Step 4_Priorities

http://ec.europa.eu/education/comenius/doc854_en.htm
Could you go through all priorities and tell us which in your opinion are important for your school?


Priorities for Comenius actions
1.2. Multilateral projects
All Comenius multilateral projects concern the development or transfer of innovation in order to improve teacher education and the continuing professional development of educational staff, and to make available to them material, methodologies and other support. Priority will be given to the following topics:

1.2.1. Priority 1: Improving motivation for learning and learning to learn
skills
In a knowledge-based society, it is vital not only to improve access to learning
opportunities, but also to reinforce individuals' motivation to learn at school and
throughout life. There is a particular need to accelerate improvement in the completion rate of upper secondary education.

􀂾Projects should focus on the development, testing and implementation of materials,
new pedagogical methods and strategies designed:
– to increase student motivation and to make learning more attractive, particularly
for migrants and for those at a socio-economic disadvantage;
– to strengthen students' acquisition of learning skills;
– strengthening the links between school education and the world of work;
– to strengthen intercultural education and its contribution to social integration;
– to help meet the needs of the children of occupational travellers and of migrant
workers;
– to extend participation in educational opportunities through sports activity.

1.2.2. Priority 2: The development of a range of approaches to teaching and
learning to support 'transversal' key competences. Increasingly, initial education is called on to provide learners with "transversal" key competences (see key competences 4 to 8 [The eight key competences are: 1.Communication in the mother tongue; 2. Communication in foreign languages; 3. Mathematical competence and
basic competences in science and technology; 4. Digital competence;5. Learning to learn; 6. Social and civic competences; 7. Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship; 8. Cultural awareness and expression]), which require a coordinated approach across a wide range of school staff.

􀂾Projects should focus on the development, testing and implementation of courses and
pedagogical materials and methods and innovative strategies (eg team teaching).

1.2.4. Priority 4: Language learning and linguistic diversity
Projects should focus particularly on the development, testing and implementation of
curricula, courses or materials, methodologies and pedagogical strategies in areas such as:
􀂾early language learning;
􀂾developing and disseminating tools for teaching and learning the less widely used and taught foreign languages;
􀂾content and language integrated learning (CLIL); and
􀂾testing people's language skills.

1.2.6. Priority 6: Digital educational content and services
There is a need to promote and reinforce teachers' skills and knowledge to make best use of the new opportunities created by digital educational content and services of all types, commercially available or informally developed.
􀂾Projects should focus on the development, testing and implementation of materials,
courses and new pedagogical methods designed to improve the use of good quality
digital content in teaching in schools, particularly in relation to the acquisition of key competences.

1.3. Networks
Priority will be given to the following topics:
1.3.1. Priority 1: Development of pre-primary and early learning provision
Under this priority networks should provide a forum for providers, research institutions and associations in pre-primary and early learning provision, with joint involvement of parents as a shared responsibility. They should cover all of the following:
􀂾identifying, exchanging and building on experience and good practice in pre-primary
and early learning provision;
􀂾pedagogic approaches which foster creativity in children from an early age;
􀂾early language learning;
􀂾identifying topics for multilateral projects and other cooperation at European level.

1.3.3. Priority 3: Supporting entrepreneurship and links with the world of
work
Under this priority networks should cover all of the following:
􀂾successful transition between initial education, continuing training and career,
including guidance and counselling;
􀂾using and disseminating the results of Comenius projects, other European measures
and other activities in the area of 'school and the world of work';
􀂾exchanging experience and networking stakeholders (experts, institutions, etc) with a view to maximising the contribution made by schools to reducing youth
unemployment;
􀂾identifying ways of developing a sense of initiative and entrepreneurship among
learners and teachers.

1.3.4. Priority 4: Digital educational content and services
Under this priority networks should focus on:
􀂾the collection, validation and dissemination of digital content, and its integration into national and regional education systems;
􀂾ensuring that content is multilingual and reflects European values and ethics;
􀂾providing services and advice relating to copyright, licensing, quality assurance,
public-private partnerships and multilingualism;
􀂾promoting digital educational content relating to key competences and encouraging
teachers to use digital technology and resources creatively.

1.3.5. Priority 5: Making science education more attractive
Under this priority networks should focus on:
􀂾making science studies more attractive for students at secondary level;
􀂾developing and providing information on future scientific studies or careers;
􀂾measures to reduce the gender imbalance in science education and careers.

1.3.6. Priority 6: Development of special needs education (SEN) towards
inclusion of all young people, in particular of those with disabilities.
This priority would reinforce policies towards mainstreaming SEN provision, and the
transformation of special schools into resource centres supporting the various sub-groups of SEN. It would also cover the training needs of school education staff and opening up schools to society.