Category: Projects

High Level Group of Education and Training Meeting

Posted on by lindacq@um.es

In May, during my participation in a conference in Barcelona (EDuTech Cluster Conference) I was asked by the Ministry of Education and in particular by Acción Educativa Exterior to participate as a Speaker for the EU High Level Group on education and training in the first event of the Spanish presidency of the European Council.

This meeting (Jerez de la Frontera, 29 June 2023) was the first event prior to the start of the Spanish presidency of the EU and focused on two fundamental issues: European values and digital transformation. For this reason, they asked two people: a German colleague who gave a presentation on artificial intelligence and values, and myself, who gave a presentation on the digital transformation of the classroom, to participate with papers for the discussion.

The ministry asked me for a vision of what the research says about the integration of technology in the classroom, trying to overcome the more catastrophic or naive views of transformation, but always based on research. It was 25 minutes of presentation and 1 hour of conversation with the members of the High Level Group. Here is my full slide presentation (there are many slides that I skipped due to time constraints)

2023 Higher Level Group of Education and Training from Linda Castañeda

Most of the elements are familiar to those of you who have read my work, basically because I don’t pretend to invent the wheel and because I think it is worth trying to be coherent in my discourse. Moreover, much of it is precisely the result of the research I have carried out over the years (here is the list of bibliography that I also referred to https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gOiEZvqRQmKbe6hsdPAMv6qOp1H3nETpYDtnkBUS0UY/edit?usp=sharing) .

The truth is that it is probably the most intimidating experience I have had in terms of responsibility and protocol, but it was also a fantastic moment to be able to contribute in some way to a debate that goes beyond my immediate context and before an audience that has a lot of work to do and that expects your speech to be of some use to them… I have learned a lot doing it, preparing it, eating nerves, and being there.

As I said in the chronicle I made of this moment on Instagram (Instagram video only in Spanish https://www.instagram.com/reel/CucdHG2uuVK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== ), I think it went well, I feel honoured and proud, I sincerely hope at least I have not given ideas to make the European policy of digital transformation in education worse and I have contributed in some way to this debate. So far, I have learned a lot.

 

ESSENCE Project – Multiplier Event

Posted on by lindacq@um.es

The ESSENCE project is coming to an end and after these 3 years of work and pandemic, we want to share with you what we have done and present you the results of this work.

The ESSENCE project (www.um.es/essenceeu) has tried during these years to find ways to help schools by trying to generate and structure learning assessment tools and strategies for students, which can be useful specifically for entrepreneurship-related competences. We wanted to help teachers to better face the difficult task of assessing these competences, which are increasingly included explicitly in our curriculum.

To do so, we have worked with organisations from 7 European countries, schools, teachers, experts in the development of competences related to entrepreneurship, experts in education and educational technology, to try to achieve all the objectives we have set ourselves.

And what have we done that can be useful to you? Well, that is precisely what we want to talk to you about and present the materials and experiences we have made. We are sure that some of them may be useful to you. We will also take the opportunity to present you a tool, respectful with the use of data, to assess with rubrics that is completely open and that, although it is currently designed with rubrics of sub-competences of the entrepreneurship competence, you can use it with the rubrics that you consider most appropriate.

In the Spanish speaking context, we have planned 2 identical one and a half-hour online events on two different days and at different times so that you can attend the one that suits you best (wherever you are in the world, here you can check the time of the event in your part of the world).

Tuesday, 13 July, from 10:00h to 11:30h (Spanish mainland time)
Thursday, 15 July, from 17:00h to 18:30h (Spanish Mainland Time)

 

ANd… what about an ERC project?

Posted on by lindacq@um.es

Following the line of my last post (and video), this one (recorded the same day, as you can see hehehehe), dedicated to what I think is the most demanding call for Horizon projects, the call for projects of the ERC (European Research Council).

I am an unredeemed optimist, so in that invisible thread of “ALMOST” lies my hope this time… and I think that if I fail I will try again… why? why? because I like to learn… here I leave you my testimony…(just in Spanish, sorry, maybe subtitles could help)

Big kisses to my European projects office at UM (our dear OPERUM) for their help, and don’t despair, when I know the result I’ll tell you ;-D (after the depressing period, off course)

Why to do Erasmus + Projects?

Posted on by lindacq@um.es

Part of my work as an academic, at least from my point of view, is disseminating what I do so that I can contribute to the learning of others through my experience… as part of my learning community (yes, all that peripheral legitimate participation staff…).  That’s why I share openly my reflections from my stays, or I’ve told before how I teach my classes.

However, these days I wanted to make a series of videos to talk about why it is worth trying and participating in European projects… so I am going to tell you about my experience, with no other pretensions than that, to share the experience.

In this video, I share with you my experience and vision about why it is great to participate in Erasmus + Projects. I hope you find it interesting.

(Yes I know is only in Spanish… well, maybe subtitles  could help…)

 

The CUTE Project

Posted on by lindacq@um.es

Since October 2019, I have had the opportunity to be the contact person for the CUTE Project “Competencies for Universities – using Technology in Education” (ERASMUS+: Strategic Partnership KA203-867FE04B) at the University of Murcia and to have as associate partners in Spain none other than INTEF (National Institute of Educational Technology and Teacher Training). We are working hard (and having fun) and I wanted to have the opportunity to present you the project of which you have all the information on the website https://cute.ku.dk (also in Spanish).

Hope you find it interesting!