On June 19-25, teachers – members of the international cooperation team of the Public Primary School No. 4 in Pułtusk and 25 partners from Italy, Romania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria took part in the first training meeting in Sicily as part of the Erasmus + KA220 “Future Classrooms’ Leadership” project . The project will last 2 years. The main goals of the project include promoting the development of digital competences, both among teachers and students, and the conscious use of technology in the education process. The Covid-19 pandemic and the shortages of students in technological skills, critical thinking and teamwork observed during distance learning were inspired to take up such a topic. Their development is the focus of the project’s assumptions.
The “Classes of the Future” mentioned in the title of the project are classes designed to set long-term innovative teaching standards using the latest digital methods and strategies.
After the first ‘working’ meeting in Poland (Pułtusk, 3-5 April 2022), the time has come for a substantive training in sunny Sicily. The host of the training camp was the Istituto Comprensivo Statale “Ignazio Buttitta” secondary school in Bagheria, while the main topic was the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the learning and training process. The organizers provided their guests with an interesting program, in which training elements were intertwined with the possibility of communing with the history and culture of the Sicily region.
On the first day, after the official welcome, the participants took part in a training session on the role of ICT in the teaching process, as well as exchanged personal experiences on digitization in education. The last item on the day’s agenda was a tour of Bagheria, also known as ‘Villa Town’, because of the 18th-century summer residences built by ancient aristocrats.
The second day of the grouping was spent on intensive training, workshops and discussions on digital methods and strategies in teaching and training. The active and full of inspiration day ended with a visit to the picturesquely situated capital of Sicily, Palermo.
The third day was devoted to training planning, including internal training of cooperating institutions and evaluation tools. After an exhausting day, a nice refreshment was a boat trip along the coast of Sicily.
On the fourth day, the participants took an active part in workshops on the effects of verbal and non-verbal communication in virtual meetings. The day was complemented by a trip to the charming Cefalu, located in the beautiful surroundings of the azure Tyrrhenian Sea and mountains.
The fifth and last day of training was devoted to exploring the strategy and benefits of using visualization in teaching and training evaluation. The grouping ended with the ceremonial presentation of certificates.
“We come back tired but full of inspiration. It was a really fruitful meeting”- all participants agree.
During the working meeting, the directions and principles of cooperation, as well as the division of tasks between the partners, will be established. The scope of training and project tasks for each of the partners as well as a detailed schedule of activities will be specified.