In the period 1.06.2017 - 31.05.2018 our school SOU Gimnazija Koco Racin from Veles, Macedonia implemented Erasmus+ project in the Key action 1- School education staff mobility. The project title is "Becoming an International school with European standards and dimensions of education".  In this blog we would like to share experience of the teachers who participated in the structured courses. 

Teachers in foreign languages Hristina Leova and Ljubica Temelkovska have shared their experience in participating in the course “How to make your school more international” Santa Maria de Feira, Portugal from 7-14 October 2017.

"As participants in this structured course we can bring only positive experience and a lot of practical work that relates to the school policies around Europe. The topics covered during the course helped us understand the term internationalisation and how it is implemented mostly in the Scandinavian countries. The roles and responsibilities that each coordinator of internationalisation has made us realise the importance of such people in our schools. In order to connect and network with other schools and educational institutions we need good policy plans and a team that would implement them.

Our previous experience in European projects enabled us to contribute in the discussions and topics that were related to setting up partnerships and applying for Erasmus plus grants. However, the people who we met during the course became our potential partners in future multilateral project proposals we prepared.

Not only did we gain knowledge related to internationalisation and the trend in the European schools nowadays, we feel more confident in our competences to take part in international projects. Upon return in our organizations we will try to develop European and international dimension in the curriculum, and moreover prepare and motivate other teachers to engage themselves and take part in other proposals.

Overall, the opportunity we had to travel to Portugal, get acquinted to the culture and lifestyle of the Portuguese people, and meeting colleagues from different parts of Europe made us think about the circumstances in our country and what are the ways of how we can contribute to imroving the educational system in our school and in general."

Math teacher Mariche Lazarovska and chemistry teacher Petranka Stojanova shared their positive experience from the course Science, Technology, Engineering,  Art and Mathematics – STE(A)M, Almada, Lisbon Portugal 22 – 27 October 2017.

"In the period of 22 – 27 October we had opportunity to participate in the Erasmus+ training course Science, Technology, Engineering,  Art and Mathematics – STE(A)M in Almada, Lisbon Portugal. The organizing Institute is Eekhout Academy from Flanders – Belgium in collaboration with ALMADAFORMA, School’s Training Centre of Almada, and the Secondary School EmídioNavarro (Almada).

The topics covered during the course helped us understand the STEAM methodology and how it is implemented in other European countries. Participation in this training course was very useful for us, because we were starting a new project with strategic partnership with Erasmus+ in our school associated with STEAM methodology.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are crucial keystones in today’s society. In current curricula and educational systems, there is a tendency to integrate these subjects into one approach: STEM. We realized the importance of STEAM education. It's motivating for students and for teachers also, engages students using their creativity and involves collaboration between teachers and students. Proof has already been given in the countries that have been applying this method in school practice that this methodology hugely enhances the student’s motivation.

The philosophy of the course besides pedagogical and didactical approaches towards STEM in education was based on learning by doing and the exploration using practical cases, and finished with a personal STEM exercise or ‘masterpiece’. The course also integrated some digital visualizing techniques, adding a more artistic touch to STE(A)M. We used the interesting aspects the city of Lisbon offers. The exercises were centered on the idea of building bridges or spans, so during the course we visitited interesting  places in Lisbon that are dominated by important bridges, huge former electric power plant and the recently opened museum of art, architecture and technology MAAT.

Not only we gained knowledge and skills related to STEAM education, we feel more confident in our competences to take part in international projects. Upon return in our organization we developed project proposals associated with STEAM methodology. The people who we met during the course became our potential partners in future multilateral project proposals we prepared.

We believe that our participation in this structures course will have the impact on our sending institution in the term of creating new learning opportunities, using new teaching methods, new educational activities, new curriculum development principles, new academic networks, etc.

Besides the opportunity for professional development and improved competences in innovative approach to teaching STEM, we were introduced with the culture and the educational system of Portugal, and with educational systems in other European countries, which is a great experience for us, to influence for the improvement of education in our school and even wider."

       Boshko Karadjov, Ph.D. and teacher of humanity sciences Trpe Tufekdziev gave their report about their participation in Erasmus+ In-service training in Ljubljana 22 October – 28 October 2017 "WHAT PROVOKES CONFLICT AND HOW CAN WE MANAGE IT?" organized by SKUPINA PRIMERA, integrated HR solutions, Ltd, Presernova cesta 5, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

"My mobility experience was valuable and full with information, knowledge, didactic methods, theory frameworks and practical instruction which will benefit me in my improvement of the teaching skills, classroom management skills and my capacity for conflict resolution.  I am a grateful for possibility to be a part of that kind of training courses that involves teaching/training about methods of building efficient social relationships and effective conflict management. Especially, through the SDI (Strength Deployment Inventory) psychological theory of Elias H. Porter and ideas of colored triangles personalities based on MVS (Motivational Value System) which help to better deal with conflicts in social environments.

It was my first staff mobility financed by the Erasmus+ and I sign a mobility agreement especially for activity like a teaching/training in the form of participation in a structured course. My activities, events and main topics was related with methods of building effective conflict management with adoption of one very explicative theory and practices based on are motivational values.

Also the needs and objectives of my organisation, which is multicultural school, was linked with the information, knowledge, theory frameworks and practical instruction in the training courses in the sense that experience will help me to work more efficiently in process of reconciliation, tolerance and understanding between deferent ethnic community  in my school.   

That was also my motivations for doing a mobility. I learn good practice about conflict menagment.  I develop new learning practices and teaching methods for working with students from different religious and ethnical background. I gain practical skills for reconciliation. And I think that now I am more develop, in professional terms, for reinforsing and encouraging students for tolerance and understanding the value of the оthers.  In other words, improving the skills for managing the ethnic, religious and linguistic conflicts in society and at the school.

I share my own knowledge and skills about educational activities, and that communication helps me to increase my social, linguistic and cultural competences. By participating in this Erasmus+ activity I have developed the competences in:cultural awareness and methods of building effective conflict management. Also I inprove my English language and become more motivated for my current job.

In the context of my knowledge of the subject I am teaching, I have a shared my own knowledge and teaching methods, but also improv my knowledge of education systems in other countries. Thanks to this mobility activity, I have also improved my: practical skills, organisational skills, especially my  self-confidence as educator.

I believe my participation in Erasmus+ will have the impact on my sending institution in the term of  creating new learning opportunities and tolerant averment  for all students from deferent ethnical communities.  Also, I believe my participation in Erasmus+ will have the impact in using new teaching methods, new subjects or curricula, new educational activities, new curriculum development principles, new academic networks, etc.

Also, I improve my organizational skills used in relations with colleagues and improve my didactic skills through introduction of teaching methods and techniques used by educators.  Methods and techniques can be applied in teaching with my students.

Concretely, Relationships Awareness Theory help me to have a substantial understanding of Motivational Value System, Portrait of Personal Strengths, Portrait of Overdone Strengths and Conflict Model. They help me to develop core skills to avoid unnecessary conflicts by understanding conflict triggers, and to better manage the rest of the conflicts.

These training and conflict management courses are very useful for countries like Macedonia due to rooted social conflicts at all levels, especially in education. Therefore, this training is not only useful, but rather recommended to further developments for the Western Balkan countries living in multi-cultural and multilingual conflict envarament." -Boshko Karadjov, Ph.D.

In the period from 21.5.2018 - 25.5.2018 in Prague, Czech Republic, Elisaveta Mitkova Zabev professor of psychology and Angelina Dodov, professor of physics, took an active part in the European project "Innovative approaches in teaching" organized by Erazmus + in cooperation with the International Training Center in Prague. The training was attended by teachers from four countries: Turkey, Spain, Slovakia, Finland, including Macedonia. Trainers were from India and Slovakia.

During the five day training, several activities were realized:

• workshops for Critical and creative thinking, how can it be developed
• ICT as a tool for development of creativity and critical thinking;
• Metacognition - teaching students to learn
• Gamifying the Classroom
• Inquiry based learning, Task based learning
• Formative vs. summative assessment: rubrics, checklists, peer and self-assessment
• Using ICT tools for assessment
• Adapting teaching materials to suit the needs of differentiated classes; Dealing with multicultural classes, Project workshop, evaluation, Exchanging contacts, Course conclusion

The purpose of the training was to introduce colleagues from different countries and nationalities, exchange personal experiences, ways of teaching and communicating with students, creating instruction through acquaintance and using theoretical and practical modules and skills of the 21st century and to strengthen the profile of teacher  to adopt new methods and tools, as well as to train students to be creative and motivated.

These competences twere acquired by the participant: 

• Theoretical module – 21st Century Skills
• Critical and creative thinking, how can it be developed?
• Inquiry based learning, Task based learning
• Gamifying the Classroom
• Using ICT tools for assessment
• Dealing with multicultural classes
• Adapting teaching materials to suit the needs of differentiated classes
• Metacognition, teaching students to learn
• ICT as a tool for development of creativity and critical thinking
• Formative vs. summative assessment: rubrics, checklists, peer and self-assessment

"Tablets changing the way to learn and teach. Tap-Swipe-Pinch"

This was the topic of the course that took place in Santa Maria di Feira, near Porto from 08 – 14.10 2017. Participant from our school were Tanja Ciipevska – professor of business and entrepreneurship and Gordana Sazdova professor of IT. The course present teachers the potential that iPads and tablets offer in their daily practice in the classroom especially in their preparation of the activities that facilitate collaborative learning, research, creativity.

Main topics of this course

1. Apps covering different content and activities to support learning, communication and self-assessment (collaborative writing, digital photography, video, audio usability, presentation apps, assessment, evaluation, gamefication, etc.)
2. Best practice approaches and practical examples for using iPads and tablets in lessons and education in general in different countries,
3. Responsible and safe use of tablets and new media
4. Creating interactive materials for classroom use and deliver them to students
5. Identifying and reviewing practical tablet applications for educators, news and media applications useful for educators and their students (creating text, video clips, podcasts, presentations, screencasting, images, pdf files, e-books, mind and concept maps, maps etc.)
6. Designing, planning and writing sample units of work or lesson plans that deploy the iPad and tablets,
7. Integrate strategies and iPad and tablet technologies effectively into a curriculum,
8. Utilise the iPad and tablet as a display device in connection with other devices.

As a participants we learned how to organize classrooms and educational process when using tablets, get an opportunity to learn about powerful apps through the use and examples. Last but not least we learned how to plan lessons and manage students' tablets remotely.  M-devices and educational apps make learning more engaging as students are not only passive observers or users, but primarily active producers of complex products using rich media elements. Creativity and individual approach makes learning more effective. The course focuses also on different pedagogic approaches in learning.

Our mission is to become European, modern and open school that affirms European standards and dimensions of education for equal human rights and a democratic society. 

SOU Gimnazija Koco Racin  works hard to improve the process of education, to establish better communication in the classroom, open and tolerant relationships with students, to implement new innovative methodology and tools in the process of teaching, to become an international school in terms of offering education to students who would become European citizens aware of the diversities, confident and ready to actively participate in the society. We are trying to implement plan for Internationalism so that we can enable us to create a network of educational institutions and enable students enrollment to highly prestigious Universities in Europe.