C1 Training Event

This training event was organized in Rethymnon, Greece, 1-6 April 2019 by the University of Crete. It brought together teachers from the participating organizations with musicians and dancers that have already experience in applying their arts in education in general and inclusive education in particular. The event was organized as a series of workshops along with reflection sessions to allow for fruitful discussion and brainstorming on integration of music and dance within the psycho-pedagogical framework to enable teachers to adopt artful practice to promote inclusion in mixed classrooms with “regular and vulnerable students”, while, in parallel, fostering creativity and active learning.  The participating musicians presented their methods and approaches to the participating teachers focusing on both theory and practical examples. The workshops were supported by psycho-pedagogy experts from the University of Crete to identify gaps and opportunities for combining the above presented approaches within a common rhythm-based inclusion curriculum. 

Several important conclusions were drawn on integration of music and dance, within certain themes: class inclusion, teaching of certain curricular subjects, supporting interdisciplinary learning activities etc. The need for documenting these practices as learning scenarios within the curriculum was also stressed by the teachers, thus providing a concrete guideline for next developments.

Finally, a gamified requirements elicitation process was followed based on special game card decks to help teachers to ideate, externalise their ideas and engage into a process of discussion, debate and argumentation. As a result of this process, evidence was gathered and presented of how the Swedish, UK, Greek and Cyprus teams experience rhythm-based teaching, digital competencies and the rhythm-based curriculum and contemplate on challenges, barriers and constraints at a national level.