The Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, of the Ministry of Education, Sports, Culture and Youth, in the framework of the European Programme Erasmus+ KA3 entitled "Teachers4Europe: setting an Agora for Democratic Culture" organised a three-day Online Winter School "Learning4Europe2Change" which took place from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 February 2021. The action was addressed to teachers of all levels with the aim of training them in the values of the European Union and integrating them into the teaching practice. In the context of the implementation of the Winter School, the awareness for the understanding of diversity as an opportunity and not as a problem in the professional context and the understanding of the critical role played by the teacher were strengthened. Issues such as the relationship between teacher and student in a democratic and inclusive school, the acquisition of knowledge, the cultivation of values and the formation of attitudes and behaviors compatible with the functioning of democratic societies with the contribution of teachers as well as taking action to promote teaching practices that will contribute to the development of a democratic culture.
The Online Winter School began with greetings from the Director of the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, Dr. Athena Michailidou, the Secretary General of Primary, Secondary & Special Education of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs of Greece, the Academic Coordinator Associate Professor Foteini Asderaki as well as the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth of the European Union for the period 2010-2014, Mr. Androula Vassiliou. This was followed by a detailed presentation by the facilitators of the Winter Online School, Ms. Pascale Mompoint-Gaillard and Dr. Ildikó Lázár from the NGO Learn2Change on ‘Student and teacher wellbeing in online environments’.
Within the framework of the Online Winterschool, open interactive discussion activities were held on issues related to European Values, the teaching methodology of these values as well as topics focusing on distance education and the COVID-19 pandemic. The winter school included six workshops, in which teachers from all over Europe and all levels presented the activities they developed with their students under the Teachers4Europe Program. These actions were captured in a video that was shown at the end of the Winter School. In addition, representatives of the partners of the Teachers4Europe Program made an assessment of the work of the Winter School and gave the message of teachers for today's Europe.
Teachers4Europe Program is coordinated by the University of Piraeus Research Center. Cyprus Pedagogical Institute participates as a partner. The other Program Partners are St Margaret College from Malta, the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover, the Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai, EURACTIV LTD, the Greek National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Education and Religions of Greece, and Learn to Change - Change to Learn [L2C].
Specifically, the Program aims to:
(a) to support teachers and pupils in Europe who it places at the heart of a functioning solidarity democracy;
(b) to promote knowledge of the EU, its history, operation, policies and strategies;
(c) promote understanding of participation in national and European institutions and decision-making;
(d) to strengthen the understanding and appropriation of the EU 's values and fundamental rights, valuing democratic culture as its core value.
More information about the Online Winter School can be found at: http://cyprusconferences.org/teachers4europe2021/
