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Euroopa kogemused Viimsisse!
Euroopa kogemused Viimsisse!
Start date: Dec 1, 2014,
End date: Nov 30, 2016
PROJECT
FINISHED
Viimsi Pre-primary School submit a project application to enrich teaching methods as a result of international cooperation (including in the field of ICT ), also to increase the competence of employees (including teachers of children with special needs), to deepen the value education and outdoor teaching, and to raise children's physical activity. We are the first pre-primary school in Estonia who piloted one-teacher-system (there are one teacher and two assistants per on group of children) and now we wish to learn from the experience of these institutions who have applied the same system for longer period. What other difficulties they have faced and what could be prevented or minimized.
In mobility project will participate 44 people, who are active and eager to learn. Participant's skill of English language is required in order to cope with the course or job shadowing. Their experience will be passed to other employees of the preschool. As Viimsi Pre-primary School employs 63 teachers, six members of management, social pedagogue, psychologist, 5 speech therapist in eight different houses (a total of 150 employees), it will not be a problem for teachers to take part in mobility, as replacing them temporarily is manageable. All participants do not participate in mobility project at the same time, it also allows to ensure a smooth workflow.
Project activities are job-shadowing and participating in conferences and courses. Job shadowing takes our teacher to different pre-primary or primary schools in Lithuania, Cyprus, Greece, the Czech Republic, Poland and Iceland. Each teacher spends five days (at different times) in preschool. Teacher will be actively involved in the daily work in accordance with the prescribed days and program of that institution.
Courses for teachers will improve their knowledge and give new teaching techniques. Courses are about either the use of ICT tools in teaching, outdoor education, education for children with special needs, etc.
Both activities have a side target (but not insignificant): to establish international relations and further cooperation agreements.
The project ensures quality thorough preparation and management of information. Contracts with participants in the mobility study will be awarded. Contracts will also include an obligation to share knowledge from mobility experiences with colleagues. The project contact person will organize all the travel arrangements travel, accommodation, etc. on. Contact person also prepares job shadowing information folder for each participant. She will be supporting participants with information about meetings and agreements with partner.
We hope to get multiple benefits from the project for our pre-primary school. In Estonia pre-school education tends to be too academic. European institutions use, however, more playful learning and discovery learning, also outdoor teaching methods. With help of mobility project we want to develop and deepen these techniques and skills in our teachers. Most of the pre-primary schools operate in one-teacher-system, therefore, the purpose of job-shadowing experience is to study from other countries experiences. We want to get to know the generated errors and obstacles, strengths and efficiencies of an extended operation.
One of the side targets is to learn alternative system for monthly fee. This means that currently in Estonia is used system where the monthly fee has to be paid by families regardless of how many days a child would be in preschool. However, if the fee will depend on the specific number of days of attending, the situation might be different. This provides an opportunity to re-organize our work and resources.
We assume that teacher's professionalism and thereby self-confidence will increase through mobility experience. His/hers worldview expands and the motivation rises. Through the participants' positive experiences increases the quality of teaching and education, enriches methods and tools. More activities with children will be held outside and child´s health is improving.
The mobility experience will be shared with parents internal training context, which hopefully will result in more support and understanding from parents to teachers. Cooperation between parents and kindergarten will increase.