Learner voice: engage students in participative and collaborative learning

PROGRAMME SUMMARY

The Non-formal participative teaching methods is an international seven-day programme for educators who want to explore the art of learning: how to learn, how to relate and connect to ourselves, to our kids, to our colleagues in the way that is natural. We all dream of an education system that can serve our children, ignite the love of learning, use the best talents of our teachers and others to create results that matter for our societies.

​Participatory Learning Methodologies offer educators a new way to HOST learning and CREATE learning communities. Over the course of this 7-day training, we will learn and practice the participatory learning methodologies that include World Café, Open Space Technology, Appreciative inquiry, Circle Practice and others. By experiencing the main tools of participatory learning (www.artofhosting.org) participants will get the necessary skills for building a community of practice to reawaken the love of learning.

DAY-BY-DAY PROGRAMME

DAY 1
Introductory meeting, explanation of practical arrangements, presentation of timetable, information about course venue.

Core participatory learning methodologies, definition and basic assumptions.
Innovation – moving through chaos into a new order.
From a learner to a learning community that learns​.

Cultural evening.

DAY 2
Social capital skills, methodologies and practices – an overview
Circle practice: The Circle, or council, is an ancient form of meeting that has gathered humans in respectful conversations for thousands of years. In some areas of the world
this tradition remains intact, but in some societies it has been nearly forgotten. Circling is a modern methodology that calls on this tradition and helps people gather in conversations that fulfill their potential and desire for learning via conversations or dialogues that replenish, engage, excite, and create wisdom-based change….which is real and sustaining learning.

DAY 3
Appreciative inquiry: Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a strategy for intentional change that identifies the best of ‘what is’ to pursue dreams and possibilities of ‘what could be.’ AI is a cooperative search for strengths, what is known, what is right. AI focuses on the positive and strengths seeking to build on what is currently working as blocks leading to a positive and productive future. This focus on strengths and what is right offers an opportunity for individuals to accept what is known and to build on what works. Research has shown that this approach is the only successful way to bring about long-term change and deep learning.

DAY 4
World Café: The World Café is a method for creating a collaborative learning conversation around questions that matter by innovating instruction in the classroom. Café is ideal for
administrators to develop collaboration and co-creation with faculty, boards, and community partners.
Half-day excursion to one of Slovenian highlights.

DAY 5
Open space: The goal of Open Space is to create time and space for participants to engage, ask questions, and/or share knowledge around issues of concern to them (such as review of an upcoming test, managing a project-based learning experience, planning a ‘real life’ field trip around a content issue or topic of interest. Using Open Space in classes can result in a transformative experience for the individuals and groups involved. It is a simple and powerful way to catalyze effective working conversations and truly invite participants to thrive and be in the role of leader, knowledge sharer, and questioner.

DAY 6
Key learning points.
Planning follow up activities, dissemination and implementation of learning outcomes.
Discussing possibilities for future cooperation among participants.

* Some changes in the programme are possible. The participants will receive the Informational Booklet a few weeks prior to the start of the course.