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European Innovative Teaching Award
Project

With open arms

School/Coordinator: Vrtec Antona Medveda

With open arms - Slovenia

Topic(s) addressed

  • Learning together (social inclusion)

  • Creativity (impact of spaces on learning) 

  • Sustainability (natural learning environment)

  • Didactic and pedagogy

  • Methods to improve quality 

Target groups

  • Preschool teachers and staff,

  • Children, including those with special needs and fewer opportunities

  • Parents

Methodologies

  • Combining observation, knowledge exchange and professional courses– developing competencies through a multidisciplinary approach. 

  • The gained knowledge combines various pedagogic techniques (forest pedagogy, other alternative approaches) and different environments.

  • The teachers gained new theoretical knowledge and practical skills 

  • All the used methodologies support inclusion, participation and cooperation. 

  • eTwinning was used in the project as an online classroom.

Environments

  • The project endorsed the whole school approach. 

  • Teachers participating in mobilities shared their experiences and provided support to other colleagues. 

  • They created a more modern, professional and dynamic environment in the organisation. 

  • The kindergarten also aims to offer outdoor activities so they use learning spaces in a creative and sustainable way.

Teachers

  • The influence of teachers through the exchange of practices, job shadowing, observation and a critical approach 

  • Participating teachers contributed to raising the competencies of their colleagues and increasing their interest in international projects. 

  • They established a European dimension of cooperation by promoting abroad good practices developed in their school.

Impact

  • The participating teachers shared their experiences with co-workers and also other local kindergartens. 

  • Through presentations, they encouraged other kindergartens to apply for Erasmus+ projects. 

  • The information about the project was published in the local newspaper.  

  • Some of the methods seen in Iceland were included in Slovenian kindergarten.

  • Some biases and apprehension about international projects were effectively eradicated. 

  • The project raised understanding of social, linguistic and cultural diversity. 

Project category
Early childhood education and care
Project year
2022

Stakeholders

Coordinators

Vrtec Antona Medveda

Address
Slovenia

Leikskolinn Raudholl

Address
Iceland

EUROPASS sas

Address
Italy