Building Learning Power with Neuroscience

Learning Objectives:

1. Building Learning Power Approach:

Understand the foundational principles of the Building Learning Power approach.

Implement strategies to develop Personal Learning and Thinking Skills: Creative Thinkers, Team workers, Reflective Learners, Independent Enquirers, Effective Participants, Self-managers. 

2. Neuroscience-Informed Teaching:

Apply neuroscience findings to optimize teaching methods and enhance student engagement:

–   cultivate a love for learning and school,

–   offer constructive feedback instead of grades,

–   embrace mistakes as valuable learning opportunities,

–   build teacher-student relationships.

3. Shift from “Teaching” to “Learning”:

Challenge traditional teaching paradigms.

Develop a language supporting learning (Learnish).

Embrace a learner-centric approach for more effective and enjoyable learning experiences.

Join Professional Learning Communities. 

4. Experiential Learning Strategies:

Engage in activities promoting teamwork, Project Based Learning, and Cooperative Learning.

Explore the benefits of fresh air learning and museum-based education.

5. Task Design and Student Support:

Learn to create tasks that require deep-processing, inspire curiosity and creativity.

Understand the importance of providing appropriate support to facilitate student learning.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completing this immersive course, participants will acquire a versatile Building Learning Power toolkit to enhance their teaching across diverse subjects. They will harness various neuroscience insights to personalise learning, create compelling content, and optimise assessments:

–   Reflect on the aims of education.

–     Gain practical skills to create teaching tools and materials to support  Building Learning Power in everyday school practice.

–   Acquire strategies and methods for fostering inclusive classrooms and safe learning environments. 

–     Recognize the importance of a safe learning environment for overall well-being.

–   Join a supportive learning community of educators committed to innovative teaching.

–   Create rubrics, mark work and provide model answers and constructive feedback with ChatGPT.

Benefits for students:

Research has shown that developing students’ learning behaviours:

–   Raises achievement

–   Improves behaviour

–   Increases motivation

–   Creates supple learning minds

–   Increases enjoyment in learning

–   Establishes habits of lifelong learning

–   Enhances creativity

DAILY PROGRAMME:

DAY 1: SUNDAY

• Welcoming the participants.
• Presenting the course outline. 
• Ice-breaking and team building activities. 
• Presentation of your school and projects.

DAY 2 : MONDAY

• How we learn (eye-openers from neurodidactics). Creating a learning culture in your classroom. 
• Good tasks – what are they? Personalised learning and deep learning.  Brain friendly materials. Engaging and impactful learning tasks – examples from different subjects. 
• A cultural activity – learning in the urban space. 

DAY 3: TUESDAY

• Creating good tasks for your curriculum – workshops. 
• Introduction to the Assessment for Learning. 
• Formative assessment put into practice – workshops.

DAY 4: WEDNESDAY

• Introduction to Building Learning Power and metacognitive strategies.
• Personal Learning and Thinking Skills framework in action.
• Language supporting Learning (Learnish). Classroom Posters and School decorations. 
• A social activity in the afternoon – building professional network for future projects. 

DAY 5: THURSDAY

• Creative Learning – Museum Education workshops. 

DAY 6: FRIDAY

• Teaching for learning power – Professional Learning Communities.
• The aims of education in the era of wikipedia and AI – workshops with the use of Cooperative Learning.
• Quality Assurance in Your School  – Evaluation tools for monitoring Learning 2 Learn  implementation.

DAY 7: SATURDAY

• Networking for future eTwinning and Erasmus projects.
• Summary of key elements of the training and evaluation of the course.

All the proposed activities can be adapted to the age and needs of the students.

The training programme can last 5-7 days, depending on the participants’ demands. 

The participants will be required to fill in a Needs Analysis before the course.

Minimum English level: B.1.

Methodology

Join us for an exciting week of learning! Each day, you will dive into three engaging sessions, each lasting 1.5 hours. We’ll make sure to keep things lively with a refreshing break between sessions. 

Here’s what you can expect:

Motivating and Entertaining Sessions
Our goal is to make learning enjoyable! The sessions will be filled with motivation and entertainment, ensuring that you can easily apply what you’ve learned when you’re back in your schools.

Funny and Participative Methodology
Say goodbye to dull lectures! We believe in learning through laughter and active participation. Our funny and participative approach will keep you engaged throughout the course.

Practical and Dynamic Nature
This course is all about hands-on learning! We’ve crafted a practical and dynamic experience, giving you the confidence to apply new techniques and strategies. Be prepared for interactive exercises that bring the concepts to life.

Ongoing Support 
The learning doesn’t stop when the course ends! Join our forum and discussion groups to keep the exchange of good practices going. Use our evaluation tools to assess the impact of the course on your school. The course includes one free afternoon cultural activity. 

Evaluation

Self-assessment: Teachers will reflect on their existing teaching practices and identify areas where neuroscience-informed strategies can be applied.

Portfolio Assessment: Teachers will create a portfolio showcasing their lesson plans, activities, and assessments that incorporate neuroscience-informed teaching principles.

Collaborative Projects: Group projects encouraging collaboration among teachers to create innovative lesson plans or teaching resources based on neuroscience principles, evaluating teachers’ ability to adapt neuroscience-informed strategies to different learning styles and classroom environments.

The participants will receive evaluation tools to aid the project team in assessing the impact of the course on the school’s work.

Costs:

The 560 EUR fee covers the course tuition, issuing the required Erasmus+ documents, coffee breaks, and a guided tour.

We offer an optional cultural programme in order to provide you with opportunities to explore the wonders of the area. All the details including the destinations and the prices will be sent to the participants two months before the course starts.