ALICE TT COURSE Presentation Strategy

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Advanced Training Course

Adults Learning for Intergenerational

Creative Experiences

This training course is delivered in the contextof LLP Project GRUNDTVIG-ALICE

Grant Agreement number :2011-3375/ 001-001

Project Number: 518106-LLP-1-2011-1-IT-GRUNDTVIG-GMP

University Ca Foscari of Venice - Technical University of Crete -

Romanian Society for Lifelong Learning SEED The Mosaic Art

and Sound - Fondazione Nazionale Carlo Collodi

2012-2013

Training of Trainers

Advanced Training

Course

Training of Trainers: Course Presentation and Strategy


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Training of TrainersCourse Presentation and Strategy

Advanced Training Course

Adults Learning for IntergenerationalCreative Experiences

Training Coordination University Ca Foscari of Venice

Cover graphic design SEED

Authors: Juli ana Raffaghell i Umberto Margiott a

This publication is produced wi th the financial support fr om the European Community in

the frames of LLP, sectoral program Grundtvig , Grant Agreemen Grant Agreement number

:2011-3375/ 001-001

The publication reflects the views only of its author s, and the European Commission

cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained

herein.

The author s of the Module are not responsible for the content of the websites li sted as resources in this handbook. The content of t hese

pages may change over t ime and is the sole responsibil it y of their authors


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1- Introduction

In the complex contemporary European society, social cohesion needs to be built on the

basis of a new integrated and complex dimension of the social tissue, where diversity (among

cultures, age, gender) is considered an opportunity. Intergenerational learning (IL) bring to

the fore the question of differences that enrich: in fact, IL can be a twofold purpose process,

that improves dialogue among generations through civic participation in common social and

institutional spaces, while at the same time enacts processes of informal learning towards the

achievement, both by adults and children, of key competences for lifelong learning. IL is

hence, a mean and an end to foster social cohesion.Nevertheless, ensuring IL, through the creation of adequate educational environments is a

challenge both for researchers and practitioners. From one hand formal education promotes

mainly intra-generational experiences, structured in contexts of learning were few or none

contact among generations (beyond the technical role of teachers/educators) occur (Loewen,

1996; Miller et al. 2008). From the other hand, intergenerational learning also implies

configuring adults adequate learning settings (Newman, 2008). More research is clearly

needed in this field: in spite of the relevance given nowadays to the lifelong learning

perspective, adults informal learning, as more frequent learning situations for adults of low

educational attainments, is not sufficiently explored, characterized and modelled. This

research focus should accompany modernisation of Higher Education, as well as recognition

of professional learning, achieved through working situations; the lack of attention to this issue

could end in lack of participation to the lifelong learning perspective of an important part of the

adult population, as it is emphasized by ET2020 indicators and strategy.

In line with the above mentioned research problem, this training course project aims at

introducing a perspective on the issue of adults educators needs of qualification, through a

case study, namely, the European training of trainers strategy within the GRUNDTVIG LLP

PROJECT ALICE Adults Learning for Intergenerational Creative Experiences. The training

strategy is envisaged as a device to promote innovations regarding adults learning,

particularly those excluded from formal training because of their social condition. The projects

leading hypothesis is that generations speak different languages; as it happens in

multilingual, intercultural contexts, the only way to create common spaces of interaction is to

generate divergent, stimulating situations, where the individual (particularly adults) goes out

from the own resources and processes of meaning, to play with new meanings in the

relationship with the kid. Therefore, learning situations should lead adults to reflect on the

own role as educators, and hence, to become early promoters of a lifelong learning strategy .

Informal activities, in the project, foreseen the adoption of creative languages (art,

storytelling, social media) as a mean to generate rich and caring environments for kids;

moreover, in the process of interacting through creative languages the differences between

adults and children are mediated, with impact in both children and adults achievements

regarding key competences 1 , 4, 5, 7 and 8 (COM2006/962/EC ).

Consequently, adults trainers must be able of understanding the value of informal learningsituations, developing skills to promote events with strategic impact on key competences. It is


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not enough to promote cultural events: trainers, as scaffolders of generational dialogue are

called to be aware of the educational impacts of their informal activities as a way to engage

adults that are normally far from formal (University, Further training) and/or non-formal

(training on the job) in lifelong learning trajectories.

2- The problem of buildingcaring environments and the role of Adults asEducators

Early childhood education (ECEC) and care as well as later children support with schooling

system, should go in parallel to adult education. In fact, adults are not only caregivers, but also

educators whose actions are plenty of consequences for the schooling system as well asfuture life, and lifelong learning decisions of the growing children. These assumptions emerge

both from research and European policy priorities for EU strategic goals 2020. ECEC in

Europe has been linked to efficiency and equity in education (Eurydice, 2009) being the mean

towards socio-cultural inclusion and prevention of schools' drop-out. This is so not only

because pre-primary education facilitates later learning, but also because a substantial body of

evidence shows that, especially for disadvantaged children, it can produce large socio-

economic returns. For this reason, the Commission has identified pre-primary education as a

priority theme for cooperation between Member States in 2009-10, in particular to promote

generalised equitable access - COM (2008) 865 -. It is also to be highlighted that in most

European countries (op.cit) there's a common conceptual division between care and educationfunction, emphasizing the role of formal education, and showing less concern on other forms

of education, seen as private. As it is possible to see, the adult plays an important role as

bridge among between informal and formal learning in childhood, through early caregiving,

as informal educational function that supports the children lifelong learning perspective. For

example, the EURYDICE 2009 report on Integrating Immigrant Children into School Schools

in Europe, point out that communication among school and parents, becomes crucial in

supporting effective children engagement in school activities; very often the school has to

tackle both the problem of integrating at risk kids and educating adults to understand their

children's learning/social problem within the school. This vision is consistent with the

importance of adult learning policy priorities in Europe -LLP 2011- where adults education

approaches that emphasizes senior volunteering, senior citizen education and improvement of

skills through family learning, are a key for a more inclusive society. In fact, as highlighted by

European Councils of Stockholm (2001) and Barcelona (2002) Europe will pass through a

demographical challenge in the upcoming decades, and the Commission wishes to turn this

key issue into an opportunity, COM(2006) 571. The Green Paper Confronting demographic

change: a new solidarity between the generations and the Commission's working document

on ageing society [SEC(2008) 2911] as well as EU2020 and OMS recommendations, are all

aimed to promote a social model that interweaves citizenship education and intergenerational

learning, as commitment that strengthens the social and affective relation among senior

citizens as volunteers and children. This entails a culture of awareness on rights and needs

throughout life. Memory and recent history, and learning on social/technological innovations,

are two faces of a same coin of reciprocity and learning to improve quality of life. With the


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2011 as Volunteers year and 2012 to be the European Year for Active Ageing , the context of

action is complete.

2.1. Why Creative Languages (CL)?

As stated before, intergenerational learning is an uncommon situation, that requires

pedagogical innovation and crossing boundariesof practice (both personal and institutional).

The key point is: how can we ensure IL? Which environments and languages better promote

connections between generations? Creative languages, going beyond languages traditionally

adopted in educational settings, could be an answer.

The role of arts education in forming the competences for young people for life in the 21st

century has been widely recognised at the European level. (Jan Figel, 2009, year of Creativity

and Innovation in Europe); in adult education, art (from themed film and art to literary

evenings, graffiti and performative social media like blogs or videorepositories with own

texts/images) and games are used as focal point, as events/situations/objects that promote

emotional engagement together with reflection on life values, relationships, identity. The kernelof effectiveness is the creative process, where emotional intelligence together with divergent

cognitive processes are enacted. CL are hence powerful tools for facilitating dialogue with

otherness (in this case, children). The key issue is the opportunity provided by CL of being

together in non-traditional ways, sharing the creative activity with a feeling of play, exploring,

trying, expressing. Furthermore, all these activity are now naturally mediated by technologies;

in fact, theres an exponential development of accessibility and usability of the same via the

phenomenon of Web 2.0 and particularly of social media, that causes the adoption of these

new media for everyday life activities of searching for information, self-expression, social

connections and support, all these dimensions connected to informal learning and hence, to

the participation to lifelong learning pathways. As a consequence, the Creative Languages tobe adopted during the project are mediated by technologies to support new literaciesand

empower dialogue and expression.

3- A.L.I.C.E.s strategy:theoretical and methodological framework

The ALICE project aims to work with parents, grandparents, volunteers and other adults

interested to interact with children through new spaces of edutainment, to support them in

discovering the importance of creative languages (art, storytelling and games) to build

intergenerational understanding. It is considered that this learning process provide adults with

competences to spend quality time with children, playing, telling and building stories through

the use of several artistic languages, and with the help of digital technological tools. Adults will

develop specific experience to better interact with children; whereas these last will benefit of

better support in early informal learning processes. Specifically, parents (particularly

immigrated adults) could benefit from being engaged in the social support networks enacted

by the project, developing specific competences (i.e., digital literacy, parental role in thecomplex society, etc.), useful to reinforce social cohesion. Adults coming from institutions and


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particularly volunteers, will be provided with knowledge to give support to children in early

informal learning, acquiring also specific technical competences and reinforcing transversal

competences for lifelong learning (learning to learn, social and civic participation, digital

competence). At the end of the project, major visibility of adult learning institutions could be

improved, by dialoguing with schools and families throughout adult learning activities, as well

as adults participation into the learning society.

This methodology, proposed by the project ALICE, is hypothesized to generate a third

space of learning, as zone of proximal development where intergenerational dialogue is

effectively practiced, configuring a transversal, social dimension of key competences.

3.1. Scaffolders of generational diversity : Building an Zone ofProximal Development for Intergenerational Learning

In the context of this project, a theoretical perspective will be adopted in order to

characterize learning design, as the development of educational environments and tools for

adults learning. This perspective should be transmitted to trainers, in order to give them a

framework of practice and reflection.

We could define intergenerational dialogue as a process of contact with otherness

(generational differences constituting strong cultural and social diversity), that creates a

conflict among participants. Adults values and beliefs are already consolidated though the

cultural context they developed in, as individuals. Instead, kids values and beliefs are being

formed through ongoing interactions, and the own need of being protagonists of change for

their own cultural contexts of life, as human need of expression.

For this intergenerational learning can have place, in a socio-constructivist approach, it

seems necessary to adopt symbolictoolsthat work as meansfor interaction and dialogue, as

the base of satisfactory exchanges that fulfill both children and adults needs, through a jointprocess of meaning making, of exploring and building new worlds.

To understand this perspective, we can bring James Wertschs words:

Instead of acting in a direct, unmediated way in the social and physical world,

our contact with the world is indirect or mediated by signs ()Vygotskij

harnessed a developmental, or genetic, method when analyzing mediation

(). From this perspective, the inclusion of signs into human action does not

simply lead to quantitative improvements in terms of speed or efficiency.

Instead the focus is on how the inclusion of tools and signs leads to qualitativetransformation(Wertsch, 2007:179)

From this point of view, Creative Languages as tools, mediate intergenerational

communication, leading to more than adaptive learning from children; in fact, it should

conduct to creative and transformative processes were adult and childrens developmental

perspectives are promoted, together with the construction of joint spaces of expression. To

complete this idea, we should now introduce the notion of agency, as emerging concept in

Vygotskijs developmental psychology, that indicates the need of expression of the self,

through participation into the culture with productivity and transformation (Holland &

Lachicotte, 2007; Sannino & Sutter, 2011). The adults need of agency, is represented aswillingness of transmitting their own values and beliefs to the next generation, to shape the

future giving continuity to the self; but this can enter in conflict with childrens agency as need


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of expressing the own creativity and identity- into the culture. Therefore, intergenerational

learning is not immediate, even when theres strong interdependence between the children

need of care- and the adult caregiver. To this regard, in a dialogical perspective, the adult

must be supported in understanding his/her own identity as caregiver and educator,

completing others self. Becoming aware of this implies a first important achievement in the

sense that consolidates a part of the adults awareness on her/his own autobiography as child

and younger (Demetrio, 2000; Cerchiaro&Zambianchi,2011) open to be modeled by the

relation with the children/younger. Inspiring on the Vygotskian legacy, adults trainers should

be prepared to configure spaces of learning through an interventionist methodology(Sannino

& Sutter, 2011): this implies generating educational settings as experimental situations where

tools enabling exchanges are adopted, ending in adults reflections on their role as educators

and competences achieved to support children. An activity that entails, in the end, trainers

reflection.

3.2. The projects training: an integrated, European networked

learning approach

In order to implement the above described approach, training of adults' trainers is

envisaged as a necessary step among partners. In fact, training is envisaged as a device to

promote the implementation of pedagogical innovations for adults learning. This pedagogical

device is represented by the following key elements:

A space for reflection on intergenerational learning and the problems of the intergenerationaldialogue within the own cultural context as well as toward an European context

Development of specific knowledge and competences achievement to lead intergenerationallearning processes through the introduction of Creative Languages, that are expression ofprojects partners expert knowledge:

Art and Adults' creative interactions with Children Children's Literature and metaphors to enact intergenerational dialogue

Digital Storytelling: intergenerational narratives

Games and social media to promote intergenerational learning

Development of competences for Learning Design and implementation into the LocalCommunities: Producing Adult Learning Pilot programmes.

Analyzing Adults informal Learning and participatory reflections on achieved competences.

The networked learning approach (through eLearning methodologies) help trainers to build

the own professional knowledge in a collaborative, transnational environment. Interactions with

content and experts of Creative Languages support the acquisition of competences necessary

to implement the pedagogical model; whereas support given at local level help trainers to

design specific adults learning events (as pilot programmes), as well as to implement a

participatory assessment of learning impacts that are part of the interventionist approach.

Consequently, trainers are conducted to understand the nature of mediation and the

innovation on the adults pedagogical approach as interventionist method, through a process

of transnational, networked learning. The transformational power of learning experiences is

hence expressed as part of the role of the trainer: his/her shared reflections on the several

contexts of practice highlight specificities and commonalities of an evolving professional

practice for the European Lifelong Learning strategy. Figure 1 introduces this training

structure.


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4- Towards the development of anew pedagogical framework

As it was emphasized by Knowles (Knowles, Holton & Swanson, 2005) pedagogicallearning and andragogical learning are different, considering the minimized role of the

educator in the latter. In fact, an adult will decide to participate in a learning environment only if

s/he feels that it is able of taking responsibility, if s/he understand the rationale of what is being

proposed, and if s/he consider that the issue is worth to spend energy and time, because it is

connected to a central part of the own life. Every adult can recognize the importance of

becoming a good educator; however, many adults consider that the own experience as

son/daughter, and children in general, is enough to accompany the own children learning

experiences. The research background introduced in this training course project shows that

there are many cases in which the own adult baggage of learning is not enough, and specific

training could be of crucial help. Furthermore, it was assumed that the valorization of adults as

educators could encompass a great potential for both adults and children key competences

achievements. However, adequate models and practices need to be implemented, as part of

educational innovations that make andragogicaland pedagogical learning to share a same

space of intervention.

This claims for new professional profiles as adults educators: the role exceeds that of a

teacher, trainer, educator or social animator. In fact, a new lifelong learning perspective will

require of new professional skills and knowledges, particularly regarding the issue of mediating

informal learning experiences where participants become aware of the own learning through

participatory processes. This applies specifically to the case of participation to lifelong learning

strategies, beyond formal and non-formal learning (in specialized institutions or on the job), of

adults that are in situations of poverty, social risk, immigrants. Therefore, the project, through

an interventionist method that builds on the socio-constructivist approach could bring new light

to the new skills and pedagogical innovations required to help at least the 15% of adults

participating to the lifelong learning, as it is the benchmark of the ET2020.

5- References

1. CERCHIARO,F.,ZAMBIANCHI,E. (2011) Ascolto e relazione educativa. Le azioni dell'OsservatorioRegionale Permanente del Veneto per prevenire il bullismo e il disagio scolastico. Padua:CLEUP.

2. DEMETRIO,D. (2000), Leducazione interiore. Introduzione alla pedagogia introspettiva. Milano:La Nuova Italia.

3. EUROPEAN COMMISSION (2005) Green Training course "Confronting demographic change: a newsolidarity between the generations" retrive fromhttp://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/social_situation/responses/e459227_it.pdf , 17September 2011

4. EUROPEAN COMMISSION (2006) The demographic future of Europe from challenge toopportunity, COM(2006) 571 retrieved from http://eur-

lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2006:0571:FIN:EN:PDF , 5 Dec 2011


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5. EUROPEAN COMMISSION (2008) An updated strategic framework for European cooperation ineducation and training, COM 2008/865/EC retrieved from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0865:FIN:EN:PDF , 5 Dec 2011

6. EUROPEAN COMMISSION (2008), COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT DemographyReport 2008: Meeting Social Needs in an Ageing Society, retrieved fromhttp://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=709&langId=en

7. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE (2006) Key competences for lifelonglearning, COM 2006/962/EC retrieved from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32006H0962:EN:NOT , 5 Dec 2011

8. EURYDICE (2009) Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe: Tackling Social and CulturalInequalities Thematic Studies, Eurydice. Retrieved fromhttp://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/thematic_reports/098EN.pdf , 4 Nov2011

9. HOLLAND,D.,LACHICOTTE,W. (2007) Vygotskij, Mead, and New Sociocultural Studies onIdentityin The Cambridge Companion to Vygotskij, edited by Daniels, H., Cole, M., Wertsch,J. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

10. KNOWLES,M.;HOLTON,E.;SWANSON,R.A. (2005). The adult learner: The definitive classic inadult education and human resource development (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Elsevier.

11. LOEWEN,J (1996) Intergenerational Learning: What If Schools Were Places Where Adults andChildren Learned Together?, Research Report. Retrieved fromhttp://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED404014.pdf , 5 Dec 2011

12. MILLER,R.,SHAPIRO,H.,HILDING HAMMAN,K.(2008), School's Over: Learning Spaces in Europein 2020: An Imagining Exercise on the Future of Learning , Report for the EuropeanCommission, Institute for Prospective technological studies, EUR 23532 EN 2008

13. NEWMAN,S.(2008), Intergenerational Learning and the Contributions of Older People, AgeingHorizons, Issue No. 8, 3139

14. SANNINO,A.,SUTTER,B.(2011), Cultural-historical activity theory and interventionist methdology:

Classical legacy and contemporary developments, Theory&Psychology21(5) 557-57015. WERTSCH,J. (2007) Mediationin The Cambridge Companion to Vygotskij, edited by

Daniels, H., Cole, M., Wertsch, J. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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