€60,000 In Erasmus+ Funding For Professional Development Of Educators
An Erasmus+ project led by St Francis School in Birkirkara is receiving €60,000 in European funding to strengthen the professional development of educators and create educational resources that can be shared beyond the participating schools.
The project, titled Online Professional Development Modules, brings together educational institutions from Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia, giving educators opportunities to exchange experiences, observe different teaching methods and develop new practices.
It focuses on an emerging curriculum approach in which learning is shaped around children's interests and needs. This includes international learning experiences, observing other educators at work, sharing good practices and involving parents in the educational process.
The project will produce at least 15 professional development videos for educators, five videos for parents, an online course and a professional learning community. The resources will remain available beyond the project's duration.
Minister for European Funds, Social Dialogue and Consumer Protection Keith Azzopardi Tanti said European funding also plays an important role in education, adding that experiences gained through international school visits can translate into new classroom practices and benefits for students.
School head Daniela Demicoli explained that five schools are participating in the project, three from Malta: St Francis School in Birkirkara, which is coordinating the initiative, St Paul's Missionary College in Rabat, and the Primary School at Bishop's Conservatory in Victoria, Gozo. These are joined by one school from Slovenia and another from Slovakia.
Each partner school selected three areas relevant to early childhood education and prepared a video explaining practical concepts for each. The online modules include an initial assessment, a video and a final assessment to help participants measure their progress.
The modules have been uploaded to a virtual learning environment and will be accessible to educators and parents, encouraging families to adopt good practices also used in classrooms.
Azzopardi Tanti encouraged more schools and educators to participate in European programmes and establish international partnerships, while acknowledging the work of the EU Agency for European Programmes in supporting Erasmus+ in Malta.
Photo Source: Pierre Sammut
