About the TELESPA project

Framework

There is a lack regarding the pre-service & in-service teacher training for preschool & primary school education that does not sufficiently cover the needs of today’s teachers. Synchronization with the needs & particularities of current child generations needs to take into account several variables, like the aesthetics & functionality of the learning spaces that are so little talked about.

"Most new construction schools continue to pour the "old wine into new bottles" with classrooms of 30 students, in a space of 900 square meters where the teacher is the one who is in the lead role & laying down rules. These environments will not support pupils' learning on 21st century skills & will be seen in the coming years as out-dated learning places that will require a modernization of the building".

So, it appears the question what could be done to come even further in support of today's children & teachers.

Practically, the teaching materials are not sufficiently reported, updated to the new learning-teaching-assessment currents, to the current needs of children & teachers.

Therefore, it raise up the necessity for our teachers to be taught to improve & design or redefine activities according to new learning environments.

Aim of the Project

The main goal of TELESPA project turns from the needs of increasing the quality & the relevance of teacher training for the early childhood & primary school education via developing, testing & implementing innovative educational practices related to learning spaces pedagogical approaches to educate children aged 0-10/11.

Learning spaces, focused on sensorial senses, is a way of learning through doing, the process when young learners obtain knowledge & skills via personal experience, like being creative, flexible, able to analyse, think critically etc.

The main idea of the project is focused on at least two anchors of the teacher profile: improving the achievement of relevant and high-level basic and transversal competences from a lifelong learning perspective and improving quality of early and primary school education.

Overview of the Project Activities

• Research study on learning space practices and teachers competence in Latvia, Romania, Portugal, Turkey
• An international handbook of pedagogical guidelines for educators and primary school teachers on Experiential Learning & Applied Didactics on Learning Space, including video tutorials of practical activities with children.
• Training course for educators and primary school teachers on Experiential Learning & Applied Didactics on Learning Space.
• 6 Laboratories of Applied Didactics on Learning Space for research and applicative solutions in the form of sensorial teaching materials for practical usage with didactic sensory gardens (one per each country involved), including activities with children.
• A mentoring network between universities, schools, kindergarten and other educational organisations to reduce the difficulties faced by teachers in their pedagogical practice and early years of professional career in education.