"BackgroundThis ERASMUS+ Project arises, after unofficial visits during other ERASMUS+ projects to educational institutions in several countries, where informally, themes related to the success of schools in combating exclusion and dropping out of different types of students have been addressed . In these conversations it became clear that we will all have a lot to learn from the way each school and nation sees the inclusion of its students. The project appears as a bet that integrates the various knowledge of the institutions, with its strong areas of inclusive competence. ObjectiveThe “IN as in INclusion"" takes the challenges of the global world to training children and young people, bringing it as an object of improvement for the concepts at European level of what is school for all and for each and every one and what we can improve in institutions to have a truly Inclusive Education. In this sequence, we will present good practices of school inclusion, different types of students that serve as an example to most schools in the European Union and we will create an Inclusive Training Plan (ITP) and an Inclusive Booklet (IB) that will integrate the knowledge acquired by the partners in a document that can be used in a functional way within the scope training activities for educators, teachers and school leaders.Partners ProfileSix(6)schools-three(3) were VET schools- and an institution created a partnership in order to carry out the project objectives by developing and certifying the ITP and IB. The institutions were chosen among various candidates by their ability to present significant inclusive activities and methodologies.The three(3) VET schools differ from each other in the training they present and offer and all have guaranteed their acceptance to join the partnership, all for the awards they received in previous years in their certification areas, and for the diversity of methodology that each one proposes to present. Regular schools will also maintain the diversity of inclusion themes to be analyzed and compared.Ensuring a training plan that integrates all the knowledge analyzed will be developed, SIPE Training Center is part of the partnership. They ensure the creation of an applicable and disseminable ITP that takes into account the needs and concerns of school institutions, teachers and school leaders.Activities DescriptionAgrupamento de Escolas de Aljustrel(PT), will bring inclusion with students with special needs, SIPE(PT) has the main objective of coordinating the creation of the ITP and to assess the booklet elaboration;Balıkesir Adnan Menderes High School(TK), training about inclusion of girls and prevention of early school leaving; School of Economics Novo Mesto(SL), will address the inclusion of refugees and minorities in school activities; United Special Vocational Gymnasium and Lyceum of Patras(GR), school activity through inclusion of disabled students in technical courses; Istituto Professionale Statale “Frederico II”(IT), inclusion through the participation in international projects and the way to success of culinary courses in school, local community and worldwide; Tolosaldea Integrated VET School(SP), the success of methodology applied in the integration in school and in the acquisition of knowledge, how to select the right offer for each student. MethodologyThe methodology to use, briefly consists of distinct elements and characteristics as they are[1] a methodology for solving problems;[2] we will start from real questions and/or problems, felt as real problems for those who will treat them (that is, as situations for which there is not, at the outset, a total and unique answer to their resolution and/or clarification);[3] we will focus the research of pertinent and relevant problems for those who will be involved in the work (if only in terms of understanding and knowledge about these issues);[4] we will start looking for answers and/or solutions;[5] the planning and distribution of tasks for the collection of data and information, as a group/or collective task;[6] the information and data collected individually or in a small group will have to be processed and organized to return to the large group; all work should result in a sociable “final product” (ITP and IB) - a result that represents the enrichment of the broader group, in terms of knowledge/understanding/solution of the problems and questions initially posed.The best impact possible to aim for is that the inclusion barrier stops being an obstacle to integration and participation of each and every one of our students.The project impact will be incisive in three important aspects that we call the “PIE”: PLANNING-involving deciding beforehand which course of action to take in a given time to integrate or include a student in meaningful activities; INCLUSION-influence positively the quality of participation of each student, EVALUATION-guarantee that all the previos work done before, is going on track."

"<< Background >>ERASMUS Project TEC++US is a project that started in 2018 with the creation of the EUROPEAN PICTOGRAPHIC LANGUAGE OF COMMUNICATION (EPCL) and the EPCL TRANSLATOR (TEC++US App).After it's completion in the start of 2020 the results showed that after the usage of the tools developed the acceptance form teachers and other stakeholder was high: -Young and adult people without disabilities who manage to use most of the pictograms without prior knowledge of their meaning. 52% exceeded the standards, 44% meet the standards, 4% did not meet the standard. Rate of successes in the group 96%.-Young people without disabilities who manage to use most of the pictograms without prior knowledge of their meaning in a patronized conversation. 76% exceeded the standards, 20% meet the standards, 4% did not meet the standard. Rate of successes in the group 96%.-Young people with disabilities who manage to use most of the pictograms without prior knowledge of their meaning in a patronized conversation. 15,4% exceeded the standards, 65,4% meet the standards, 19,2% did not meet the standard. Rate of successes in the group 80,8%.-Children with disabilities who can use the application to communicate effectively in a foreign language. 0% exceeded the standards, 60% meet the standards, 40% did not meet the standard. Rate of successes in the group 60%.-Young people with or without disabilities who manage to use most of the pictograms without prior knowledge of their meaning in a patronized conversation. 45,1% exceeded the standards, 43,1% meet the standards, 11,8% did not meet the standard. Rate of successes in the group 82,2%.After this evaluation and taking in consideration the commentaries, especially from teachers, the partnership wanted to improve the teachers and educators skills in the use of the new methodology proposed by the sage of the EPCL and EPCL Translator. A series of support material will be created to create an easy approach to the universal designed classroom, with tutorials, worksheets, online material and others the partnership finds of interest after starting the investigations on the better transnational solution to inclusion and language learning.The ERASMUS+ Project TEC++US 2.0 will fill gaps that were predicted in the project started in 2018 and that will improve even more the acceptance of digital inclusion in classroom (physical or online). It will use the know-how already gathered in the partnership, bringing new players to help fulfill the objectives it aims to achieve.The already established network, the materials and tools created for teaching and dissemination, like the web page or Play Store account, are already established and bring added value to the implementation of the project, what give more time to the partnership to focus in the new tools, methodologies and training plan. The activities that TEC++US 2.0 provide will help make the difference for children and young people in language learning and inclusion in classroom, the evaluation made by 280 stakeholders in the evaluation of TEC++US 1.0 show that a great majority of the inquired thought that the EPCL and the EPCL Translator can be used in language classrooms and can help improve the initiation of a new language. These tools are also a factor of inclusion once with the proper training and support materials an foreign language teacher can make the difference in the participation of each and every one of their students in regular classrooms or in activities where language learning occur, like training to refugee students or migrants.<< Objectives >>This project intends to learn more about the development of inclusion of each and every student in language classrooms, in general, to create educational support materials to be used with the EPCL and the EPCL Translator. The achievement of students with disabilities or not is determined or not by the future of schools policies. With the work resulting from this project we'll bring new tools, methodologies and training to teachers and educators so that they can make the difference in their educational systems by preparing students, developing language to each and every one during universal designed teaching methodologies.We hope that throughout the project an exchange of ideas and foundations will be achieved and that will allow the partnership to broaden the vision of the foundations that allow inclusion in different countries, the project aims at the following results:- Improve the teaching and learning of languages and promote the broad linguistic diversity in the EU and the sensibility to the different cultures;- Promote improvement in terms of quality, innovation, excellence and internationalization in the educational institutions, namely through the promotion of transnational cooperation between the education and training institutions and other parts with interest in it; - Develop projects to optimize the use of computers and media as mechanisms that allow the intercultural mobility and share.- Promote the technological inclusion as a facilitator.- Promote projects developed that use technological resources.- Help teachers and educators to better understand the potential of the tools already created.- Improve language blended learning and eLearning teaching with specific activities that can be made online with the use of the EPCL.- Improve the skills of each and every student in language learning.- Improve techniques of language n blended and eLearning.- Create online and printable activities that complement the EPCL and EPCL Translator in classroom or in online learning. (Project Result 1).- Create a training course for teachers in the usage of the EPCL and EPCL Translator in universal designed classes. (Project Result 2).To monitor the progress and achievements the partnership established indicator that each team has to be compliant.Quantitative indicators:Indicator 1 - 75% of students with Special Educational Needs are considered to be better integrated into language classes when using the tools created in TEC++US 2.0;Indicator 2 - 75% of the teachers foresee the pedagogical differentiation, in the planning, in order to answer the needs of each one;Indicator 3 – 75% of language teachers and educators consider that the tools and tutorials created are useful to be used in classroom;Indicator 4 – 75% of students considered with special educational needs improve interaction in classroom/support institution using the universal design activities proposed;Indicator 5 – 75% of migrant students improve interaction in classroom/support institution using the universal design activities proposed;Qualitative indicators:Indicator 6 – Teacher’s perception of the improvement of participation in classroom;Indicator 7 - School provides the specific support necessary for differentiated learning with each student;The analysis of an indicator starts from its creation. In all areas of an organization, indicators can be applied. The main mechanisms for the establishment of strategic goals address the fulfillment of stakeholder requirements, the use of comparative information, incremental challenges and external conditions.We determined five distinctive phases of equal importance: Initiation, Planning and Design, Construction and Execution, Monitoring and Control, Completion. The uninterrupted development and execution of all these phases ensure the success of our project.<< Implementation >>In order to have a successful implementation process there are many tasks between different departments that need to be accomplished in sequence. The project will use proven methodologies and enlist professional help to guide them through the implementation.The process will start with a negotiation in a meticulous process that will define guidelines, deadlines and payment schedule for the entire implementation process with a signature of a partner agreement in the first of three transnational meetings that will occur. After the roadmap is set, the project's scope and what the project can achieve for the educational system and for inclusion of each and every student in school activities a set of activities will start. The main activities of collaborative work will happen either on online project meetings or in Learning, Training and Teaching Activities.There are 5 LTTAs during the 2 years of project with well-defined goals for the project and what each partner hope to gain out by attending them:LTTA C1 - will engage in the field of language learning and inclusion. This activities are needed in order to create in the partnership the know-how of what the needs are in classrooms to work in universal design spirit and what work is already developed by teachers with their students. It will also bring know-how in terms of inclusion and techniques that are already used, so that the proposed materials and activities don't collide with the expectations of teachers and students in the field. LTTA C2 - will bring the know-how of how to produce material that can be used in classroom and how to take advantage of blended learning and eLearning. This training is of great importance to create material that can be used online and to prevent situations like the ones that occurred during the pandemic situation. LTTA C3 - Creating an universal designed tool brings needs not only for the students with leaning disabilities but also for those that are dislocated from their home country or that belong to minorities. The training in the importance of language learning to each and every one is mandatory in this project and the examples that the partner teams will bring to the training will improve the decision making in final products to every team.LTTA C4 - How to promote a training plan for teachers in using the EPCL in blended learning classrooms is very important because teachers are our main objective. Most of the work done in some point to acquisition of language skills comes from school and to motivate teachers to try and use our tools a training plan specific in the usage of such tools is essential. A lack of visual arrangements to graphics, videos and materials is also a big opportunity lost in engaging any stakeholder. It's also intended that every team in the partnership will be able to create tutorial on how to use the complementary tools to the EPCL and EPCL Translator so a training in video editing is crucial so the tutorials are available in every language. LTTA C5 - Dissemination and project results strategy are one of the main goals in all ERASMUS+ projects, in order to all teams present the final results efficiently the partnership considers that it's needed a specific training to promote the project with the target audience.Individual work in the organization will be developed with a plan for checking in the implementation's status, timeline focused on achieving set objectives through various stages of the implementation process.Key players in the implementation process will meet regularly online to discuss the project's progress and will also use the 2nd and 3rd Transnational meeting for this purpose. All partners will test the new results with test groups within their institutions or in stakeholders’ institutions as part of the procedure of implementation. After testing is complete a training programs focus on educating users about the new system and how to use it before the system eventually is ready to go live.<< Results >>The project have established 2 main results that are linked to a necessity that emerges from TEC++US 1.0. In order to improve the usage of a new language of communication, created in the spirit of the universal design, TEC++US 2.0 intend to create a series of support materials that are complementary and will help the usage of the European Pictographic Language of Communication (EPCL) and the EPCL Translator. Such materials will be decided by the partnership after attending a set of training designed to create in each of the participants sufficient know-how in all areas needed (inclusion, language teaching, pedagogy, ICT…) Such materials will be thought in the spirit of the universal design and will be able to be used with each and every one of the students in language classes teaching. The main goal is to achieve participation of all students at their full potential. Like it was already described.This result can variate between presential class activities proposals, online games, online or blended learning activities. Once only in the multiculturalism of the partnership and the eclectic transdisciplinary field of each partner will be truly found what are the best options to take, the project still doesn't close the doors to any option that will emerge. After all activities and materials are set and the teams are working in testing them, a series of tutorials, promotional material and translations will take place.The final stage will be the creation of a training plan using the materials that the partnership proposes in order to capacitate language teachers and educators in the correct use of the EPCL and/or the EPCL Translator in the perspective of inclusion and universal designed activities with participation of each and everyone in the classroom. In addiction it's expected that the project will create an impact on: -language and identity reflection; - minimizing the risk of discrimination (for example in migrants, refuges and minorities);-the inequalities in access to social services; -the importance of home language and the acquisition of the host country language;-language connection to psycho-social well-being; -mother tongue-based programmes to reduce the trauma that migrant and refugee children experience during and immediately following their transition; -language diversity challenges for educators; -inclusion of language learning to each and every student as a part of their rights to education. The outcomes will be important in the four axes defined by the partnership, (QIKE axes):Qualification - Overcome the scientific and technological backwardness, betting on the scientific and technological competences of the teams involved, recognizing the role of communities in the creation of quality products and training in research and development activities.Integration - Although what is expected of the project to impact is not inclusion but participation, it is expected that students with more difficulties will perform better after using the EPCL, EPCL Translator and it's support material. This improved performance will influence the quality of participation, which will improve the level of ""inclusion"" of students in the classroom.Knowledge - To qualify participants for the knowledge society, and bring knowledge in a fingertip, structural measures to raise ICT and language skills by creating a comprehensive and diversified throughout the project and mobilizing the dissemination of Information.Education - Print a new impetus to innovation by facilitating the user's adaptation to the challenges posed by globalization through the diffusion, adaptation and use of new technological product, form of communication and learning."