The trainers of TANDEM Project are ready for the piloting of the TANDEM MOOC, scheduled for September 2021. As part of the project, the CSC “Danilo Dolci”, with the active support of the other partner organizations, conducted the Training of Trainers aiming to train and prepare 6 trainers from the different partner organizations who will have to organize and implement the pilot of the MOOC on the Task-Based Language Teaching, the Language Cafés and the Multiplier events which include the actual try-out language classes conducted by the participants themselves.
The training was implemented online on May 27 and June 23-24, and offline, with self-study work for all participants. During these three days the participants took turns in presenting specific training sessions, thus ensuring a participatory approach and encouraging peer learning with the aim of sharing tools and methodologies for conducting the activities expected.
On the first day, the participants shared their expectations on the MOOC piloting and began to deepen the characteristics of non-formal education with a focus on the role of the teacher.
The second day was dedicated to deepening non-formal education related to language teaching, the Task-based language teaching methodology (TBLT), the necessary digital skills and best practices to train people with a migratory background through a MOOC.
During these sessions the participants were able to acquire more skills on how to structure a “flipped classroom” in which to overturn the traditional approach of frontal lessons and use non-formal methods with great benefits for participation and learning. Through the use of video lessons, the participants have analyzed the behaviors that trainers should or should not have while teaching through the TBLT methodology.
The training continued with a participatory discussion on how to make a MOOC a useful tool for low-skilled locals and people with a migratory background. A great challenge remains to encourage their participation and support the upskilling pathways. The future trainers have reflected together on how to deal with any problems by exchanging good practices and possible solutions to prevent the risk of dropout.
The third day was dedicated to reflection on how to implement MOOC piloting in practice. The aspiring language teachers will have the opportunity to deepen the TBLT methodology in each module by following online sessions on the MOOC and face-to-face sessions led by the trainers in each country.
The day continued with a focus on the importance of intercultural skills of those who will have to relate to people from different backgrounds and ended with the planning of Language Cafés: these moments will be a further opportunity for exchange, conversation, practical use of languages and improvement of the language skills of the participants.
The MOOC piloting will start in September and will be open to local and migrant adults with low qualification or with difficulty to get their skills recognized, as well as the desire to acquire skills in TBLT methodology to teach their language.
For more information and to join the piloting, write to Vidjaya Thelen: vidjaya.thelen@danilodolci.org, keep an eye on the Facebook page and visit the project website.
TANDEM is a 30 months project, funded by the Erasmus+ Key Action 2 – strategic partnerships in the field of adult education.
Partners
- Coordinator: Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo “Danilo Dolci” – Italy
- Active Citizens Partnership – Greece
- Verein Multikulturell – Austria
- ClAVIS sprog & kompetence – Denmark
- CSI Center for Social Innovation LTD – Cyprus
- Iberica – Germany