ISTRA-CONFERENCE IN Viborg
Improving students reading abilities (ISTRA) are necessary due to the results of several European reports like, for example, the PISA report. According to these reports, one of the main problems of European students these days are the deficiencies they present in comprehension / expression tasks. These deficiencies are present in oral as well as in written tasks. Therefore this course will promote how to get better reading and writing habits, as a “starting engine” for the development of personality and for the achievement of a better knowledge of the people of Europe.
The library acts as a dynamic axe for multicultural and cross-subject activities, with the support of ICTs. Every school in Denmark has it own school library. Pupil’s self-reliance and the responsibility for their own learning are central aspects of the education in Danish schools. The school library furthers these possibilities, and more than that they have developed from ordinary libraries to learning centres.
This system is exceptional and model for other schools. To get to know the Danish school library system, we include excursion to 3 schools with different cultural aspects, where it is possible to observe different strategies for reading and integration of useful new ideas into teaching practise.
Reading and writing have an aesthetic purpose, but there are other aims like: multiculturalism, gender mainstream, xenophobia, fair play, artistic education and the support of creativity. The main objective is that reading and writing become the base for a better education of the European citizen, with open-minds, more understanding, tolerance and creativity. The identification and use of innovative methods will be supported in all the working fieldspromoting an independent learning
Students will take profit, as they will have more opportunities of developing their abilities and skills. And teachers improve their daily practice and their organization.
The key principle of the course will be exploring the importance of new methods for children’s reading, and experiences and study outcomes and the importance of having supportive school libraries/learning centres.
Double direction will always be promoted, in order to ensure a participative and democratic exchange of all components. The course participants will get pre-course activities to do. Exhibitions of and discussions about the pre-course “products” that the delegates bring, will be used to show and develop new pedagogical methods and tools which favour the self responsibility. The teachers are expected to input own contributions: to introduce themselves and to describe reading habits at their institutions, and status on the use of libraries/public libraries in the home countries.
