Comenius eNews September 2011

September 2011

Comenius - Europe in your classroom

2011 - European Year of Volunteering

Latest Deadlines

Comenius In-Service Training Round 3

Apply now for funding for a professional development course, job shadow or seminar in Europe to take place between 01 January and 30 April 2012.

Grants are open to UK:

school or college staff (teaching or non-teaching staff)
local authority staff working in school education
unemployed teachers aiming to re-enter the profession
staff in another specific area of child education

To find out more about the courses available and how to apply, visit the In-Service Training website for details. Be inspired and read the IST case study below.

Deadline: 16 September 2011

Reminder: Transversal Study Visit Applications

Open to educationalists, training specialists and decision makers in all areas, this funding programme offers the opportunity to spend up to a week finding out about education practices and systems in Europe.

To apply for visits taking place between March and June 2012, visit the Transversal website.

Deadline: 14 October 2011

Comenius Preparatory Visits

Would you like meet your potential Comenius Partners to discuss and develop your ideas for a Comenius project?

A Preparatory Visit provides funding for you to spend up to five days with your potential Comenius project partners to discuss, plan and develop your project ideas with a view to submitting an application for a future Comenius Partnership. You will also benefit from first hand experience of their education systems, institutions and cultures.

The Preparatory Visits website provides you with full details on how to apply. Find out more about Comenius Partnerships.

Deadline: 9 December 2011 - Applications must be submitted 8 weeks prior to intended visit

opportunities and announcements

Reminder: Your Story Competition

Tell us Your Story - There are lots of amazing prizes to be won for you and your school!

Simply submit an essay, photographs or film that captures your Comenius and/or eTwinning experience. The winners will be invited to an Awards Ceremony in London.

For more information on how to enter go Your Story competition website now.

Deadline: 30 September 2011

2011 Mock Council of the European Union

Take part in this upcoming challenging event.

Date: 17 November 2011

Location: Lancaster House, London

The event is open to students aged 16-18 years old from all secondary schools, sixth form colleges and FE colleges across England.

The topics for this year's debate are:

Arab Spring: what should the EU be doing to encourage democracy and growth in the countries of North Africa and the Middle East?
What does the EU need to do to compete with emerging economies?

If you are a school or college based in England and would like to showcase your students' knowledge of European affairs and debating skills, go to the 2011 Mock Council website for information on how to apply.

Deadline: 18 September 2011

2012 LLP Call for Proposals Now Available

Each year the European Commission publishes a Call for Proposals for the Lifelong Learning Programme, containing the legal text and administrative details of the programme, including deadlines for applications and eligibility.

You can download the Call For Proposals 2012 and the Strategic Priorities 2012 documents from the Comenius website. Updated guidance documents and application forms will be available soon.

European Commission's WorldSkills London 2011

Date: 5-8 October 2011

Location: ExCeL London

Comenius Assistants are intending and trainee teachers who have worked in schools and colleges across Europe to gain experience. They will be showcasing their personal assistantship experiences to thousands of visitors to this exhibition, aiming to motivate and encourage their peers to gain experience abroad. To learn more about the event go to the WorldSkills London 2011 website.

Galileo Competition

The European Commission is holding a Drawing Competition around the theme of "Space and Aeronautics" for children aged 9-11 years old. Registration and full terms and conditions are available now on the Galileo Drawing Competition website.

Deadline: 15 November 2011

Partnership resources

The British Council and London 2012
To find out what the British Council is doing as part of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games visit www.britishcouncil.org/london2012

English for 2012 materials are now available on the LearnEnglish and TeachingEnglish websites.

Etwinning WEEKS 2011 - New online support Available

eTwinning is part of the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme. It is the online community for schools and colleges in Europe and is a great way for Comenius beneficiaries to find partner schools and colleges, get project ideas and work collaboratively on a secure online platform.

Take advantage of training and support on offer during eTwinning Weeks 2011.

Each year eTwinning offers a series of activities ready for teachers and pupils returning to school or college - known as "eTwinning Weeks".
The British Council eTwinning team are running a series of hour-long webinars starting in mid September. Webinars are a convenient way for you to access eTwinning training online from your home or school computer and allow you to interact directly with eTwinning experts. The webinars are themed to assist you in the following areas:

Making use of Project Kits
Finding a Partner
Registering a Project

How can you take part?

To find out what webinars are on offer and dates of when they will take place, go to eTwinning Weeks 2011 web page now where you will be able to reserve your place.

Further activities will become available, so keep watching the web page.

What can you gain from In-service training?

On receiving news that her school was to be a Lead School in becoming a Centre of Excellence on the Teaching and Learning of Primary Languages, Rachel Harris, MFL Coodinator at Wilthorpe Junior School, felt driven by this challenge and decided that job shadowing in a bilingual primary school in Spain would benefit her, not just from a linguistic perspective, but also for reflection on her own teaching methods.

"I was looking for ways in which our school could develop further and embed languages into our curriculum. It gave me a real insight into another country's educational system and I returned with renewed motivation and enthusiasm for teaching. There cannot be a better way to develop your own knowledge and skills".

Read more about Rachel's job shadowing experience and the impact since her return.

Lifelong Learning Programme

Footnotes

This is the thirteenth edition of Comenius eNews. We value your comments and ideas. If you would like to highlight a positive experience or suggest changes to the service you have received please email comenius.feedback@britishcouncil.org

Comenius is one of a suite of international education programmes the British Council offers to UK schools, colleges, education professionals and learners. Find out about other funding opportunities at British Council Schools Online

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