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21st century skills for education at Schoevers
Start date: Jul 1, 2014, End date: Jun 30, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Schoevers has been a major player in the education of secretaries and management assistants in the Netherlands since 1913. Schoevers stands for quality on the labour market and offers true vocational education. With the increase of social media and ICT-tools the possibilities for learning and teaching have changed tremendously. If applied properly ICT can bring benefits to the classroom. If ICT-tools are blended in with traditional ways of teaching Schoevers thinks this allows for adding flavour to the learning material, making it more accessible, increasing learning outcomes and boosting motivation of a new generation of students with new learning styles. This demands for teachers who are confident in applying ICT in a pedagogically sound way. Currently most teachers at Schoevers do not know how to effectively integrate ICT in the classroom, maximising learning outcomes. To change behaviour of teachers in the classroom institutional help in the form of the Schoevers Project 21st Century Skills for Education is launched. Learning to collaborate with others and connect to Europe and the world through technology form key elements of the project. This also involves internationalisation for VET teachers and staff, since they have a growing need to expand their horizon internationally. The basic premise of the project is that in order for students to learn the critical skills to be successful in a global and digital age, teachers first have to acquire those concepts. With tools like Google Connected Classrooms or Skype it is possible to bring work-based-learning opportunities in the classroom (in an international context). The mobility activity made possible by the EU is an ICT training programme & pedagogical support system for overcoming the insecurities that some teachers have concerning the use and the usefulness of blended-teaching. Erasmus+ makes it happen for teachers to be equipped with the competencies to independently acquire new e-didactical skills and apply this knowledge in their teaching. The training mobility 'Empowerment in ICT Skills. Making Use of Technology Tools' at the Executive Training Institute (ETI) in Malta, meets the above mentioned needs for professional development & internationalisation. In total 21 employees of Schoevers, VET teaching and non-teaching staff will do the course during the two-year project cycle. The mobility training, a highly-practical one-week course, is aimed at educators who would like to explore different ways of using technology in various educational projects. The department of Curriculum and Development of Schoevers will also enroll in the course at ETI to create a bottom-up and a top-down movement, integrating ICT & internationalisation at Schoevers.This will ensure that Schoevers can even better facilitate teachers by building an environment and infrastructure where blended learning translates into blended-assessment possibilities. Participating teachers and staff will provide training to colleagues on their return. This will happen through internal In-Service Training sessions in the School at the Schoevers National Teacher Days. At the National Teacher Days key spokespersons, stakeholders and partner organisations will bring in their expertise, reflections and lessons learnt. In the context of dissemination and exploitation, activities will involve maximising the potential of all the lessons learnt so that the results are used to the best possible advantage. In short, the transfer of innovational practices is promoted with all parties so that the outcomes are sustained and taken beyond the funding period. The impact and results envisaged have to do with a more modern, dynamic, committed and professional environment inside the organisation, ready to integrate good practices and new methods into daily activities, planning strategically the professional development of staff in relation to individual needs and organisational objectives. This allows for an open look outside Schoevers that will stimulate teachers and students to become more reflective and autonomous. By offering more diverse and authentic learning resources this will ultimately increase motivation, learning and job satisfaction. Schoevers wants to guarantee a smooth transition from VET learners to the job market, or strive for a smooth transition to Higher Education where internationalisation and ICT literacy are criteria for excellence. In addition to internal evaluation monitored by HR and the heads of schools, remarks from our students is one of the most powerful and authentic forms of feedback. During our biannual online questionnaire we will get feedback about the progress on ICT-integrated didactical performances of teachers, and how this translates into their learning and their (international) professional development in the future. After all, the students and their learning outcomes are at the heart of the Project 21st Century Skills for Education.
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