<< Background >>Computational thinking (CT) has been identified as one of the key competences of the 21st century and has started to receive a more important place in schools' curricula. Schools have started to integrate CT in traditional subjects or to reform their ICT curriculum by implementing computational thinking and computer science. Despite the high level of interest in developing CT skills among school children, a range of issues and challenges still needs to be addressed for an effective integration of CT in compulsory education. Teachers, especially primary-level ones, do not feel confident in teaching CT, as it is a new subject which they themselves never experienced when they were students. They also wonder how they can motivate girls to learn and achieve at the highest levels in learning outcomes for CT and STEM subjects.<< Objectives >>The aim of this project is to bring CT closer to the teachers and thereby bridging the gender gap. The project aims to provide role models, hand-on experience and encourage a growth mindset by creating environments where questions, discovery and even failure are treated as positive parts of the learning process. We show teachers how core characteristics of CT can be integrated into compulsory education. We provide concrete tools for an effective teacher training and explain how teachers can integrate CT in their own teaching practice as an innovative cross-curricular topic, with particular attention to the STEM discipline and gender equality.<< Implementation >>The project will develop a Computational Thinking Academy (CT-Academy): a collection of resources specifically designed for primary school teachers to help the to integrate CT in their courses. The academy will provide 1) a handbook designed for teachers illustrating the cultural and scientific aspects related to CT; 2) a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the technological aspects; 3) CPD courses that help teachers to embed CT in a cross-cutting and gender equality way within their own school.<< Results >>By making the resources of the CT-Academy available for teachers, this project aims not only at increasing the levels of achievement and interest in STEM subject, it will also contribute to other subjects as it will show opportunities for cross-curricular collaboration and the integration of disciplines. By empowering teachers to use CT in innovative classes in a cross-cutting and gender equality way, this project reinforces the development of 21st century skills in students. By integrating CT into the traditional mathematics curriculum, CT will improve their competences, enhance their motivation and lower their levels of math anxiety. Project partners will make the handbook, the MOOC and scenarios for the CPD courses available online. In this way, results will be disseminated internationally. In 2024, project partners will collaborate in the organization of a big international conference (to be broadcast online as well), to present the final version of the CT-Academy. This conference will inform both policy makers and educational practitioners about the high-level outcomes of this project.

<< Background >>Creating an inclusive learning environment. The needs of our school, the objectives and the methodology of the project was briefly explained in a letter and distributed by different International communication channels. Interested partners could react within the week. More partners than the ones included reacted. The multiple reactions is due to the fact that Europe is a diverse society. Diversity is increasing, and the European Union wants to stress the importance of diversity and inclusion in our workplaces and in the society throughout the whole European Union. In vocational training for adult education throughout Europe, diversity is highly present when intersectional approached. They are the future professionals of those workplaces, they have to be able to adequately and ethically deal with diversity issues. Yet this intersectional approach is present in the target groups of our partners. There is experience from working with newcomers, non-native speakers, to persons with disabilities. This variety in target groups and the best practices explored by the different partners, will guide us towards the intersectional approach of diversity and the design of a diversity sensitive curriculum. Sharing of best practices is needed and because of the difference of target groups this will be eye-opening. The common problem is that a qualitative approach of evaluating the goals of our chosen subject is absent in the context of vocational education. We will use a guideline tested within bachelor and master degree, to reach a diversity sensitive curriculum. The needs of the target groups: The target groups are different for each partner, although within the intersectional approach to diversity as social identity is defined by different aspects, such as gender, social class, ..., they are not. In second change adult education more social deprived persons, different ethnic groups, non-native speakers, newcomers are present in classes. By improving the goals towards a diversity sensitive curriculum we reach the following for our target groups: * mastering general skills and attitudes related to diversity, consider issues form a variety of perspectives, reflect on their own social and cultural identity * by making use of the diverse group composition you create fruitful learning moments for diversity * An inclusive learning environment is crucial to feel confident and unthreatened to learn and develop fully. The student feels at home and are at ease to come up with new and alternative perspectives and experiences.Implementing sustainability in cooking and catering vocational adult trainingThe needs of the partnerships: The farmer to fork strategy is a European strategy that has regional implementations. The key elements of this strategy is similar for all our partners: The call for shorter supply chains have intensified during the current pandemic outbreak. Consumers should be empowered to choose sustainable food and all actors in the food chain should see this as their responsibility and opportunity. It has also made us acutely aware of the interrelations between our health, ecosystems, supply chains, consumption patterns and planetary boundaries. In cooking and catering departments the need to incorporate this shorter supply chain-visions is necessary and socially and economically needed. Each partner is on a different level of implementing this view, but all are aware of the need of this priority. By collaborating by peer assessment with an auditing instrument, a high level of implementation will be reached. The need of the target groups: EU: It is an opportunity to improve lifestyles, health, and the environment. The creation of a favourable food environment that makes it easier to choose healthy and sustainable diets will benefit consumers’ health and quality of life. For all target groups this is a personal need, and they are ready for the cooking trend of the future. Cook Local, live healthy.<< Objectives >>The European context (the Regional context will be explained underneath):1. Creating an inclusive environment in cooking and catering vocational adult trainingDiversity is gaining in Europe. The European commission focusses on the importance of diversity and inclusion in our workplaces and in the society throughout the whole European Union by actions as the Diversity Month. If we want employers who are able to adequately and ethically deal with diversity issues, we have to create an inclusive environment in our education system. In our context we see diversity in an intersectional approach. Intersectionality means that somebody's social identity is not perceived in terms of just one aspect of it (such as gender, social class, religion, ethnicity, sexuality) but that these aspects together shape somebody's perceived and experienced social identity. All these different aspects coexist, mutually reinforce each other and decide the unique social location that an individual occupies. The broader social environment also influences the way a person experiences his or her specific social location in society. It is not possible to provide diversity sensitive teaching and learning without addressing this complex relation between social identities and the organizational and societal context. (Radstake, 2021)2. Implementing sustainability in cooking and catering vocational adult trainingThe Farm to Fork Strategy is at the heart of the Green Deal. It addresses comprehensively the challenges of sustainable food systems and recognizes the inextricable links between healthy people, healthy societies and a healthy planet. The strategy is also central to the Commission’s agenda to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All citizens and operators across value chains, in the EU and elsewhere, should benefit from a just transition, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn. A shift to a sustainable food system can bring environmental, health and social benefits, offer economic gains and ensure that the recovery from the crisis puts us onto a sustainable path. If we want the Farm to Fork strategy to be successful, the catering and cooking education has to be involved, so the strategy will be adapted in future catering businesses. The concrete objectives: Objective 1: creating an inclusive learning environment in Cooking and Catering vocational adult trainingstudents learn about diversitystudents learn in diversityteaching and learning take place in an inclusive learning environment. Therefore, improving diversity sensitive teaching regards the following categories and is framed in a quality plan and rolled out:* strategy, policy and rationale* exit qualifications and learning goals* content* assessment tasks* teaching and learning arrangements* inclusive environment* teacher competencesObjective 2: Implementing sustainability in cooking and catering vocational adult trainingStudents learn about sustainabilityStudents learn in a sustainability-conscious environmentTeaching and learning take place in a sustainability-conscious environment.Therefore, improving sustainability regards the following categories and is framed in a quality plan and rolled out:* vision and policy* expertise* educational goals and methodology* education contents* result assessment3. Validating both instruments for us in vocational education, to measure sustainability and diversity sensitive curriculum on all levels of an organization.4. From the result of the measurements, proven best practices will be described in a handbook with best practices. Two handbooks, one with the validated instruments and one with the proven best practices will be written.<< Implementation >>Meetings1. Kick off meetingWho: The responsible for katholiek onderwijs in charge of quality care, from each participant the selected person in charge of quality care, the selected person in charge of curriculum and the selected teacher.Place: Bruges, BelgiumGoals: fine-tuning of the overall project, making overall agreements, the fulfilment of all administrative obligations associated with the start-up, setting up the collaborative space and a project plan including time- and budget management. 2. Mid-term meetingWho: The responsible for katholiek onderwijs in charge of quality care, from each participant the selected person in charge of quality care, the selected person in charge of curriculum and the selected teacher.Place: Koksijde, BelgiumGoals: a mid-term evaluation of the project and joint reflection on what we have learned so far. The evaluation of the methodologies, preparing the progress report, preparing the product report.3. Final meetingWho: The responsible for katholiek onderwijs in charge of quality care, from each participant the selected person in charge of quality care, the selected person in charge of curriculum and the selected teacher.Place: Bruges, BelgiumGoals: Making up the end evaluation of the project and joint reflection on what we have learned, preparing the final report of the project, listing up the lessons learned in a final document. Preparing the final product, preparing the webinar and the promotion of the webinar and the product.Trainings1. Training methodology AISHE, training methodology diversity sensitive curriculum, training peer evaluation methodology, training methodology of validating instruments for vocational education.Training 2 - 5 Peer evaluations CVO SVG - peer evaluation ENAIP - peer evaluation Valencia Culinary Centre - peer evaluation MirasMultiplier events: 4 timesObjective: reach out to responsible for quality management, deans and teachers concerning diversity sensitive curricula and sustainable sensitive curricula. Improve integral quality management in Vocational education by using validated instruments to prove your progress towards a sustainable and diversity sensitive curriculum. Best practices that have proven to guarantee progress are given. Target groups: Teachers and responsible quality management in vocational education that want to work with validated instruments and high level quality care and want to reach sustainable progress in diversity and sustainability.<< Results >>Handbook Report of guidelines with best practices to progress sustainability and diversity worked in vocational education.Target groups: Schools for vocational education with low skilled students, who want to improve sustainability into their organization and have a diversity sensitive curriculum. This implies that students learn about diversity and sustainability, students learn in diversity and sustainability and teaching and learning takes place in an inclusive and sustainable learning environment. Elements of innovation.The best practices that proved to be positive in the project and within the context of vocational training to low skilled students will be described.Expected impact: European policy and national policies focus on improving sustainability and diversity sensitivity within society. A lot of text and examples are distributed, but no report that really guides vocational education in the implementing process, offers them all templates needed and proven best practices. This report responds to a great need to channel energy in the right direction rather than setting up yet another project, which turns out not to be sustainably anchored. Transferability. The topics we focus on are hot topics internationally. The guidelines do not focus on the cook and catering education program. The guidelines will describe the implementation of vocational training in general. The best practices on policy, strategy, teaching and learning arrangements, teaching competences are transferable to all kinds of vocational education.Handbook: How to implement a quality framework to measure your evolution in sustainability and diversity in higher education in to vocational education program.Target groups: Schools for vocational education with low skilled students, who want to improve sustainability into their organization and have a diversity sensitive curriculum in a qualitative validated manner. Schools for vocational education interested in a qualitative and validated instrument to measure their progress in implementing sustainability and diversity. Who wants to be sure the implementations are sustainable in a long term. Elements of innovation. No instruments to measure are already validated in a vocational education context. We want to give guidelines to other organizations how to start and process the use of these instruments within a context of vocational education. Expected impact: We want a survey usable in vocational training in general that measures the presence of sustainability and diversity at various levels at one point in time, a process with the goals to be achieved, and where a subsequent snapshot proves whether the goals to be achieved were effectively achieved. European policy and national policies focus on improving sustainability and diversity sensitivity within society. Transferability. The topics we focus on are hot topics internationally. The validation of the instruments for vocational education programs will take place in the 1 year program cook and catering, but the validation will be able to be generalized across all vocational programs.

The project aims to develop adaptive expertise (AE) to foster an effective learning environment.Context/background of the project:Classroom situations are increasingly complex. Migration, societal diversity, EU member states' policies on inclusion... make classrooms more diverse. To increase quality in education, schools and teachers must find ways to address the diversity challenges and foster effective learning environments to optimise teaching and learning. Based on the partners' practical experiences such as teaching, supporting schools, talking and listening to teachers and students, and other empirical knowledge, the partners have concluded that much more can be done to teach effectively and efficiently in a diverse environment. The partners observe that many educators struggle to adapt their practice to the needs of the learners. They almost always implement the same routines i.e. they struggle to use the broad spectrum of formative assessment and to use these results as an inspiration to differentiate. The partners note this routine expertise is still the daily practice in many schools. The academic basic of this project is research done by the University of Auckland New Zealand and the OECD. This academic research tells us that adaptive expertise of teachers and a corresponding policy on adaptive expertise in schools is a promising way of tackling routine expertise and coping with the current educational diversity. It tells us further on that (1) updating and expanding teachers' professional competences are especially important in order to achieve the ambitious of education systems and (2) schools with adaptive expertise are ahead of the current debate in policy and research. They inspire to cross the bridge between research and practice from the other side by translating practice into research. So this project aims to tackle the outmoded form of teaching in order to create new tools to support schools, teams and teachers to become adaptive experts and to realise a policy on adaptive expertise. Objectives:This consortium aims to develop adaptive expertise to foster effective learning environments. The consortium will do this by creating an inspirational guide with underlying practical tools that support the implementation of AE into the daily school practice. The ultimate goal in practice is to engender better teaching that result in better learning for all students (teachers adapt accordingly to diversity to help every student learn better and become effective self-directed learners).The ultimate goal at policy level is to put adaptive expertise on the political agenda and change the emphasis from routine expertise to that of adaptive expertise. To realise these goals, the consortium shall develop 5 intellectual outputs (O):O1: an inspirational guide on state-of-the-art AE based on shared influences and experience of practice and theoryO2: building blocks for inquiring adaptive expertise through formative assessmentO3: building blocks for scaffolding AEO4: a collection of adaptive practicesO5: a Digital Learning Environment (DLE) to support educational professionals in inquiring and enhancing their AETo disseminate and exploit these results, the consortium will implement multiplier events focused on informing, discussing, investigating, sharing and adapting (in an iterative way) the process and results of the O's.Target Groups are:- local: teams of teachers, school leaders in the project countries and extended to Europe- regional/national: advisors, school-supporting organisations, oversight bodies, Universities of applied sciences (teacher training institutes) Methodology:The consortium will start with the development of the inspirational guide on state-of-the-art adaptive expertise. This will be the foundation to develop building blocks and a collection of adaptive practices to support the realisation of adaptive expertise in practice. By using a DLE, the consortium can support educational professionals in inquiring and enhancing their AE. The consortium will present and optimize all Os using dedicated presentations and discussions with the target groups. Through an international conference and course, they will further spread AE. We envisage impact on 4 levels:- partners: they enhance their knowledge, skills on adaptive expertise- staff-members of partners: they use the acquired knowledge, insights, skills to realise an 'expertise centre' on adaptive expertise - the target groups: they enhance their knowledge, skills on adaptive expertise, realise or support adaptive expertise and realise a policy on adaptive expertise- systemic: adaptive expertise is an overarching approach to address segregation and inclusion in schools, and should be on the political agendaLonger term benefits:A guide and tools for adaptive expertise remain freely available for ongoing education and to those who are interested in AE.

Digital technology is a part of our everyday lives, and should be an essential part of our learning practices. Vocational education and training is not an exception. When preparing learning content for VET students, pedagogical and digital competences of VET teachers play an important role in order to produce efficient digital learning content which would be motivational for VET students.The main AIM of the project INLESSON is to strengthen teaching process in the field of professions in beauty sector (beauticians, hairdressers) by sharing international experience and using digital technologies for more innovative teaching practice. In order to reach the project aim, the following OBJECTIVES are going to be met: 1.To develop a structured material that could guide VET teachers to design and create digital learning in the field of beauty sector;2.To increase VET teachers’ digital and pedagogical competences and use gained competencies in practice in order to create efficient digital learning content;3.To test created digital learning content in classes;4.To develop international partnership and increase the capacity of organizations to cooperate at international level.From the beginning of the project, the guidelines on the development of digital content of blended training material for beauty sector and the methodology how to organize blended learning (pedagogical approach) for beauty sector will be started elaborating. It will be a concept how to create digital learning content (digital tools for theory, individual exercises and collaborative learning) and organize/implement blended learning (pedagogical approach) in classes in the field of beauty sector. Moreover, from the beginning of the project the project website will be started developing. The project website will be dedicated not only for project dissemination activities and uploading developed intellectual outputs, but also for using website as a source for guiding how to organize and make digital learning content for VET teachers in the sector of beauty. Later on, it is planned to organize 3 short-term joint staff training events for 36 VET teachers in total based on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Framework in order to be able to start designing and creating digital learning content on 6 different modules for hairdressers and beauticians. After training activities 36 VET teachers will increase their level of digital and pedagogical competencies, opportunities for professional development, motivation to teach, creativity, competencies in foreign languages, skills to collaborate internationally. What is more, 36 VET teachers will be introduced with a self-reflection tool based on Digital Competence Framework for Educators Framework and had opportunity to use it in order to assess their strengths and weaknesses in using digital technologies for teaching. The strengths and weaknesses in using digital technologies of 36 VET teachers will be identified before short-term joint staff training events and after in order to assess the progress of improved digital and pedagogical competences of VET teachers.Developed digital learning material will be tested and evaluated by at least 200 students and 18 experts in the field of beauty sector. Using digital learning content in organized blended classes will increase a motivation to learn and satisfaction for learning of students of hairdressers and beauticians.Intellectual outputs will be produced in English and will be publically available and accessible to all interested parties. In relation to created digital learning content, the digital formats will be developed in such a way that they will easily translatable into other languages by stakeholders, for example changing the voice-over of an instruction video, etc.

<< Background >>The Centre Forestier and the project partners applied for this project due to the identified need to improve the competences of their VET trainers and to implement in their training new pedagogics producing higher results and higher satisfaction among the trainers as among the trainees.The project is the continuation of the BLEFT project ( Erasmus+ KA2 2018-2021) during which the concept of learner-centric approaches and gamification were learnt by the partners and applied to blended-learning. The project consists in applying those approaches to face-to-face trainings in order to achieve the need identified above.Through the learner-centric approaches, the partners intend to tackle the following difficulties identified during face-to-face VET trainings : -Lack of motivation-Establishment of a participative learning environment-Establishment of a true trainer-trainee connection-Adaptation of the trainings to trainees with different learning styles-Adaptation of the trainings to trainees with learning and concentration difficulties ( DYS, TDAH notably)-Talking efficiently to trainees about safety-Conducting a training course by videoconference-Introducing digital tools in face-to-face trainingsFinally, an ultimate need is tackled through this project : the need to put forward and raise awareness on sustainable and climate-friendly forestry among the population, here more specifically among VET trainees as a part of the population generally not targeted by communication on sustainable forestry.<< Objectives >>By implementing the 2ForT project, the projects partners aim at the following :-Improving forestry trainings in Europe through the use of learner-centric approaches tested and approved for a VET target group-Improving all VET trainings in Europe as the learner-centric methods and tools experienced and promoted through the project are transferable to all VET trainees-A raise of awareness of a new part of the European population on sustainable and climate-friendly forestry and forestry workAt mid-term, the project should produce the following main impacts : 1)Higher quality of forestry professionals, who are more passionate by their job, more efficient and work more safely, thanks to higher quality trainings who really got to them. Resulting in a better adaptation to the forestry sector needs, less accidents and higher recognition of forestry workers due to a high respect of forestry sustainable management and ability to explain what it is.2)Higher quality of professionals coming from VET education, thus satisfying the needs of the professions3)Higher understanding of forestry and forestry work in Europe<< Implementation >>In order to achieve these objectives and desired impacts, the projects partners will produce 4 output results : -A list of methods and tools for implementing learner-centric approaches to VET trainings, experimented and approved-Practical guidelines videos on how to implement those approaches to a face-to-face training session-An online training course for VET trainers on learner-centric approaches, taking support from the list and videos created before hand-A training session curriculum on sustainable and climate friendly forestry and forestry work, designed for VET trainees from divers sectors using the methods and tools worked on during the project, and created in a way to make it possible for any trainer to deliver the sessionThe creation of these output results will be supported by the organisation of 5 transnational meetings and 2 learning activities of 5 days dedicated to the trainers from the participating organisations, during which they will contribute to create the output results while training and learning from each other.The dissemination of the outputs will be done through continuous communication activities as well as through the organisation of 2 multiplier events by partner, one focused on the online training course and the other on the training session curriculum on sustainable and climate-friendly forestry and forestry work.<< Results >>The project partners are expecting the following results and outcomes : -An online training course for VET trainers used and generalised among all VET training organisations-A training session curriculum on forest and forestry regularly used in VET training organisations and pushed forward by local, regional and national authorities due to the importance to educate the population on forestry as conducted in Europe-The strengthening of the forestry trainers’ community created through many projects led together at European level.-The development at mid-term of a VET trainers’ community dedicated to sharing experience, information and improving training skills, that could also lead to the development of new projects