role playing sessions, problem solving activities and case studies. Partly web based training and video will be employed to enrich the learning experience and efficiency. The field work will also influence the overall outcome of the course. The participants will be provided with a PDF document about Sustainable School and Sustainable School Indicators at the beginning of the course.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS PARTICIPANTS ARE EXPECTED TO ACQUIRE
Participants are expected to acquire the following, attending the course:
Knowledge:
Sustainable Development and Sustainability: meaning, content, different views, differences and similarities, international and local perspectives
Education for Sustainable Development Values, Ethics, Guiding Principles
Education for Sustainable Development: methodology of implementation at school
Education for Sustainable Development: classroom and outdoor activities
Sustainable School: Main features, characteristics, basic principles an guiding values
Sustainable School Indicators: Scope, concept, fields, implementation
Sustainable School Indicators:
Skills
Guiding school teams in the framework of the Sustainable School
Implementing the S.Sch. Indicators at school
Coordinating the school’s effort towards sustainability
Improving students commitment in the implementation of the Sust. School
Empower students and teachers to remain committed to the effort towards the Sustainable School
Improving self as a team leader serving a high ideal, like the Sustainable School
How to improve all the school-life aspects, using the indicators
PREPARATION
The participants will be asked to fill in a special questionnaire about their training needs before the course. They will also be asked to prepare a presentation about their school’s daily operation and their country.
FOLLOW UP
By the end of the course participants are asked to reflect on their learning experience and report accordingly. They will also be asked to fill in an evaluation questionnaire about the fulfillment of their expectations.
A special networking session will take place at the end of the course, which is expected to build long term connections and cooperation among the participants.
Each group will decide to create a FB group, or subscribe to Linkedin or SKYPE, in order to maintain communication and exchange ideas.
At the website www.aeiforum.eu the participants will have the opportunity to submit their ideas, share their experience and suggest new ideas.
