EUROPEAN CLASSES PROJECT : A CO-EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO CURRICULUM INNOVATION

1. EUROPEAN CLASSES PROJECT: A CO-EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO CURRICULUM INNOVATION CONFERENCE PROMOTING INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY: Schools’ Response to the Challenges of Future Societies Katja Pavlič Škerjanc, Brdo 8 -10 April 2008

2. EUROPEAN CLASSES PROJECT • pilot projectin upper-secondary general education(gimnazija: 4-year program, studentsaged 15-19): • set up to supplementthe program withnew program elementsandinnovativeapproaches to teachingandlearning, • designedbytheNationalEducation Institute ofSlovenia, • approvedbytheNationalCouncilofExpertsfor General Education, • launched in 2004/05 bythe Minister ofEducationandSport(to beevaluated in 2008/09), • implemented in 16 schools (outofeligible 54).

3. Purposeandaimsof ECP • to meet both deficiency and growth needs: • personalise the curriculum: increase its openness, ie. scope and number of options for schools and individual students (core – elective – optional → modular structure); • make the curriculum more authentic for the students: provide meaningful contexts – bring the real world into the classroom (and vice versa); • integrate the curriculum: increase its flexibility to overcome fragmentation of knowledge (set up curricular connections, eg. tranversal competences as cross-curricular goals); • to provide convincing proofs ofconcepts and ideasand, finally, a fully functioning prototype

4. AUTHENTICITY OF LEARNING goals content activities assessment environment European and global dimension intercultural communication: crosscultural (intra- in inter-cultural) encounters and cooperation integrative curriculum: multidisciplinarity- interdisciplinarity - transdisciplinarity collaborative teaching (many forms, including team work and pair teaching) inquiry-based learning and project approach to teaching and learning diverse learning tools (ICT and others) information/digital/media literacy) KEY CONCEPTS Gimnazija program adaptation E UROPEANCLASSES

5. Co-evolutionaryapproach to curriculuminnovation • Pilot projects are designed and implemented with three complementary goals in mind: • by aiming to improve the curricula as well as the teaching and learning process they address students, • at the same time motivating and supporting teachers in their continuous professional development and capacity building • and providing project managers (national education authorities and reasearch & development agencies) with pragmatic knowledge and skills of the teachers and headteachers (ie. aligning beliefs about the potential for effective action with the lessons of past and present experience).

6. Differentrolesofteachers in ECP Teachers participating in the project are expected to assume different roles: • teachers, • change agents, • course designers, • materials providers, • researchers, • evaluators. • Teachers as reflective practitioners • Schools as learning organisations

7. PT Jesenice PT Koper PT Nova Gorica PT Brežice PT Ljutomer PT Ptuj PT Slovenj Gradec PT Celje PT Kočevje PT Lj Poljane PT Lj Bežigrad PT Kamnik PT Mb I. gimn. PT Mb II. gimn. German language WG European Studies WG English WG Intercultural Education WG Project Team coordinators French WG Slovene language WG PROJECT STRUCTURE NationalEducation Institute PROJECT TEAM Project Manager Core & Extended PG ◄externalcollaborators (teachersfromparticipatingschools) WorkingGroups (WG)  School Project Teams Gimnazija program adaptation E UROPEAN CLASSES

8. Project structureandcommunication • closelinksandinterdependencebetweenthe NEI projectteamandparticipatingschools/projectpartners; • communication at andbetweenalllevels is constantandintense, bothdirectandindirect (via e-mail), aiming to secure not onlyanuninterruptedinformationflowon theprogressoftheproject, butalsoongoingexchanges- as well as evaluation- ofprojectproducts(lessonplans, teachingmaterials, etc.) andexamplesofpracticeofallkindsconsideredillustrativeandsupportive: • best (triedandtestedoutseveraltimesby more teachers), • good (tried at leasttwiceby one teacher) and • promising (still in theplanningphase).

9. EUROPEAN CLASSES PROJECT • Theoverarchinggoal is thesearchforneworganisationalsolutionsandinnovativeimplementationapproaches at alllevels, • fromthestructureofthe program, • theplacementand role ofbothsubjectareas as well as individualsubjectswithinthe program • to thelay-outofsubjectsyllabi, which in thecaseofthenewelectivesfaithfullyfollows a competence-basedapproachanddifferentiatedlevelsofautonomy, as well as • thelearningandteachingapproachesandmethods.

10. Subject modules Modular aproach: • openness and flexibility • core • elective • optional • increasing level of teacher autonomy • increasing level of flexibility

11. Innovations on the level of SUBJECTS can be observed in: • a changed identity of the elective subjects, which are transdisciplinary in nature and based on discovery learning, requiring active methods of instruction, primarily the task-based, project-based and inquiry-based approach; • European studies, e.g., are such a subject, in the context of which students gain knowledge anddevelop skills to critically evaluate European integration processes, human and civil rights issues, the role and the activities of European institutions, as well as other relevant social and cultural issues in Europe and the nature of European inclusion into world currents; • the differentiation of the learning goals of foreign languages by means of and within different subject modules (refer to the next chapter): • the emphasised role of mother tongue (refer to the next chapter).

12. Le sole risposte utili sono quelle che propongono nuove domande.Vittorio Foa The only useful answers are those that pose new questions.

13. EUROPEAN CLASSES PROJECTINTRODUCING CHANGES IMPORTANT CHANGES INTRODUCED INTO • goals of the gimnazija curriculum • structure of the curriculum • subjects(structure, aims & objectives) • didactics

14. INTRODUCING CHANGES INTO CURRICULUM GOALS • Europeanandglobaldimension  fromSlovenia’s pointofview • interculturaleducation/communication  byinvolvingnativespeakersand/or teachersfromothercountries/cultures • syntheticthinking - holisticknowledge  throughintegratedcurriculum

15. INTRODUCING CHANGES INTO CURRICULUM STRUCTURE • integrated curriculum • changed role of the flexible (elective) part • integration of elective subjects - linking their • aims and objectives • content • instruction

16. INTRODUCING CHANGES INTO SUBJECTS • newelectives - ECP specific • multidisciplinary, interdisciplinaryandtransdisciplinaryapproach • integratingtraditionallyseparatedisciplinesintonewsubjects • upgradingthetaxonomyof FLL goals • CBLL content-based languagelearning • FLAC foreignlanguageacrossthecurriculum

17. INTRODUCING CHANGES NEW ELECTIVES (ECP specific) • ForeignLanguage in Focus: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish.Russian • FL: Slovenia in theWorld • FL: CultureandCivilization • Slovene • Social RolesofSlovene • Slovene Literature in Translations • EuropeanStudies • citizenship & human rightseducation, environmentalissuesetc.

18. INTRODUCING CHANGES INTO THE DIDACTICS • collaborativeteaching • authenticlearning & assessment • activelearning • inquiry-basedlearning • problem-basedlearning • collaborativelearning • projectapproach