Working with Comenius Networks

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Working with Comenius Networks

• Pavlos Koulouris
• Ellinogermaniki Agogi

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Individual, organisation
Network
Relation, exchange
Netzwerk
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Comenius Networks

• Part of the Comenius Action of the Socrates
  Programme of EC for Education

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A century before the Enlightenment, one of the
founding fathers of modern education said

• only through education can man achieve his full
  potential and lead a truly harmonious life...
• Johann Amos Comenius (1592-1670)

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The Objectives of COMENIUS

• To enhance the quality and reinforce the European
  dimension of school education
• by encouraging transnational cooperation between
  schools,
• contributing to the improved professional
  development of staff directly involved in the
  school education sector
• promoting the learning of languages and
  intercultural awareness.
• Help develop a sense of belonging to a broader
  and outward-looking European community
• diverse traditions, cultures and regional
  identities
• rooted nevertheless in a common history of
  European development.

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enhancing the quality reinforcing the European
dimension of school education

• Promoting transnational cooperation and exchanges
  between schools and teacher training
  establishments
• encouraging innovation in pedagogical methods and
  materials
• promoting the transnational dissemination of good
  practice and innovation in the management of
  schools
• developing and disseminating methods for
  combating educational exclusion and school
  failure, promoting the integration of pupils with
  special educational needs, and promoting equal
  opportunities in all sectors of education
• promoting the use of information and
  communication technology in school education and
  in the training of staff working in this sector.

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promoting the learning of languages in school
education

• Improve the quality of the teaching of European
  languages as foreign languages
• improve the pedagogical skills of language
  teachers
• improve the language skills of teachers of less
  widely used and less taught languages
• increase the diversity of foreign languages
  taught
• motivate all teachers and learners to increase
  the number of foreign languages they speak and
  improve the standard to which they speak them.

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promoting intercultural awareness in school
education

• Promote enhanced awareness of different cultures
  
• develop intercultural education initiatives for
  the school education sector
• improve the skills of teachers in the area of
  intercultural education
• support the fight against racism and xenophobia
• improve the education of children of migrant
  workers, occupational travellers, Romanies and
  travellers.

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Themes relevant to COMENIUS

• Training of School Education Staff (initial and
  in-service)
• Language Learning
• Intercultural Education and fight against racism
  and xenophobia
• Education for Children of Migrant Workers,
  Occupational Travellers, Gypsies, and Travellers
• Education for Children with special educational
  needs (handicapped children)
• School Management
• Education Networks
• Violence in School

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School Partnerships (Comenius 1)

• School Projects
• promote transnational co-operation between
  schools
• Language Projects
• seek to increase young people's motivation,
  capacity and confidence to communicate in other
  European languages
• School Development Projects
• give school managers and teachers an opportunity
  to exchange experience and information

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Training of School Education Staff (Comenius 2)

• Promote the professional development of all types
  of staff involved in school education.
• Supporting transnational cooperation projects and
  mobility activities.
• All phases and aspects are covered
• initial training
• induction
• in-service training.

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Comenius Networks (Comenius 3)
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Comenius Networks (Comenius 3)

• The main goal
• To create links between projects carried out by
  school partnerships and those relating to the
  training of school education staff.
• Based on subjects of common interest
• with the aim of promoting European co-operation
  and innovation in school education in various
  thematic areas.

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A Comenius Network can be

• A platform to assist persons and institutions
  involved in Comenius to strengthen their
  co-operation, and to enable them to maintain and
  consolidate their European co-operation beyond
  the period of Community support for their
  specific projects
• A forum for joint reflection and cooperation in
  identifying and promoting innovation and best
  practice in the thematic area concerned.

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Comenius Network participants

• Institutions currently taking part in projects,
  initiating new projects or having completed
  projects under Comenius 1 or 2
• Other organisations with particular expertise in
  the field concerned.

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EA in Comenius Networks
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Network for Multigrade Education

• MUSE (MUltigrade School Education)
• Comenius 2.1, 2002-2004
• NEMED
• Comenius 3, 2004-2007

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Network for Multigrade Education

• Networking, at the European level, of
  educationists and school practitioners sharing an
  interest in multigrade schools, either as a field
  of research or as a space of educational practice
  that deserves attention and support
• A trans-national network active in ten European
  countries

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• Studies the characteristics and the needs of
  multigrade schools
• Promotes the upgrading of multigrade education in
  educational policy-making
• Proposes ways to improve the education provided
  by multigrade schools
• Offers support to multigrade school teachers
• Fosters the development of communication among
  them
• Regularly organises international workshops and
  conferences

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The NEMED portal on the web
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The working groups
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A joint collection of resources
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Comenius in the future

• In the Integrated Programme for lifelong learning
  (2007-2013), Comenius
• Addresses the teaching and learning needs of all
  those in pre-school and school education.
• Develops understanding among young people and
  educational staff of the diversity of European
  cultures and its value
• Helps young people acquire the basic life-skills
  and competences necessary for their personal
  development, for future employment and for active
  European citizenship.

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• Thank you for your attention!