Our trainer Milica Vukadin is really productive with creating various useful content for digital education. In this Padlet you can find 32 different formative assessment activities.

Thanks to Marta Torreiro, a participant of our international learning community, all the activities also have a Spanish translation.

Access the Padlet with all the activities here and try them in your digital or face-to-face classroom.

On the Erasmus+ teacher training course From Distance to Blended Learning we devote one whole day to formative assessment in a digital education. Join, practice and get new ideas for your subjects.

In this blog we just want to remind that the root cause of students' drop-out lies in their unfulfilled psychological needs. They don't see school as a secure place, in which they would feel appreciated.

Every school can build their capacity to reduce drop-out and prevent early school leaving. Robert Reasoner developed a useful framework, which can remind us on different perspectives when thinking about early school leaving.

In developing tools and activities to prevent early school leaving we will be successful, if we address all the psychological needs (Reasoner's framework):

• security: I know I am safe;
• identity: I know who I am;
• belonging: I know others accept me;
• purpose: I know what I want to achieve;
• competence: I know I am capable.

Psychological needs and participative learning methods are at heart of our Erasmus+ course on preventing early school leaving. Check the course programme and apply to build your school capacity for working with students at risk of dropping out.

In this blog you will find a link to a rich resource pool of tools to prevent early school leaving of students. The tools are available in 4 different languages.

The Cross-sectoral Cooperation Focused Solutions for Preventing Early School Leaving (backronym: CroCooS – Prevent Dropout!) was an international project aimed at preventing dropout. The general aim of the CroCooS project was to contribute to the specification and the applicability of an institutional early warning system (EWS) for preventing early leaving from education and training, by identifying elements of EWS.

The projected resulted in a rich resource pool for teachers, counsellors and headmasters who want to build their school capacity to reduce early school leaving.

Find resources in 4 languages: English, Hungarian, Serbian and Slovene:

• The Resource Pool of CroCooS offers a huge variety of professional materials, professional literature for professionals, experts and researchers about the key elements of preventing dropout and early school leaving explored during the project period of CroCooS. Using the thematic tags you can find related contents.
• The Guidelines for developing an institutional early warning system (EWS) is intended to help the work of schools who are about to build an early warning system for preventing and reducing dropout in their institution.
• The CroCoos Toolkit is a collection of practical solutions aiming at the prevention of dropping out.

Find resources on the project webpage here: CroCooS.

In the Erasmus+ Key Action 2 entitled CREATOR we contributed in preparing teaching materials for teachers and learning workbook for students.

Completely open handbook is available in 6 different languages: English, German, Italian, Croatian, Romanian and Slovene. Get the handbook here.

Entrepreneurship education has long been focused on a theoretical approach, preparing a thorough business plan and development of a company in the office. In the last decade, there has also been a shift, towards a more experiential approach in this field, based on developing ideas, practical methods, and tools, fieldwork and development of a business model. The experiential teaching of entrepreneurship has the potential to bridge the gap between the worlds of education and work.

The handbook is designed as a teaching material that enables teachers and trainers to use experiential methods and tools to teach their students and mentees how to develop and start implementing their business idea. It is prepared in a way that everyone can use it to guide, train or mentor young people and job seekers, to help them develop an entrepreneurial mindset and enable them to enter the job market as more qualified employees or as a self-employed person, an entrepreneur. We believe that young people have the potential to successfully solve current and future challenges in the world. We just need to provide assistance and guidance based on a practical, experiential approach.

This handbook was developed within the scope of the project “CREATOR – Experimental Approach to Teaching Entrepreneurship through Workplace Training”. The methodology, practical activities and didactical material for teaching entrepreneurship presented in this handbook were tested and validated at the train-the-trainers entrepreneurial training, led by STEP Institute in April 2018 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It enabled teachers and trainers to practically experience the whole process in order to ensure that they will all use the same approach to the implementation of local training with teachers and students in their countries. However, the handbook is written in a way that it can be easily understood and used by anyone who works with students (or other individuals) and who is at least a little bit interested in entrepreneurship.
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Peter Drucker said: »Entrepreneurship is neither science nor art. It is a practice.« And practice makes perfect. 

By reading this article you will learn why it is so important to provide career guidance services for (head)teachers and students in schools to raise their career knowledge and develop their career skills and some ideas of how to do it.

Career guidance refers to a range of activities that enable citizens of any age, and at any point in their lives, to: identify their capacities, competences and interests; make meaningful educational, training and occupational decisions; and manage their individual life paths in learning, work and other settings in which these capacities and competences are learned and/or used. Lifelong guidance is provided in a range of settings: education, training, employment, community, and private. « (ELGPN 2012, 13)

Some facts about career in 21st century:

A simple chemical trick to revive and recycle dried markers.

​Tags:
#chemistry #useful chemistry #recycling #miniexperimentforkids #homelab #littlecuriousminds

​From the very beginning, when children start drawing and colouring, they adore markers. We bought crayons and colouring pencils at home for our nieces, but they soon explained: "We have markers in the kindergarten." And this was not a statement, but a hidden message. ;) Why such fascination with markers is still a mystery to me today.

No, this is not a real snowflake on the photo. It is a super beautiful snowflake made of borax. You can do them in various colours. When light hits these snowflakes they shine like thousands little diamonds. Real beauties! Because these are special snowflakes, they will not melt in hands!

Keep in mind that this experiment takes 2 days, because snowflakes need 24 hours to form. It is best, if you craft snowflakes on the first day (you can allocate only 1 hour or more, depending on your choice) and then leave them overnight in suspension to form. The next day you only take them out, leave snowflakes to dry and hang them on the Christmas tree.

So, how do you make these snowflakes?
Almost everything you need you can find at home/school or buy at the nearest grocery store:

Materials for each student:

• Table spoon
• Scissors
• Pipe cleaners, approx. 10/pupil (buy at the craft shop or online – Amazon uk)
• Cotton string
• 1 glass or jar (safe for boiling water)
• Wooden skewer or pencil

Materials for whole groups to share:

• Borax detergent (buy at the laundry aisle at the grocery shop or online – e-bay uk)
• Paper towels
• Water kettle (optional)
• Food colouring (optional)

Safety first
Before the start teacher has to explain safety instruction. Pupils will be working with borax themselves, so they have to know what it is and how to avoid injuries when using it. After working with borax pupils must wash their hands with soap.
Borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate) is a natural mineral salt, usually used as a natural bleaching agent or natural cleaner. Like every cleaner it has to be kept out of reach of children, and it can only be used under adult supervision. Borax, the same as washing powder, cannot be consumed and it can irritate the skin, so we have to wash our hands carefully with soap after we finish working with it.

And now – let’s begin our STEAM experiment!
Pupils take scissors, pipe cleaners… and action! They can let imagination run wild to do the decorations. They can do snowflakes, sticks, stars, curved sticks,… You can also help your pupils with different shapes of snowflakes for ideas. The only limit is the size of the glass. Decoration should be small enough to be hang in the glass.
Meanwhile, teacher can prepare hot water. The water needs to be very hot. If the water from the tap is not hot enough use water kettle.

After all the snowflakes are made each pupil adds borax detergent in the glass (5 table spoons) and teacher adds hot water. If you want coloured snowflakes, this is the time to add food colouring in the glasses.
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Pupils then attach the snowflakes to the string and string to the wooden skewer or pencil so the snowflake is hanging in the middle of the glass submerged in suspension. The snowflake must hang freely, not touching glass at sides or in the bottom, and must be left undisturbed overnight.

The science behind the experiment

This experiment gives you a great starting point for the discussion about why did the snowflakes formed.  The main goal of this experiment/lesson is to learn about suspensions. Pupils usually know the terms liquid and solution but it is difficult for pupils to comprehend the term suspension. By making crystal snowflakes they will quickly understand.

And what is it that happened? We have added a lot of borax in the water and therefore, it could not dissolve completely, forming suspension. If we would look carefully, we could see the solid particles of borax on the bottom of the glass. These solid particles started to attach to pipe cleaners and create our beautiful snowflakes with a lot of crystals, formed overnight, when the suspension was slowly cooling down.

You can also make these adorable snowflakes  with younger children. When they can use the scissors and create pieces of art with pipe cleaners, they are ready to do snowflakes. Teacher can prepare the borax suspension in the glasses, so children just create the decorations.

Teaching science does not have to be always serious. Through fun experiments like this one you can teach pupils without them even realising they are learning. At the course “Science for primary school children: When complicated becomes fun and easily understandable” you can learn more about how to prepare lessons like this.

Have a lot of fun creating chemistry crystal snowflakes!
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author: Teja Bajt, M.Res., is a biologist with a master of research degree in molecular and cellular biology, awarded from University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. She works for Primera group as trainer of the Science for Primary School Children course.

​Firstly, just close your eyes and imagine:

Once upon a time, fire led our ancestors into the circle. It made sense to put the fire in the centre and to gather around it. There it was the warmth of the fire, deep connection among the people and honest wish to speak and listen to one another carefully. These ancestors needed the circle for survival, to learn from each other, to solve the conflict, to plan and so much more.

How could we use this ancient form in nowadays schools?
We have always known that the circle is a natural way to gather for conversations. The Circle is an ancient form of meeting that has gathered humans in respectful conversations for thousands of years. In nowadays school circle can present democratic space where students (also teachers, parents, headmaster and others) can look each other in the eye, lean in and listen, and include all voices with a sense of equality. The practice of circle often leads to more creative options, wiser decisions, clearer action.

There really is such a huge potential in using circle:

• circle supports a leader in every chair
• Each person has a voice
• circle engage and excite
• create wisdom-based change
• enable real and sustaining learning.

What is Circle Good For? 
One of the beautiful things about circle is its adaptability to a variety of groups, issues, and time frames. In the circle students can learn about every single topic, they can solve the problems, talk about the relevant issues, make a reflection, evaluate and so much more. Circle can be used as a methodology of “checking in” and “checking out” or a way of making decisions together.

Circle offers practice in the following Social Capital skills including:

• Speaking in front of a group
• Speaking with and setting intention
• Taking turns
• Knowing when to stop talking and pass
• Listening with attention
• Talking from the heart
• Holding judgement
• Offering support to peers

Be creative with circle and be ready for the deep wisdom it can unearth! And remember this…circle is the grandmother of all the methods – to practice it, feels like coming back to our roots again.
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Our December session of Learner voice: engage students in participative and collaborative learning is officially 100% confirmed and we still have places available. Register now and get to experience December magic in Ljubljana.

Some other methods that will also be presented at the course are World Cafe, Open Space, and Appreciative Inquiry.
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Here are some of the testimonies from or participants that have already attended the course. Published on the SchoolEducationGateway page:

Author: Petra Založnik, BSc in Teacher Education and Sociology of Culture, is educator, evaluator and designer of innovative approaches to learning and teaching in the field of education, also our trainer in the course Learner voice: engage students in participative and collaborative learning

Do you know what is the oldest form of education?
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The answer to this is STORYTELLING. People around the world have always told stories as a way of passing down of their cultural beliefs, traditions and history to future generation.
Why? It’s because stories are at the core of all that makes us human. They are an ancient tool with enduring power.

What is the secret of storytelling and the stories?

Stories are the way we easily store information in the brain. In other words stories make our brains more active and  create connection in more memorable way than facts. If teachers fill their students brain with facts and data without any connection, the brain becomes like a catchall closet into which items are tosses and hopelessly lost. Information simply leaves us feeling incompetent and lost. We don’t need more information, what we need is to know what the information means. Simply put we need a story that explains what it means and makes us feel like we fit in there somewhere.

Stories also go straight to the heart. As the Irish poet and philosopher J. Stephens wrote: “The head does not know anything until the heart has listened. The heart knows today what the head will know tomorrow”. Because class members and teachers are emotionally involved with a usually enjoy storytelling, it can help students to develop a positive attitude toward the learning process.

There is really a huge potential and power of the storytelling for students also in nowadays world:

• students learn how to improvise,
• they are more motivated for learning,
• they learn how to listen,
• students build better self-esteem; they lose the feeling that there might be something wrong,
• they are learning to have focus,
• they are creative,
• students can learn how to solve problems.

Storytelling enable us, educators, to build the community and connect students with each other. This is why stories are also great tool for building trust and enable us to give the voice of our students.  With using of storytelling we can encourage curiosity, imagination and visualisation.

Remember this: there is no greater power on this word than a story!
Would you like to experience and learn more about how to use the power of storytelling in your everyday school practice? You still have one-week time to join us on the training Learner voice: engage students in participative and collaborative learning.Some of the methods that will also be presented at the course are World Cafe, Open Space, Circle and Appreciative Inquiry.
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Here are some of the testimonies from or participants that have already attended the course. Published on the SchoolEducationGateway page:

Author: Petra Založnik, BSc in Teacher Education and Sociology of Culture, is educator, evaluator and designer of innovative approaches to learning and teaching in the field of education, also our trainer in the course Learner voice: engage students in participative and collaborative learning

Would you believe me if I told you that there is a method that opens up tremendous possibilities for learning and cooperation in totally innovative and creative way you have never ever experienced before?

Here comes more: whoever participates in the method (students, teachers, parents, etc.) have the possibility to practice:

• leadership,
• asking questions,
• offering something of interest to others,
• active listening,
• asking for help and offering help,
• diagramming and/or summarizing a conversation.

The method is called open space technology. 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. 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 catalyse effective working conversations and truly invite participants to thrive and act in the role of leader, knowledge sharer, and questioner.

Open Space is useful in almost any context, including:

• pre-test reviews, planning outings,
• managing of curriculum topics,
• classroom management,
• collaboration, and to
• deepen learning about issues and content.

Open Space Technology can be used with the students, or with combinations of students, parents, staff/faculty and is used for faculty gatherings for the purpose of their own look at their issues and opportunities.
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Last but not least. Open space technology brings to your school new level of engagement, awake the passion and  increase motivation for real and in depth learning.

Would you like to experience the method and learn more about how to use it in your everyday school practice?Join our course Learner voice: engage students in participative and collaborative learning, where you will have the opportunity to learn and practice methods along with colleagues from all over EU.

Some of the methods that will also be presented at the course are World Cafe, Circle and Appreciative Inquiry.

First opportunity is already in December 2019. Don’t miss it and apply now!
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Here are some of the testimonies from or participants that have already attended the course. Published on the SchoolEducationGateway page:

​Author: Petra Založnik, BSc in Teacher Education and Sociology of Culture, is educator, evaluator and designer of innovative approaches to learning and teaching in the field of education, also our trainer in the course Learner voice: engage students in participative and collaborative learning