Non formal for inclusion

The course Non formal for inclusion involved:

- a lot of team work - discussion on different school issues, sharing ideas and different approaches, etc;

- games for improving communication, including non-verbal communication;

- sharing and practising non-formal methods for inclusion and innovative methods, such as Salto or forum theatre method;

- organising non-formal educational activities, such as flipped classroom or e-Twinning projects;

- improving knowledge of local culture, history and Portuguese people via communication with locals, field trips and working with Portuguese instructors.

The main topics were:

- Culture and interculturality (e.g. all the participants presented their countries (national dances, songs, food, souvenirs, etc.) and educational system in their country);

- Communication;

- Group dynamics;

- Non-formal methods for inclusion;

- Conflict management and mediation and

- Evaluation

Objectives of the mobility experience:

• to develop competences regarding applying non-formal education activities and techniques in different formal settings in order to encourage inclusion;
• to share best practices and transfer knowledge and methods between different cultural zones and different learner ages regarding successful inclusive approaches;
• to develop the participants’ competences of ensuring harmonious group building (taking into account diversity challenges) and transforming the class as a group into a team by usage of non-formal group dynamics;
• to develop better understanding of their own competence as teachers and to develop creative intercultural strategies for dealing with inclusion challenges in their own schools and classrooms;
• to help teachers understand the students different realities and better integrate them in the classroom;
• to be better aware of inclusion issues in different cultures;
• to supply tools that will help create bonds between the students and the teacher in a way that every student feels included;
• to promote the use mediation and negotiation tools in the fight against exclusion of people with fewer opportunities;
• to promote European cooperation in the field of education within the framework of the Erasmus+ program by partnership building.

Competences acquired by the participant:

• applying non-formal methods for inclusion in different formal settings in order to improve the motivation of the students;
• transferring knowledge and methods between different cultural zones (at least 3 countries) and different learner ages, by active adaptation;
• developing tools (guides, digital games etc.) about ways of applying non-formal methods for inclusion in the formal environment for different age groups;
• increase of the participants’ confidence in working with non-formal methods in general and non-formal methods for inclusion in particular using their own qualities, talents, differences, as well as the collective intelligence of the home team they will be guiding in the valorization process;
• promoting European cooperation in the field of education within the framework of the Erasmus+ program through partnership building, international networking respecting cultural differences;
• increase in English language fluency, non-verbal communication skills;
• new multimedia research competencies;
• using on-line forms as an assessing tool;
• implementing group dynamics for group organization;
• working in international teams, respecting cultural differences, using peer to peer learning.