Eur-Alpha

European network for adult literacy and numeracy

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#3 - April 2011

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Hello!

The third newsletter of the Eur-Alpha network has arrived! Inside you will find a call for good practices for the self-determination of learners. We hope many of you will answer it!

A printable version of this newsletter is available in PDF format.

Enjoy the reading.

The editorial staff.

 Call for good practices

You develop quality tools in adult literacy? Let us know!

For Eur-Alpha, a better quality of literacy requires the self-determination of learners. A lot of different methods and approaches are used throughout Europe by trainers, groups of learners and literacy organisations in order to favour the self-determination but few of them are properly highlighted. Eur-Alpha aims at collecting, selecting and widely disseminating those good practices at the European level.

 Learners

The self-determination of learners comes from their voicing of opinion and their active participation. If you work with groups of learners with this philosophy, let us know!

You involve learners in the conception of an awareness campaign? They train to communicate in the media? They form a network with its own structure? The group writes a blog? You use other innovative techniques?

Other groups of learners could benefit from your experience!

In order to make the methods and techniques useable by other groups of learners, a presentation guideline was set up. Follow it, then write to learners@eur-alpha.eu to share your expertise.

 Trainers

Eur-Alpha wants to support the pedagogical practices aiming at the self-determination of learners. The network currently works on the writing of a charter for the trainers training in order to build common references about self-determination practices.

A provisional presentation sheet was build so that pedagogical practices could be used by all European practitioners. This presentation sheet is the ideal way to transmit a pedagogical practice to the Eur-Alpha network. Fill it in and send it to trainers@eur-alpha.eu to share your expertise.

 Eur-Alpha news

 Workshop for literacy trainers: there are still places available!

“Literacy and Numeracy: Examples of good practices for learners self-determination” is the second trainers workshop and will be held in Mâcon (France), from 24 till 28 October 2011.

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Mâcon
© ceesjw

Organised by AEFTI, this workshop aims at selecting, testing, trying out and discovering pedagogical practices facilitating the learners self-determination.

Original approaches, speakers from different European countries and spaces of exchange are at the centre of this workshop that promises to be very rich.

Download the detailed program and the application form and sign up for the workshop by sending it to Perrine Michaudet (perrinemichaudet@orange.fr). It is possible to ask for a grant until 29 April to your national agency (In-service training), in order to fund your stay.

 Workshop for learners in literacy: register now!

“What’s your opinion? European learners voices on best practices in the field of literacy”

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Barcelona, Plaça Reial
© Ralf Roletschek

Learners made an appointment in October for their second meeting (24—30 October 2011). The workshop, organised by FACEPA in the region of Barcelona, is linked to the work of the Learners scientific Committee in the Eur-Alpha network. After the first learners workshop in Namur, which has been very participatory and exciting, FACEPA wants to go on working on the same lines, providing new and interesting experiences.

Download the program to present the workshop to interested learners. Application must be made before 15 May.

 Grundtvig Expert Seminar on Dissemination

In April, Eur-Alpha attended the Grundtvig Expert Seminar on Dissemination in Brussels. Delegates from the National Agencies and some beneficiaries — including Eur-Alpha — had the opportunity to make recommendations for a better dissemination and exploitation of the results and products from Grundtvig projects.

Recall that the Grundtvig program from the European Commission supports the education of adults wanting either to get new qualifications and competences, in order to be more employable, or to enhance their personal and social development.

 Literacy news

This column is open to Eur-Alpha members and to the actors of the literacy sector in Europe. We invite you to publicise here literacy tools you are particularly proud of, trainings you organise or stories of learners and trainers that keep the literacy sector alive in your region,…

Any news you wish to publicise can be sent to coordination@eur-alpha.eu.

 “Terace”, the film that breaks silence and brings hope — Reading and Writing Switzerland

In the film “Terace”, ten persons dare to speak publicly about their difficulties with reading and writing and the consequences this reality can have on their life.

“Terace” confronts us with the humiliations and sufferings and with the strategies used to hide illiteracy. Ten learners share their familial, social and professional obstacles. By allowing persons to go out of the shadow, “Terace” breaks the silence and brings some hope.

“Terace” was produced on the initiative of Bruno Remund, the former president of the Lesen und Schreiben (Reading and Writing) association of Bern, with the help of film director Jürg Neuenschwander.

The film last 38 minutes, languages used are French and German, with English subtitles.

www.boggsen.ch (de)
www.terace.ch (fr)

 The European Commission wants to hear your opinion!

The Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) has commissioned Gellis, a Brussels-based strategic communications consultancy, to conduct a study on the most effective way to raise awareness of adult learning, and increase participation.

The survey is 20 questions long and should not take more than 20 minutes to complete. The consultation will be closed on 22 April.

 AÇEV on Euronews

In April 2011, our partner AÇEV was seen on Euronews. The European television channel chose AÇEV to be part of a short documentary about early education.

In Turkey, around half of the families can not afford to send their child to nursery school. However, research shows that pre-school education is vital for a successful school career. That is why AÇEV (The Mother-Child Education Foundation) teaches mums key ways to encourage their children’s learning processes and supplies materials to be used at home.

Two pre-schools — one in Germany, one in India — have also been chosen to illustrate the importance of early education.

See the programme in English (also available in other languages).

 “Basic Skills for Adult” Conference in Luxembourg

The ANEFORE (Luxembourg national agency) and the ministry of Education of Luxembourg invite to a thematic European conference on the theme “Basic Skills for Adult” that will be held from 26 to 28 September 2011.

During the conference, participants will have the opportunity to exchange good practices, learn from their peers but also to build ties in order to set up new partnerships at the European and national levels.

Download the program. The working languages are French and German.

 Next newsletter

Any news to be publicised on the fourth newsletter can be sent to coordination@eur-alpha.eu before 1 June 2011.

To subscribe to our newsletter, fill in the form on the right of our home page. You can choose to receive this newsletter in French, in English or both. A printable version is also downloadable.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Education and Culture DG