Description
In a diverse educational environment, the school staff is challenged on several fronts. Firstly, equal opportunities and participation should be ensured for all students.
Secondly, possible conflicts, which arise from diversity, must be tackled and managed successfully. Finally, teachers are asked to offer effective learning activities for each pupil.
This course aims to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the many possible connotations and implications of diversity, as well as with tools to establish more equality in the school and foster a better classroom environment.
For that purpose, the course will introduce theories and methodologies to understand bullying and discrimination, prevent conflicts, and promote students’ emotional literacy. Digital tools will also be explored, with the intention to use ICT to facilitate all students’ inclusion, involvement, and sense of self-efficacy.
By the end of this training, participants will have acquired deeper awareness of what it implies to work in a diverse setting, where pupils from distinct cultures, needs, sexual orientations, and/or attitudes are present.
They will feel more confident with planning educational activities addressed to diverse groups of learners and will have at their disposal a variety of strategies for better management of challenging contexts.
At the end of the course, participants will also have the possibility to design lesson plans or school projects which integrate the use of effective educational, emotional and digital tools aimed at encouraging participation and inclusion within their educational environments.
Learning outcomes
The course will help the participants to:
- Become familiar with the notions of diversity, multiculturalism, discrimination, inclusion, and equals opportunities at school;
- Use methods and strategies to address the aforementioned issues;
- Feel more confident in managing students’ emotional and relational needs;
- Find strategies to prevent conflicts and coexistence problems in educational communities;
- Explore the potential of digital tools for a variety of educational goals;
- Plan tailor-made activities to address challenges connected to diversity and inclusion in their own schools and classrooms.
Tentative schedule
Day 1 – Course introduction and needs analysis
Course Introduction
- Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
- Icebreaker activities;
- Presentations of the participants’ schools.
Inclusive Classrooms
- Creating a positive learning environment;
- Teacher and student-centered learning.
Day 2 – Equal Opportunities
- Teaching content and competencies: the 21st-century skills;
- VARK theory of the different learning styles.
Day 3 – Conflicts in the Classroom
- Cooperative learning strategies and active listening for inclusion;
- Artful thinking routines and role-plays in education.
Day 4 – Learning through Digital Tools
- Tools for formative and summative assessment;
- Tools for sharing materials.
Day 5 – Forward Thinking
- Developing inclusive lesson plans.
Day 6 – Course closure & cultural activities
- Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
- Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
- Excursion and other external cultural activities.