Course overview

Using innovative methods of teaching is a crucial skill for teachers and education staff. Scientific research has shown that innovative teaching methods and approaches can significantly enhance the student learning process. Innovating our teaching strategies is no easy feat. It can be scary because, just like our students, it places us out of our comfort zone in a position where we can fail.

However, experimenting with new methods and strategies can improve student engagement and attainment and is a win-win for both students and teachers.
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This course allows participants to get to know, experiment and practice the most relevant innovative teaching methods - such as Project-Based Learning, Non-Formal Education, Contextual Learning, Outdoor Education - in a safe environment, discussing and sharing best practices and experience with fellow European teachers and education staff.

Learning outcomes

This course provides participants with an overview of the trending innovative teaching methods as well as a cooperative, inspirational and stimulating space where to experiment and practice new tools, strategies and approaches.
The general aim of this course is to foster excellence and innovation in education by empowering and inspiring teachers, trainers, headmasters and other education staff to use innovative teaching methods while sharing best practices and experiences with fellow participants and trainers throughout Europe, gaining as well a broader understanding of education in Europe.
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Thanks to this course the participants will:
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• Get an overview of the trending innovative teaching methods and their benefits for the student learning process and attitude;

• Get acquainted with the key principles and components of Project-Based Learning;

• Learn how to design, prepare and deliver interactive Non-Formal Education learning activities;
• Learn how to use outdoor education for personal, social and relational development;
• Get an overview of the most important new technologies and of the growing trend of integrating ICT into education;
• Get acquainted with the principles of gamification and GBL and learn how to design activities
• Get to know basis and some techniques for peer assessment and feedback 
• Get acquainted and practice the most relevant new teaching methods and approaches in an international inspiring environment with the support of the course trainers;
• Exchange good practices and discuss challenges with fellow colleagues and the course trainers about innovative teaching methods​
• Network with individuals and organizations working in the education field in Europe through everyday cooperation and team-building activities.

Courses planned

2024
28/01/2024 - 03/02/2024 (Palermo)
28/01/2024 - 03/02/2024 (Tenerife)
21/04/2024 - 27/04/2024 (Bologna)
28/04/2024 - 04/05/2024 (Tenerife)
23/06/2024 - 29/06/2024 (Palermo)
21/07/2024 - 27/07/2024 (Tenerife)
28/07/2024 - 03/08/2024 (Bologna)
03/11/2024 - 09/11/2024 (Palermo)
10/11/2024 - 16/11/2024 (Bologna)

2025
02/03/2025 - 08/03/2025 (Bologna)
02/03/2025 - 08/03/2025 (Palermo)
02/03/2025 - 08/03/2025 (Tenerife)
02/03/2025 - 08/03/2025 (Porto)
02/03/2025 - 08/03/2025 (Thessaloniki)
22/06/2025 - 28/06/2025 (Bologna)
22/06/2025 - 28/06/2025 (Rimini)
22/06/2025 - 28/06/2025 (Palermo)
22/06/2025 - 28/06/2025 (Tenerife)
21/09/2025 - 27/09/2025 (Rimini)
28/09/2025 - 04/10/2025 (Bologna)
28/09/2025 - 04/10/2025 (Palermo)
28/09/2025 - 04/10/2025 (Thessaloniki)
05/10/2025 - 11/10/2025 (Tenerife)
30/11/2025 - 06/12/2025 (Bologna)
30/11/2025 - 06/12/2025 (Tenerife)
30/11/2025 - 06/12/2025 (Porto)
30/11/2025 - 06/12/2025 (Thessaloniki)

​If none of these dates suits you please mind that if there are at least 8 participants interested we may organize an additional session ad-hoc for your school.

Target audience

This course is addressed to teachers, trainers, educational counsellors, career counsellors, school psychologists, headmasters, school management and administrative staff working in primary schools, secondary schools, vocational schools, training centres, adult education schools, higher education and NGOs. Please mind that the course may include teachers from different school levels. 
If you are teachers, directors, managers, educators and other staff of preschool and childhood institutions with pupils aged 0 - 6 years old, please consider enrolling in the course "Innovative teaching methods for Preschool teachers".

Language

The course is held in English. For groups with at least 8 participants, we can organize an ad-hoc session in a different language. 
Please write an email to [email protected] to get more information about it.

Past participants say...

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"The course was a perfect choice for my teaching experience. All the topics were really useful and the teaching staff was very helpful at every point of the course. Additional trips and outdoor classes made the course even more interesting."
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- Katarzyna Kołak, Poland

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Company

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​"I liked the training innovative teaching methods a lot. I learnt about the ICT non formal teaching methods, project-based learning and outdoor teaching. All the methods will help me making my lessons even better than before!" 
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- Špela Mrak, Slovenia

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"Innovative methods for teachers and adult education is a must-take course if and when you have the opportunity! The young and experienced trainers manage to pass on essential information in are efficient way. When you finish this course you leave the classroom with a handful of methods."

- Ramona Dinu, Romania

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​"Excellent way to learn new skills, share experience and rethink our professional tools. An extremely professional and creative team!"
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- Helena Mamede, Portugal

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Standard daily programme

Please find below the standard indicative daily programme that will be personalized on participants needs and professional profiles.
Our standard programme comprises 7 days, of which the first one is dedicated to networking, preparation and cultural immersion and the last one to follow up, specific needs and cultural activities. Please note that we always do our best to accommodate the specific needs of our participants in a flexible way, including but not limited to budget restrictions and travel arrangements. Participants can choose to arrive 1 day before the start of the course and/or leave one day after the end of it in order to enjoy a deeper cultural immersion. Upon specific request we may organize longer versions of this course.

Sunday	- Participants arrival - Orientation and information about the venue and the city  - Networking activities - Walking tour in the venue’s city
Monday	-  Course introduction - Needs and expectations evaluation - Team building exercises - Reflections on current teaching practices and challenges to better tailor the course sessions - Innovation to foster students’ motivation, participation and creativity - Basic concepts and principles about non-formal education - Practical work: designing, preparing and implementing engaging non-formal activities
Tuesday	- The key components of Project-Based Learning (PBL)  - Formulating your Driving Question  - The importance of student driven activities in PBL  - Practical work: designing an effective PBL activity  - Promoting strategies for peer assessment and teamwork - Cultural activities in the venue’s city ​
Wednesday	- Key principles and benefits about outdoor education and outdoor learning  - The value of outdoor education for personal, social and relational development  - Real cases experiences and reflections on current teaching practices and styles  - Experimenting group exercises and challenges, problem solving games and experiential activities outdoor  - Optional cultural visit outside the venue’s city
Thursday	- Understanding the difference between Gamification and Game-Based learning  - Testing and practicing basic game based and gamified learning activities - How to stimulate critical and creative thinking through gamification and game-based learning - Practical work: designing gamified activities to fuel students’ motivation
Friday	- Introducing ICT tools: exploiting the power of digital apps to engage the students in the learning process  - Practical work: creating interactive learning material for your lessons  - Testing and practicing ICT tools for classroom formative assessment - Farewell dinner
Saturday	- Exchange of best practices and experiences and space for discussion of future cooperation - Space for discussion of future cooperation and planning follow up activities - Course roundup and final evaluation - Validation of learning outcomes and certification ceremony - Additional training session tailored to specific needs (optional) - Participants departure

Other relevant facts

• Methodology
• Costs and Erasmus+ Funding
• Certification and Validation of learning outcomes

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We tailor the working methods based upon participants’ needs, attitudes and professional profiles in order to ensure high productivity, effectiveness and transferability into practice.
The standard methodology is highly practical and participative with hands-on approach that comprises real-job examples, case studies examination and simulations. We embrace collaboratively working methods that foster mutual learning and cooperation among participants. Our focus is on learning outside the traditional classroom setting and to create  an interactive and international environment. The pedagogical methods that we use are based upon experiential training, group and peer activities, learning-by-doing and best practices’ exchange.
Morning Wrap-up and brief daily evaluations are foreseen to ensure quality of education and to adapt the learning programme to participants' needs better tailoring the education.
Free time has been planned to give to the participants time to assimilate the concepts, develop further the group activities, ask trainers for further clarifications, etc. Networking and cooperation among participants will be supported and stimulated at each stage.
We organize optional social, networking and cultural activities in order to give participants the opportunity to know the venue place as well as to exchange best-practice and establish professional cooperation and links.
The training and staff team is multinational thus giving a full European dimension to the course.

Teachers, trainers, headmasters and any other staff of education organizations are eligible to receive an Erasmus+ grant covering all the costs to attend our training courses including travel, board and lodging, cultural activities and all fees. Our training courses are tailored to be fully funded by Erasmus+ and we offer different options to ensure the best comfort and quality at a price that is within the Erasmus+ grant.
We are proud to tailor our training courses to both participants' learning and practical needs and to ease your participation at our training courses, we will gladly take care of all the practical arrangements. If you prefer, you can take care of some of the practical arrangements by yourself (e.g. meals, local transport...), though we will manage the organization of your accommodation in order to ensure optimal logistic organization, safety and time-efficiency. We always provide board and lodging in the same hotel in which we organize the course  thus ensuring optimal comfort and potential of networking with the fellow participants. Read more about  how we take care of your subsistence and practical arrangements. 
The most common option that we offer to schools and organisations in 2025 costs 1405 EUR in Bologna, 1330 EUR in Tenerife and Thessaloniki and 1225 EUR in Palermo, Porto and Rimini and includes course fee, certification and support fee, accommodation in single room, 2 coffee breaks per day, walking tour in the venue’s city, a sum-up dissemination video. The standard option in Bologna, Tenerife and Thessaloniki includes all meals from Sunday lunch to Saturday lunch, while in Palermo, Porto and Rimini includes all breakfasts and three networking meals in local restaurants. Few of our courses include extra services and activities hence having a different pricing option, which will be communicated upon receiving the pre-registration.
For schools sending 2 or more participants we can offer accommodation in double rooms and we can provide as well accommodation for people or relatives accompanying the participants.
When attending our courses, we recommend you to request 9 days of individual support for your subsistence costs, 7 days for the course plus 2 additional days for the travel. In this way you can have more flexibility in planning your stay and you can enjoy all the cultural activities planned from the first to the last day of course. You can read here more about the Erasmus+ funding. Shall you have need any help with filling the budget during the application stage or have any problem with your grant please let us know and we will see how to support you.

At the end of the course, each participant will be awarded a certificate of attendance, together - if requested - with the Europass Mobility Certificate. The certificate are in line with the Erasmus Quality Standards and include a short description of the course and its learning outcomes, dates, venues, the name of the course provider and the course instructor(s).
We support the participants in every step of certification and validation of learning outcomes with specific focus on European instruments and Erasmus plus requirements such as staff mobility/learning agreement, quality commitment and Europass mobility certificate.
We experienced that schools and education organizations may require additional documents to certify the competences learned or the presence in the training course. Upon request we can provide additional certification and reporting documents as well as we provide photos of the training course and a sum-up video that can be used for visibility and dissemination purposes.

Videos and photos of previous training courses

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