Month: August 2020

From start to finish – successfully managing European VET mobility projects

Post author By enneproject
Post date 31 August 2020
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The whole ENNE partnership is currently working on the implementation of the MOOC on European Mobility in VET. We would like to take you along on our journey to develop this Open Educational Resource, which will support you in managing your own mobility projects.

So what is a MOOC?

This abbreviation stands for Massive Open Online Course, a learning course on the internet for an unlimited amount of participants with an open access, so that anyone interested in a topic can learn more about it. The active participation of the learners is guaranteed through interactive activities like quizzes and games or the possibility to get into an exchange with other learners in forums.

What can you learn in our MOOC?

The aim of our MOOC is to give you a straightforward starting point into the world of European mobility projects and how to manage them. We will guide you through the whole life cycle of a project. Starting with an introduction into the Erasmus+ funding programme and an overview of involved actors, we continue with the application and project implementation until the finalisation of a mobility project. You will learn what makes a good and reliable partner and how and where to find them. We will facilitate you in establishing an internationalisation strategy for your organisation. You will be able to go through the different implementation phases of selecting beneficiaries, prepare them for their stay, monitor their learning pathway and validate what they have learned. The project cycle ends with the evaluation of the project and the reporting.

The units are structured in short text and video inputs with interactive activities in order to deepen your knowledge and foster reflecting on your own context. We will for example support you with guiding questions in formulating your project idea and by this prepare important parts for your application. Besides, you can find in the MOOC practical checklists, downloadable resources and further links. Furthermore, you will be able to exchange with other participants about your approach, experiences and views on different mobility related questions.

Everything starts with an idea, which in our case had already been outlined in the application for the ENNE project. Based on contents developed within the projects “European Knowledge Centre for Mobility I & II”, the German partner Wisamar developed the course structure around the life cycle of the project and drafted the contents to be included. This structure has been adapted and improved with the support of the whole partnership and their feedback in discussions and reviews. It could then be enhanced with the detailed content. To illustrate the information numerous animated and real videos were scripted before scenes could be shot, animations developed and the video materials edited.

The technical work on the MOOC is underway. The skeleton of the English version of the course is finished and most parts of the content are already included. We are currently filling the gaps and adding interactive activities in order for the course to be more practical and motivating for you. To add interactivity we are using H5P, which offers a lot of opportunities like drag and drop exercises, multiple choice, timelines or summarizing activities. Since we want to provide the MOOC in several languages, over the summer the partners started with the localisation of the contents, including the development of video material in their languages.

We are very excited and looking forward to present you the finalized MOOC very soon. We will keep you updated!

German news

Recording of the webinars on the new Erasmus+ accreditation

Post author By enneproject
Post date 31 August 2020
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In recent weeks, the German National Agency offered several online events to inform about the new accreditation procedure for Erasmus+. The recordings of these webinars are now available.

Due to the Corona Pandemic, the National Agency Education for Europe at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (NA at BIBB) had to conduct the planned information events on the new Erasmus+ programme online. The recordings of these webinars are now available, both from the introductory information event on the application for accreditation in vocational education and training as well as from the following question-and-answer session. Both recordings are divided thematically so that relevant information, e.g. on the application form itself, on the Erasmus-Plan or on the follow-up process, can be found and viewed directly.

German news

School goes on – European exchange too?

Post author By enneproject
Post date 31 August 2020
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With the start of the new school year, exchange projects and mobilities were supposed to be prepared and implemented in many institutions. What is possible and what is not? What are the general conditions? The Pedagogical Exchange Service (PAD) in Germany provides an overview and help on their website.

The impairments for European exchange programs caused by the corona virus and the associated travel and contact restrictions accompany us into the new school and training year. On the website of the Pedagogical Exchange Service (PAD) of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs [website] you will find a lot of information – both on formal aspects such as Erasmus+ contract changes and cancellations, on current entry requirements and the regulations or recommendations of the individual German states, as well as on alternative approaches and possibilities to stay in contact and exchange with European partners despite the situation. At the same time, a large number of online seminars have been compiled on precisely these topics: from accreditation for the new Erasmus+ program to TwinSpace training courses and the creative design of video conferences.

Bulgarian news

Promoting VET Teachers’ Mental Health and Wellbeing

Post author By enneproject
Post date 28 August 2020
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The problem of teachers’ wellbeing has been recently brought to the forefront of the agenda for improving quality of vocational education and training in Europe. There is a growing recognition that for teaching and learning to be effective, teachers should have high levels of wellbeing (OECD, 2018). The latest research, however, proves that teachers’ wellbeing is an issue of concern. In the UK, more than 75% of educational professionals, including those in the VET sector, experience work-related behavioural, psychological or physical symptoms. 57% of teachers and 63% of senior leaders have considered leaving the profession within the past two years (Teacher Wellbeing Index 2018). The numbers are not much different for other European countries. If unaddressed, the issue of poor wellbeing in schools would leave the educational systems in the EU without qualified and motivated staff, so needed for the development of the younger generation in the age of rising global competition.

When national VET systems are struggling to recruit new teachers and retain their existing staff, VET teachers’ wellbeing has been an unfairly neglected topic (CEDEFOP, 2004, 2016; Boldrini & Sappa, 2017). In addition to the stress factors common to all levels of education, VET teachers face specific adversities, which have negative effect on their wellbeing. These include: undervalued image of the VET sector; unattractive career pathways for teachers; poor vocational motivation of students; ongoing changes in national VET systems due to harmonization processes at EU level; continuous changes in VET content due to rapid development of science & technology. The analysis of existing teacher wellbeing support schemes in partners’ countries, however, shows a lack of professional development opportunities for teachers to build the skills they need to deal effectively with adversities in the workplace.

The VET-WELL project seeks to address this issue and sets the overall objective to equip educational professionals in the VET sector with resources and skills to deal effectively with the challenges of their work environment and to create a positive mental health and wellbeing culture in their schools.

The specific objectives of the project are:

Develop a conceptual framework for teachers’ wellbeing in VET
Design a comprehensive professional development programme aimed at strengthening skills supporting VET teachers’ wellbeing
Create an interactive self-reflection and e-learning environment supporting professional development of VET teachers
Facilitate wide adoption and implementation of the wellbeing support programme in various VET contexts
Raise awareness among education stakeholders of teachers’ mental health and wellbeing in VET

During the project life-cycle, the following major results will be achieved:

Output 1: Framework for Teachers’ Wellbeing in VET that will identify specific skills supporting teachers’ wellbeing (incl. life skills and pedagogical skills)
Output 2: Professional development programme, aimed at strengthening skills that VET teachers need to effectively manage their own wellbeing and to improve their self-efficacy in the classroom
Output 3: Interactive Self-Reflection and E-Learning Tool allowing VET teachers to reflect upon their “wellbeing skills” and to create a personalized professional development pathway
Output 4: Guidebook for improving VET Teachers’ Wellbeing in VET that will provide precise recommendations for improving mental health and wellbeing of teachers in VET schools through implementation of a dedicated professional development programme

The project is targeted at: VET professionals (teachers, lecturers, trainers, mentors, senior leaders) and school psychologists; Professionals in initial teacher education and continuous professional development of teachers; Aspiring teachers and student teachers; Representatives of organisations dealing with/ promoting mental health and wellbeing in VET.

About 600 VET professionals and experts in the fields of VET, teacher training, mental health and wellbeing will be involved directly in the project activities and events, such as surveys, focus group interviews, pilot training workshops and promotional conferences. In addition, we intend to reach at least 5000 project stakeholders through targeted dissemination of the project results.

We hope the new professional development programme delivered by the VET-WELL project will help VET teachers to strengthen their resilience and to improve their self-efficacy in the classroom. This, in turn, will help to create positive learning environment, improve students’ engagement and learning outcomes, and contribute to the culture of wellbeing in VET schools. Improved self-efficacy and wellbeing of teachers will eventually result in improved job satisfaction and retention – a social change from which VET systems in European countries stand to benefit greatly.

Bulgarian news

Entrepreneurship in school education in Bulgaria

Post author By enneproject
Post date 28 August 2020
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Context of entrepreneurship teaching in Bulgaria Entrepreneurship is among the most important factors for building and developing a market economy.
Within EU, entrepreneurship and training thereon are considered to be a crucial aspect for the community’s prosperity. Over the last few years, talk has increased of entrepreneurship throughout education, starting from the first school years. Following an ordinance issued in Bulgaria, 20 general education school subjects were introduced for primary education, including the “Technologies and Entrepreneurship” subject, divided into several stages. Classes begin in first grade and continue up to twelfth grade included, in accordance with the students’ level. Preparation is done by means of specialized subjects. The mandatory entrepreneurship classes are Entrepreneurship and Information
Technologies or Entrepreneurship and Geography and Economics.

Why is it important to start teaching entrepreneurship at an early age?
Entrepreneurship is a crucial element of XXI-century skills. Through it, students develop the skills needed
not only in terms of school subjects, but also basic skills such as morale, creativity and a positive attitude
to learning.
It is not by chance that the European Union determines entrepreneurship and initiative to be one of the eight key lifelong learning competences; their acquisition thereof needs to be ensured for young people by the school system of each member state. This is a long processes that lasts years and needs to be structured so that in each subsequent year the knowledge and skills build on those obtained the previous year.
In primary education, young pupils can get acquainted with the concept of the individual and the role they play as consumers, realize the role of the family and its economic responsibilities, obtain practical knowledge of natural, human, and capital resources.

Approaches to entrepreneurship teaching
In order for entrepreneurship teaching to be effective and to obtain the results desired by society, various instruments need to be employed. Some of them include transformation of the teacher’s role in the classroom – from instructor to facilitator, which allows children to find out answers themselves, and gives more freedom to the teacher. Another instrument is the involvement of business people in the learning process, which will improve the connection between education and business. This could be done by means of mentorship and active sharing of experience by the business and participation in various educational formats that allow students to freely talk with professionals. Team work is also
important for the purpose of creating vital work habits, and last, but not least, using more interactive and unconventional teaching methods, encouraging active joint work between different schools and organizing contests and other formats. This would allow young people to demonstrate their knowledge and skills and will create possibilities for new acquaintances.

In order to inspire their students and allow them to develop entrepreneurship, teachers also need to possess a wide range of creative and entrepreneurial skills. They too need a school environment that encourages creativity and risk-taking, and mistakes are regarded as learning opportunities.
Entrepreneurship training is more than preparing to manage an enterprise. It also includes the building of entrepreneurial attitude, skills and knowledge to allow the student “turn ideas into actions”.

Good practices

A good example is „MENTEE – Mentoring, Networking ND Training for European Entrepreneurs” – a project funded under the Erasmus+ programme. Through it, the experienced entrepreneurs who participated were able to become active mentors, and beginners and young entrepreneurs had the chance to benefit from shared practical knowledge. MENTEE e-learning tools have helped for this purpose.

The project „School Class 2 Business Class” gave participants the opportunity to learn everything related to starting their own company. During the pilot activities of the project at the National High School in Finance and Business, students were supported and advised by real entrepreneurs – company managers, and this created a solid foundation for the program to enter the secondary level of education. The project developed learning materials that will prepare students for running their independent business.

The project „Entrepreneurial Learning in Art Schools 2.0“ aims to help art schools give their students the necessary entrepreneurial skills needed before they enter the work field. El-Art is set up to help integrate entrepreneurship in European art schools through the development and distribution of teaching material and training programs for teachers and students. The aim of the programme is to help art schools give their students the entrepreneurial skills
necessary to thrive before they enter the working arena. The material Creativity as a Career produced by
El-Art is also suitable for starting creatives who are looking to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills.

Portuguese news

Porto Fashion School in the spotlight!

Post author By enneproject
Post date 28 August 2020
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Recently, the Portuguese newspaper “Expresso” published the interactive ranking of Portuguese schools. Among 682 schools with vocational courses, the associated partner of the Portuguese National Network of the ENNE project, Porto Fashion School, stands out. Thanks to its excellent work, it has achieved an excellent rating: 1st place in the municipality of Porto, 3rd place in the district of Porto and 14th place nationwide. Porto Fashion School awards these excellent results to “its availability and high quality monitoring of students, specialized teachers and experience in the fashion industry, and also the close relationship with the companies and industry in the region”.

The school also mentions that throughout the school journey, its students have the opportunity to participate in many collaborative projects and in Erasmus+ projects, which certainly contributes to the enrichment of their personal and professional development. Congratulations, Porto Fashion School!

Bulgarian news

Pomorie in Bulgaria

Pomorie is an ancient city and a seaside resort in southeastern Bulgaria, located on a narrow rocky peninsula in Burgas Bay on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It has a population of circa 14000 inhabitants.

Pomorie hosts the Museum of Salt, this is the only museum in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe for the production of salt by solar evaporation of sea water. The museum consists of an exhibition hall and 20 decares of open-air salt pans, where salt is still mined. The salt pans at the museum produce salt in the same way as in ancient times. It is located in the town of Pomorie, on the shores of Lake Pomorie.

Another important attraction is the reserve “Old Pomorie houses“, located near the beach, at the eastern end of the old part of the town of Pomorie and presents the architecture and specific elements of the houses built here in the 19th century. The typical Pomorie house, which tourists can see while walking through the cobbled streets, has two floors – a stone ground floor and a rafter floor.

Lake Pomorie is the northernmost of the coastal Burgas Lakes, located in the immediate proximity of the Black Sea and the Bulgarian town of Pomorie. Lake Pomorie is a protected area since January 2001. Sea salt is obtained in the north part and curative mud in the south. Located on the Via Pontica bird migration route, the lake is inhabited by 215 species of birds, 4 of which globally endangered, and is thus of ornithological importance.

Pomorie welcomes the most attractive brass bands and cheerleaders from all over the country. For fourteen years, the city hosts the national festival combining music and dance “Rhythm of the Sea“, part of the summer festival “Sea of Wine” in Pomorie. The event is not competitive, but creates friendships between people of different ages and gives them the opportunity to exchange creative ideas.

For more information about the upcoming events you can visit Cultural calendar with events in the town of Pomorie: www.pomorie.bg/kulturen-kalendar-2019

The official website of the town of Pomorie, where upcoming cultural events are published: www.pomorie.bg/posts/0kultura

Bulgarian news

Ztara Zagora in Bulgaria

Stara Zagora is a city in southern Bulgaria, one of the main economic centers in the country. It is the sixth-largest city in Bulgaria, located in the historical region of Thrace. The population of Star Zagora is circa 215 000 inhabitants.

The city is home to the oldest Bulgarian theater in Thrace – Geo Milev Drama Theater, the ancient Forum of Augusta Trayana, and 14 km from the city center is the national spa resort Stara Zagora Mineral Baths. In 1925 the second opera in the country after Sofia was opened – the South Bulgarian Opera (today the State Opera Stara Zagora). The city also houses the Museum of Religions and the Neolithic Dwellings Museum.

Augusta Trayana Ancient Forum Complex is located about 200 meters from the Historical Museum and keeps the remains of an ancient scene from Roman times, which today, especially in the warmer months of the year, comes to life and becomes a center of cultural life in Stara Zagora.

The city has several attractive museums and galleries among which are:

“Zagorka” Brewery houses a museum of the beer –starazagora.love/bg/have-fun/museum-of-the-beer
Art Gallery – Stara Zagora – artgallerystz.com
Museum of Religions – www.rimstz.eu/en/architectural-complex-museum-of-religions

The defenders of Stara Zagora is another important landmark of the city – a park and a majestic monument, built in honor of the battle of Stara Zagora, which took place on July 31, 1877.

Stara Zagora Mineral Baths is the place where you can combine a fruitful holiday in the mountains with the therapeutic properties of mineral water.

Information about the upcoming events in the city can be found on the following weblinks: starazagora.love/bg/have-fun/ and www.starazagora.bg/bg/kulturen-kalendar and www.starazagora.bg/bg/sabitiya/.

Belgian news

Yambol, a city in the south-eastern region of Bulgaria

Post author By enneproject
Post date 3 August 2020
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Yambol is a city in the south-eastern region of Bulgaria and is the capital of the Yambol Province, a region bordering with Turkey. With roots dating back to ancient Thrace, Yambol has a rich history but is a thoroughly modern town.

One of the symbols of the city of Yambol is the ancient Tracian site of Kabile.

Kabyle was established four thousand years ago and is a major archaeological attraction today. People consider the archaeological reserve as one of Bulgaria’s top 100 attractions.

Parts of the site are beautifully restored and give you a feel of what it looked like in the different periods – pre-historic, Thracian, Hellenistic, Roman. The Kabyle Archaeological Reserve is located about 10 km from the city of Yambol.

Yambol is also famous with the spectacular kukeri festival.

Every year in February, Kukeri mummer groups from all over Bulgaria, gather in Yambol to participate in a pageant and competition. The event is called ‘Kukerlandia’ and is most commonly known as the Yambol Kukeri Festival. In the Bulgarian tradition, the masked dancers both imitate and repel demons and other evil influences. They purify village homes and welcome the spring. The date varies from year to year.

Medieval Yambol Fortress

It is assumed that the Yambol fortress was built in X-XI century, after the fall of Bulgaria under Byzantine rule.

Artefacts from two other settlements, dating between the periods of the IV-VI century, were found after several archaeological studies of the region.

More information about trips and attractions in this amazing city you can find at the following link: www.touristsecrets.com/destinations/get-the-most-out-of-your-stay-in-yambol-bulgaria/