Activities

Teacher training

  1. Training of teachers and educators in Kindergartens (all partner-countries) and the first grades (Group 1 and 2) on Primary Schools (the Netherlands) in Early Identification and appropriate approach. The training will be given by Maruška Željeznov Seničar  (ZVIS) and take place in January 2016 in Ljubljana and March 2017 in Leiden
  2. Training of teachers of Primary Schools on Metacognitive Skills The methodology is developed by Ph.Dr. Marcel Veenman (Institute of Metacognition) and will be taught by Ph.Dr. Šárka Portešová and Ph. Dr. Marcel Veenman. The training will be held on 20-22 ocstober 2015 in Prague and in march 2017 in Brno. Additional training will take place in the partner cities.
  3. Training of teachers of Primary and Secondary Schools on Design Thinking The methodology is developed at the Stanford University (USA) and will be taught by Lineke van Tricht (Bureau Talent). The training will be held on 20-22 october 2015 in Prague and in march 2017 in Brno. Additional training will take place in partner cities.
  4. Training of Teachers on Practical Differentiation The methodology (“The Whole Task first”)  is developed on the Leiden University (ICLON-institute for teacher education) by Ph.Dr. Fred Janssen and will be taught by Ph.Dr. Fred Janssen and Ph.Dr. Hans van Bemmel. The training will be held on 20-22 october 2015 in Prague and in march 2017 in Brno. Additional training will be organised in partner cities.

Research on Metacognition

Research and development trajectories are undertaken in classes with students of 11 years of age in all partner cities. Teachers are taught to apply the Metacognition Methodology and students are researched on results and impact. Implementation:  a. from March 20162016 till March 2017; b. from September till June 2017. The research is done under supervision of the Ph.Dr. Šárka Portešová (Masaryk University Brno).

Student Exchange

Students of Primary and Secondary schools cooperate in projects based on Design Thinking. Groups of 8 students are internationally composed. They will take about 6 month. The subjects are developed in cooperation with scientific institutes, companies and museums.  Student present the results of their projects both in a partner city and in their own city.

Program of exchange

  • Two groups of 8 students of 11/12 years;  subject: Discovery (16 students)
    Projects take about 6 months 
    Schedule:
    • November 2016: Lubljana , April 2017 : Brno
    • November 2017:  Pilsen, April 2018 : Leiden
  • Four groups of 8 students of 14/15 years: subjects based on society and environment  (32 students)
    Projects take about 6 months
    Schedule:
    • November 2016: Lubljana , April 2017 : Brno
    • November 2017:  Pilsen, April 2018 : Leiden
  • Eight groups of 8 students of 16/17 years: subjects based on natural science, social science, or art.  (64 students)
    Projects take about 6 months
    Schedule:
    • October 2016:  Leiden; March 2017:  Pilsen
    • October 2017:  Brno; March 2018: Ljubljana

Developing good practices and writing methods

Every teacher involved in the project will work in his or her own class on the innovative practice, to learn about the effectiveness of the approach. Teachers meet in learning circles within their school and internationally to discuss the practice. Their reports, tool, tips & tricks are to be documented.

Schedule of digital international meetings of Learning Circles: : April, June, October & December 2016 , March, June, October, December 2017, February and May 2018.

Methods, handbooks and tools are composed by trainer-experts (Metacognition, Early Identification & Approach, Practical Differentiation) and teachers (Design Thinking) published on the website, and at the end of the project presented on national and international conferences in 2018.

Evaluation on impact

The evaluation of the project will be combination of evaluation on results  of the projects, as indicated in the program and self-evaluation by all participants. The outcome of this Evaluation will be published in an Impact-E valuation Report and presented at the International Conference on Talenteducation in 2018.

(Self)-Evaluation philosophy

Within this project we have chosen to involve an evaluator not as an external evaluator but as someone helping the project partners to set up and carry out a self- evaluation of the project.

The Self-evaluation of the project will be based on an evaluation approach that is rooted in three principles:

  1. Self-Evaluation is a learning process and has to be organized accordingly (as a motivating, rich and reflective learning process!) 
  2. Self-Evaluation is a dialogue and the methodology of the process has to adapt to the kind of dialogue concerned (an explorative, a dispute, a negotiation, a persuasive, of  a debate kind of dialogue etc.)
  3. In Self-evaluation the design theory of the project should be made explicit and used as a frame of reference in the analysis and interpretation of the data. The phases of design thinking will be directing the evaluation process at all levels (partners, professionals, pupils), as will the enhancement of metacognitive skills.

Four lines of Impact

  • Longitudinal impact. This means how long does the participation in the project show its results in the chain of learning process, learning outcomes, change behavior and effects of this improved behavior.
  • Transversal impact. This refers to the number of subject areas or themes covered by the project. How widely does the changed approach pervade into t parts of the school’s  program, of that of other member organisations.
  • Horizontal impact. This refers to the number of people reached. How many people are affected by the project?
  • Vertical impact refers to the level of power reached in influencing the school/ system. How high up have people and what is more have decision makers been affected by the project (at school level regional level, national level, international level)

International Conference

An International Conference Talent Education will be organised in the summer of 2018 in Leiden. This Conference is open for every teacher, educator, director, policy-maker, researcher in the field of Education. On the conference the results of the project Talent Education will be presented combined with workshops based on the developed good practices, methods and tools.