We wanted to achieve/develop key areas which would be tackled and meet our needs and goals would be provided by the activitieswe planed to attend in structured courses; they were: . New innovative curricula/educational methods - adoption of pedagogical and technological innovations . collaborative work . integrated curriculum - teaching global skills . ICT - new technologies - digital competences . a brief approach to C.L.I.L . inclusion of special needs students . challenges of work organisation (update training of management and collaborative office staff) . learning from different systems of education in Europe Furthermore and associated to the first and second goals - develop an European dimension aiming at accomplishing effective changes within the school community - we would like to have training on: . making our curriculum more European and student/education impact oriented . organizing team teaching and make all/most teachers enthusiastic in the process . creating a growth mindset environment for teachers and students to ensure embracing or facing change rather than merely adapting to change . fostering new learning environments through team teaching, phenomena based learning courses (topic courses), learning outside the classroom experience and new learning ways (different systems of learning) . Coaching more lessons (21st century skills adapted instructions) . English language teaching in an inclusive classroom The referential outline of practices described above will certainly improve school outcomes by improving the classroom learning environment. Better staff training equals better learning environment, ultimately promoting success.These are the objectives of this project. A very important reason for conducting training outside the country is the importance of having contact with different realities, different European contexts different experts, different good practices, which will allow to enrich and change the work being developed at school, especially in a constant changing educational system.
The key needs and goals of our school derive mainly from the data presented in our latest external evaluation, on the content of our "Projeto Educativo" (it demands the participation and active intervention of the school community, aiming at innovation, knowledge acquisition and educating for citizenship) and on the data of our School Observatory. These goals, which permeate our "Projeto Educativo" , are directly linked to the "Perfil do Aluno do século XXI". In the aftermath of a school's improvement plan which pointed at a strategic action based on quality and success in classroom learning, to be part of a Erasmus+ project will allow teachers to improve their specific skills and implement different approaches on teaching and consolidate a cultural awareness of cooperation and innovation to be ready for the new upcoming changes. Our students need their skills developed - creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration to adjust to the world's versatility. If we reflect what makes people successful in life it is also how they behave and engage with the world, ie, mindfulness, curiosity, courage, resilience ethics and leadership. Lastly, in a constantly changing world, the ability to reflect and adapt and continuing "to learn how to learn" comes at a premium. Therefore, aiming at a deeper, more robust and versatile education is all about modernized knowledge, skills, character and meta-learning. And teachers play a top role on the process. Constant and continuous school improvement planning has been the aim of the Board of Heads; we defined 3 main key needs and goals: . develop an European dimension aiming at accomplishing effective changes within the school community; . foster collaborative work through practices of "Integrated Curriculum - teaching global skills" within" Projecto de Autonomia e Flexibilização Curricular". . acquire new approaches to teaching different subjects In 2017/18 our school joined the experience of the Projeto de Autonomia e Flexibilidade Curricular, (Integrated Curriculum) - in order to provide answers for the challenges our teachers have to face in these days; so far we have 7 classes in which integrated curriculum of two different subjects are being taught by two different subject teachers. Applying for a project that can imply a mobility to a different school, place, country, comes up as a possibility to improve competencies in teachers/staff who will be the promoters of a paradigm change to better meet the changes in pedagogical practices demanded by the implementation of the 21st century Student's Profile and the transformation of core learning by subject and level into operational and tactical actions. With this goal in mind, we strongly believe on the importance of having teachers from different core subjects getting the chance to know and experience new methodologies which have been considered good practices (by peers testimonies or documented in official documents) in other countries, and later, by integrating them into their own teaching practices, and disseminating them to the other teachers/staff in school and with their peers beyond our own school community -(workshops with colleagues, parents and students; having articles published in our school's newsletter, in the school's website, uploading recorded material in eTwinning platform and most of all, we want to implement the knowledge we acquired to our practice and invite teachers to come and see). It proves necessary to reconfigure the way of teaching and diversifying strategies, aiming at the student in her/his diversity. New professional challenges are placed on teachers: to privilege interdisciplinary and new generation pedagogies (simulation, design, socialization, collaboration, research, explanation) in articulation with innovative educational environments, where digital tools can enrich learning practices if integrated into the implementation of dynamic methodologies in the classroom is a path that all teachers will have to do. Another field of training that all teachers must do, is the assessment of the learning process. The diversified methodologies and the instruments of evaluation must impose more emphasis to the diagnostic and formative modalities. The structured courses we applied to must focus on innovative approaches and classroom effective management as potential, facilitating tools to promote success on the new approaches to the 21st century students' curriculum. We wanted to carry out this project to meet our key needs and goals which will strengthen the previous path we have made in the area of European development of our School development plan. We have insisted not only in Erasmus funded courses but also on regular, yearly, non-funded cooperation between European public schools (Norway, Denmark, Poland, Hungary).