Erasmus+ in Real LifeTracking the European Journey

Miriam Dunne

Inchicore College of Further Education. Dublin

Tracking the European Journey

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• Objectives of this presentation :

• Journey of Inchicore College of Further Education ( ICFE ) within European projects

• Challenges experienced and solutions

• Where we are now and our plans for future mobility

• Impact

• Advice we wish we had received

ICFE our journey

• 1999 Comenius project • Time frame 3 years• Participating countries: France x2, Italy, Wales

and Spain. • Aim: Observe the cultural traditions around food

in the various countries and to design a recipe book

• 2nd Level school • Challenges : Changing rules of Leonardo • Solutions: support from partners

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ICFE journey continues

• 1999 Lingua project

• Time frame 2 years

• Participating partners: Ireland, Italy, Germany,

• Aim: Produce a guide book in 3 languages of Dublin, Gummerback and Nochera.

• Challenges : Cultural differences

• Solutions : Perserverance

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ICFE journey continues

• 1999 Leonardo da Vinci • Time frame: 1 year• Participating countries: Ireland and Italy• Aim: To facilitate students to gain experience of

working and living in a European country and to gain appropriate work experience

• Number of students 12 • Challenges : none • 17 years later 65 students under various

disciplines

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ICFE journey continues

• 1999-2000

• Time frame 2 years

• Participating countries: France, Malta, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Italy.

• Aim: To facilitate students to gain experience of working and living in a European country and to gain appropriate work experience.

• Challenge : Change in management of the projects from 1 year to 2 years. Sustain the projects.

• Solutions: Change project management systems

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ICFE journey continues

• 2002 – 4 Engaged in Gruntvig 2 project

• Enhance the European prospective

• Diversify to sustain

• Maintained our Leonardo da Vinci mobility project

• Participating countries: Ireland, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Check Republic, Portugal, Denmark.

• Aim: Design a needs analysis tool for adults in learning situations.

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Gruntvig 2

• Produced a pro forma of a Needs Analyses tool which is being used around Europe

• Aim to advance this and to apply for Gruntvig 1

• Challenges : ICFE wanted refine the tool – pilot -move to next level

• Lead partners against this decided to go ahead 2nd Gruntvig 2

• Solution: ICFE decided not to continue with this project

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Further steps

• 2007-8• VET – PRO• 50 staff • Participating countries Denmark, Sweden,

Austria, and Italy• Aim: To experience best practice across various

disciplines: Childcare, Theatre, Dance, Technical Theatre, General education system

• Challenges : none staff all very motivated well planned

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Parallel projects

• 2000 IOTA

• Time frame: 2 years

• Participating countries: Italy, France, ICFE

• Aim: Training programme teaching local history and tourism research.

• Challenges : Difficult to sustain

• Frustrating

• Solutions: Evaluate the resources available

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Parallel projects Performance Bridge

• 2004 Performance Bridge• Time frame 2 years • Aim: Design a training programme of technical theatre

subjects for professional dancers wishing to retrain in preparation for the end of their dance career 35+

• Participating countries: Austria, Slovenia, Latvia, Spain and ICFE ( not promoter)

• Tangible resource• Micro – Macro level – growth to Transfer of Innovation

project • Challenges : None

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Sustaining momentum TOI

• 2008 – 2010

• Time frame 2 years

• Participating countries: Austria, Latvia, Denmark, Slovenia, UK and ICFE

• Aim: Transfer the technology developed in the Performance Bridge into a virtual learning environment

Challenges : ICT issues ( sign of the times )

Solutions: Engage expertise

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Concurrent projects Comenius

• 2005-7

• Participating countries: France x 2, Italy, Romania, ICFE

• Aim: Early identification and subsequent interventions for underachieving students

• Challenges : Not sustainable funding restrictions more suitable for second level

• ICFE apply the strategies learned

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Concurrent Comenius Project

• 2009 “ On the Edge”

• I year

• Participating countries: Sweden, Denmark, UK, Portugal, Italy, Poland and ICFE.

• Aim: Observe the Language and folklore traditions of Countries on the periphery of Europe and evaluate the commonalities

• Challenges: None – other projects in ICFE staff pressures

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Present mobility projects

• 2010 -2016 Learning by Doing

• 2 years ( 3 times ) roll over projects

• Participating partners: Austria, Sweden, Italy, France, Holland, Spain.

• Aim: To facilitate students to gain experience of working and living in a European country and to gain appropriate work experience

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Where we are now Charter application Erasmus+

• ICFE awarded quality charter

• Funding 2020

• Challenges: maintain our quality standards which must be impeccable

• Constraints of Dept. of Education regarding recruitment

• Solutions: Internationalisation strategy

• Increased Dialogue with Management

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• Students: self esteem, confidence, experience new culture, best practice, life experience and personal growth, self reliance, life skills and competence.

• Heightened awareness of other cultures, workplace methodologies and best practice.

• Added value to and enhances qualifications

• Improved employability in labour maket

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Impact micro – macro level

Impact micro – macro level

• Staff management Staff skills, professional development, experiencing best practice, networking with fellow professionals

• Direct access to new methodologies and learning

• Comparison with International standards ( affirmation) Experiential learning, theory into practice

• Marketing of ICFE

• Reciprocal element of mobility

• Quality Charter

• Friendships, marriages !

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Advice

• Withdrawing from the project if not sustainable

• Cultural challenges affecting professional values

• 5 P’s

• Investment of time

• Paperwork

• Time frames- manage financial elements

• Team work not solo work

• Manage your Energy

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Investment and return

• “ I now know I can do things myself”

• “ Can I go to Italy and work in a travel agency?

• “Everyone should experience working abroad”

• “ I have a summer job in Sweden”

• “ We would like our students to experience working in Ireland”

• “ Can we visit ICFE”

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Future – the sky is the limit

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