Context As many other schools in the EU also our three schools are confronted with a growing diversity of pupils: pupils with and without migration background, with or without special needs, from different social environments. This new situation entails a great number of challenges such as preventing discrimination and giving a reasonable amount of assistance and motivation to educationally disadvantaged pupils with migration background or with special needs and disabilities to avoid early school leaving. Each of the three schools has gained positive experience in which ways dance pedagogy is used as an integral support for the pupils. Independently from nationality, social origin or intellectual abilities dancing offers the possibility to demonstrate and evolve specific abilities and therefore offers new accesses to learning. Language and creativity are stimulated by verbal and nonverbal communication. But this potential has not yet been fully tapped because most of the teachers lack the competence of installing dance pedagogy into their classes regularly. Aims The three schools would like to learn from the specific experiences of their partner schools by performing a dance project with the topic of children’s rights. Together they would like to reach one methodic aim and two aims with regards to contents: • improving the participation of learners with fewer opportunities by developing methods of dance pedagogy in regular classes • fighting discrimination, exclusion and violence through discussions about different aspects of children’s rights • supporting the development of social and intercultural competences by preparing dance performances together Participants Each of the three schools offers specific competences for this project: The secondary school “Lernhaus im Campus” has gained years of experience in using dance projects for the promotion of pupils with migration background and for the promotion of educationally disadvantaged pupils. The “Colegio Juan Comenius” from Valencia organizes activities and classes in a way that teenagers with different disabilities can participate. The “Escola de Dança Lugar Presente” from Viseu is specialized in the cooperation of artists and teachers. The number of participants from each of the three schools are as follows: 180 pupils aged 13 – 18 (whereof 36 also in the mobilities), 21 teachers (whereof 6 also in the mobilities) and two dance choreographers. Activities and Methodology Five international meetings are planned: • introductory workshop with the topic “learning through motion” with the teachers and the dance choreographers • three international meetings with the pupils from the three schools where the pupils will perform a five-day dance project with the topic “children’s rights” • a final workshop with the teachers and the dance choreographers with the topic “integrating methods of dance pedagogy in the regular classes” Three most relevant aspects of children’s rights will be touched within these dance projects: basic rights, violence against children and teenagers, democracy/participation. Together with the choreographers and teachers the pupils will evolve a choreography with these subtopics within four days. On the fifth day there will be a public performance. The topics about children’s rights as well as the dance project will be prepared and followed up by the pupils in their study groups and classes. Results and long-term considerations Based on the results of the workshops and on the experiences of the dance workshops the teachers will write a manual about establishing methods of dance pedagogy in regular classes. This manual includes recommendations, instructions and examples on video. The manual will be used as a basis for transferring the results from the workshops into the teaching staffs of the three schools and further schools. Therefore, this project contributes to a greater implementation of methods of dance pedagogy especially for educationally disadvantaged pupils and offers them a new integral access to learning. With regards to contents of the discussions about the topic “children’s rights” the results will be evaluated by each of the three schools thoroughly. Pupils will continue to work on any single subtopic depending on their focus. If necessary, measures will be taken to enforce children’s rights at the schools or will be developed in the community to reduce discrimination and exclusion.
Each of the three schools brought specific competencies to this project: The secondary school "Lernhaus im Campus" already had many years of experience in using dance projects to support students with a migration background and to support educationally disadvantaged students. The "Colegio Juan Comenius" from Valencia had already been organizing activities and lessons for some time in such a way that young people with different disabilities could also participate. The "Escola de Dança Lugar Presente" from Viseu was and is specialized in the cooperation with artists and teachers. The numbers of participants in the three schools were as follows: 180 students aged 13 to 18 (36 of them also in the mobilities), 21 teachers (of them also in the mobilities) and two dance choreographers. Activities and methodology There have been a total of five international meetings: - introductory workshop with the theme "learning through movement" with the teachers and the dance choreographers - three international meetings with the students of the three schools, during which the students carried out a five-day dance project on the theme of "children's rights - a final workshop with the teachers and the dance choreographers on the topic of "Integrating dance pedagogical methods into regular classes". In the context of these dance projects, the three most important aspects of children's rights were touched upon: Fundamental rights, violence against children and young people, democracy/participation. Together with the choreographers and teachers, the students developed a choreography on these subtopics within four days. On the fifth day, there was a public performance. The topics on children's rights and the dance project were prepared and followed up by the students in their learning groups and classes. Results and long-term considerations Based on the results of the workshops and the experiences from the dance workshops, the teachers planned a manual on the introduction of dance pedagogical methods for regular classes. This manual should contain recommendations, instructions and video examples. The manual should serve as a basis for transferring the results from the workshops of the teachers of the three schools and other schools. The manual is currently unfinished. Overall, this project contributed to a stronger implementation of dance pedagogical methods, especially for educationally disadvantaged students, thus offering them a new holistic approach to learning. Each of the three schools thoroughly evaluated the content of their examination of the topic of "children's rights." Students continued to work on a single subtopic, depending on their focus. Among other things, this led to awareness and appropriate measures to enforce children's rights in the schools (promoting participation in very many areas of the respective schools). Furthermore, an awareness was created among the young people to stand up against discrimination and exclusion, at school and in general in society.