Let's Do It Creatively and Environmentally with Renewable Energy CERE

 



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Let’s Do It Creatively and Environmentally with Renewable Energy

Project Summary
The project Grundtvig “Let’s Do It Creatively and Environmentally with Renewable Energy” CERE (2011 to 2013) was awarded  in August 2011 to

Ø  Italy Euro Gestione Impresa, Calabria,

Ø  Romania Record Radio TV City S.R.L. Ploiesti, 

Ø  Spain Centro de Educación de Personas Adultos, Cáceres .

Ø  United Kingdom  Joanna pinewood education limited London  

The lifelong learning partners wished to share innovative and creative educational best practices in  the field of renewable energy using the Grundtvig principle is that "Learning is for Living".  
This project aims to continue the fostering of the love of learning that was achieved in the project,  "Let's Do It Creatively...For the Benefit of Adult Learners"   with three of the core partners and one new partners by using the  Framework of Enjoyable Learning Approaches and developing it  by putting it into practice.


The project wishes to foster understand of renewable energy in the 2020 European Vision through

·         building on the experience and administration gained in "Let's Do It Creatively..." and our other experiences: 2009 European Year of Creativity and Innovation;

·         building on a Framework of Enjoyable Learning Approaches http://letsdoit.upol.cz/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=framework:framework_enjoyable_learning.pdf

·         series of local activities;

·         a minimum of 4 international workshops;

·         positive attitudes towards Lifelong Learning;

·         facilitating access to learning; 

·         transfer and progression for a diverse learning community with different learning needs;

·         enriching the themes of renewable energy;

·         making contacts  with other actors interested  in the field of renewable energy;

·         developing training and  research,

·         reflective exercise  the  practionneers and adult learners hope to be inspired to continue innovative and creative practices in the context of facilitating learning rather than imparting knowledge in the theme of renewable energy as shown by the Framework

·         motivation about  renewable energy learning and  we hope to show how we can  improve our lives ,cheaply, safely, securely and legally. The project hopes to support the  re-engagement of the  unemployed, elderly, rural learners, those  incapacitated after illness or accident, learners with financial difficulties, learners with lack of time back into education and  ageing adult learners;

·         This  project is to support adults to improve their knowledge and  raise adult learners’ awareness of  the language and culture of partners.





Project partners

Ø  Italy Euro Gestione Impresa, Calabria, links to partner’s website 

Ø  Romania Record Radio TV City S.R.L. Ploiesti, links to partners website http://www.citym.ro/

Ø  Spain Centro de Educación de Personas Adultos, Cáceres, links to partner’s website

Ø  United Kingdom  Joanna pinewood education limited London.   links to partner’s website www.jpetutors.com




Rationale and motivation for the project

The global recession makes it is even more important to make a greater effort to raise awareness and standards regarding sustainable development, eco-innovation and energy efficiency in the use of renewable energy in  environment.
Due to the enlarged EU there are areas of greater poverty.  All adult learners, everywhere in Europe are  being challenged on how to reduce the cost of  cooking, lighting and heating. The basic necessities of life.  Dependence on oil, gas and coal: leaves consumers and businesses vulnerable to harmful and costly price shocks and threatens our economic  security, contributes to climate change.
Partners have found that there is  much  information about renewable energy but it is confusing, difficult to understand, or expensive to learn about. The project will motivate by doing away with the confusion and secrecy and give adult learners and educators the opportunity to their  raise awareness.
In a small way, but nevertheless an important way, the project will contribute to the understanding of the Europe 2020 vision. (http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm ), especially in terms of renewable energies especially the goal  to have 20% of Europe’s energy from renewables.
To achieve  climate goals, we need to understand the policies of the states in the enlarged  EU and see if there is a possibility for a “Zero Carbon Footprint in Europe”.  
We need to reduce Carbon emissions more quickly and harness new technologies such as

v wind,

v solar power,  

v carbon capture

v and sequestration

v we need to find more affordable and practical ways to make our technologies of yesteryear  more energy efficient and give our homes better and cheaper systems to prevent energy  loss.

v We need to discover economic technologies to store the electricity we are producing.

"We must strengthen our economies' resilience to climate risks, and our capacity for disaster prevention and response."
The partnership is a transnational initiative of four experienced partners with a proven dialogue whose main objective is to motivate  creative learning in  sustainable development, eco-innovation, energy efficiency in the area of renewable energy and  environment to help meet  the "20/20/20" climate/energy targets.   And have fun doing it.
Motivated sustainable education about  affordability  of  renewable energy has to be  taught more clearly, safely, legally  and cheaply  and be made  more widely available so that the  enthusiast with a will to learn and be motivated to have some control over  their future and meet the goals of 2020.
President Barroso said, "Europe 2020 is about what we need to do today and tomorrow to get the EU economy back on track!
There have to be more opportunities for informal learning for adult learners.  Easier  access to this learning has to be motivated  for education of topics of  renewable energy to be sustainable in 2020 as sovereign governments seek  to reduce the financial awards to maintain adult learners in structured education.   
Working on topics of renewable energy and the environment has to  give adult learners a voice in policies of the political  institutions of  local government, national government and the government of the European Union for 2020 to succeed.  
The partners have to be motivated to collaborate with other actors in these expertise, to  exchange knowledge and experience of specific methodologies, tools and practices the partners have used so far in their work with different target groups.  They have to learn and know the various contexts of working methods for sustainable learning and understand how this context affects the setting for adult  learning; and adult learning processes to improve inclusion of adult learners. Hence the need to build on the  “Framework of Enjoyable Learning Approaches” http://letsdoit.upol.cz/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=framework:framework_enjoyable_learning.pdf

§  The picture of where, how and by whom this sustainable education  is done will point to boundaries and barriers in teaching about renewable energy  and stimulate ideas to  transcend them.

§  Within the context of the partnership different methodical approaches, will focus on lifelong learning and  foster inclusion of adult learners. Presentations for the transfer of the methodologies and tools need to be produced. Adult Learners will be integrated into the project were possible by having them involved with staff on the committee projects.


§  Throughout the learning process in the partnership the participants will develop and deepen their awareness of the relevance to combine formal, non-formal and informal learning situations in order to encourage an inner sight of learning and motivation of learners. Their  experience of different media and expressions of cultural life and improvement  of their ability to reflect upon the subtleties of verbal and non-verbal communication as ways of setting up bonds of empathy will  promote attitudes of tolerance, interest and respect, no matter the languages spoken in the given situation and context. Ways and means of improving awareness of the language and culture of participants involved in the project will be shared by the hosts of the project. Materials will be translated into the language of all partners so that involvement in the project is not limited solely to those who have English. It is recognised that partners need to generate greater freedom of access to elderly learners who have are limited in their foreign language skills.


§  The partnership's staff involved in the project have an active experience of the European dimension in their own practices. This project will influence their work in a sustainable way.  Different target groups of the partners will experience participation into the process of mutual learning of the partners. We hope to develop our Romanian partner’s digital radio http://www.citym.ro/  as a means of broadcasting and promoting Eco friendly products and learning   more intensely than presently for the economic good of our environment locally, nationally  and widely across the European union.

§   Adult learners will be motivated by the opportunity to be  involved not only as learners but also in the role of teaching when they experience their own specific competencies.

§  The Grundtvig partners will encourage lifelong learning e-twinning projects  of similar nature in their local primary and secondary schools. Will encourage lifelong learning Comenius Regio projects in partners' local governments. Partners will use opportunities to organise Leonardo partnerships of similar nature.


§  Approximately  48 adult participants and staff  mobilities will benefit  from  international workshops, about 240  through involvement in local activities and between 10,000 visitors might read about  the partnerships' work on our website during the two years of the  project from approximately 43 countries including China, Russia,  North America and South America.






Partnership Objectives

Key objectives in learning about renewable energy are:  

1.     To develop and share creative and innovative methods to engage learners all individuals need for personal fulfilment and development, inclusion and employment. With this in mind we will continue working on the Framework of Enjoyable Learning Approaches.


We have learnt from the above frame that Adult learners need to balance course and life commitments; need to be listened to ; need to be stimulated, need to overcome bad experiences at school ; need a learning environment that is supportive , welcoming, and enjoyable.

We found that teachers of adults agree that teaching is different to teaching younger students; however many find it hard to move away from the didactic approach of typical learning. Teachers need to be more reflective and see themselves as facilitators of the learning process.  

To develop an enjoyable learning environment it has to be based on a partnership. This involves listening to the needs of the adult learner and including them in the decision making process.  We need to use a Learner Based Approach; Use teacher methodologies that are learner centred; such methodologies need to be flexible, interactive and stimulating; use such methodologies such as role-play, projects and group discussion, NOT lectures.


2. To encourage teachers to see themselves as facilitators in the learning process rather than just subject experts who disseminate knowledge.
3. To encourage the development of a ‘joyful’ learning concerning renewable energies.

  The partners  in the project from United Kingdom, Spain, Romania and Italy will build on past  experiences:

§  http://letsdoit.upol.cz/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=czech_presentations:investigating_solar_panels_for_teaching_electricity.ppt    

§  http://letsdoit.upol.cz/doku.php?id=minutes_olomouc  


§  http://letsdoit.upol.cz/doku.php  


§  http://jpetutors.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=100


of working on other European projects,  each has their own strengths in terms of development of training courses.  

§  The topics of learning about European countries; environment and sustainable development and raising of pedagogy and didactics to develop modules on the theme of renewable energy  will serve the goals of Europe 2020.


There will be 4 international workshops in Romania, United Kingdom, Italy and Spain.     
Modules on the theme of renewable energy will be researched, reviewed as local activities and best practices will be shared at the international workshops.  Easier access to this learning has to be motivated  for education of topics in renewable energy to be sustainable in 2020.
New teaching resources will be investigated and shared for digital radio.   
*Understanding use of solar energy for EU's 2020 vision,
*Understanding use geothermal energy for EU's 2020 vision,
*Understanding production nuclear energy for EU's 2020 vision,
*Understanding manufacture of  bio-fuels, by  fermentation, distillation of alcohols, production of 2,5-dimethylfuran.DMF and biodiesel for EU's 2020 vision,
*Understanding use of biowaste for  EU's 2020 vision,
*Ecological use of  wood burning and solar energy stoves in cooking for EU's 2020 vision might be examined.

Partner’s contacts and contexts


Contexts
The partners in this project represent a variety of types of educational institutions. Each has their own learner profile and specialism. However, common to all partners is that they are involved in adult education, with all the challenges that entails; such as motivating adult learners and managing the expectations and agendas that adult learners bring to the learning situation. The partners in this project wish to share best practice and develop creative and innovative approaches to addressing these issues.

United Kingdom: Joanna Pinewood Education Limited

·         Joanna Pinewood Education Limited

·         Wandsworth on Google maps

·         Uxbridge on Google maps

Joanna Pinewood Education Ltd (JPE)  is a proactive, personalised tutoring facility in London, operating from two tuition centres: one in Wandsworth, SW12 8TY and the other in Uxbridge UB8 2QW, covering Kent, Surrey South and West London. We offer specialised holistic tutoring programmes for students of all ages, abilities and levels. Every student can learn, just not on the same day or the same way. We offer one-to-one tuition and group tuition 7 days a week during term and school holidays. Our role is to counsel, facilitate and catalyse the adult learnert to be more creative in discovering themselves and the way that they can organise their study. Through working with adults JPE use what they learn and pass the  experiences on to our younger learners.
We run English elocution workshops for migrants and UK residents. We counsel and mentor  parents to support their school children in all Key Stages of their learning.  We train tutors, class room assistants and instructors and support young and mature teachers.  
Adults with learning difficulties from multi-ethnic backgrounds are helped to cross  classroom difficulties of their childhood and adulthood to improve their skill set. JPE wants to encourage adult learning local activities and international partnerships that will put a positive spin on all our lives. JPE wants to diversify its knowledge base and skills, improve learning and skills that not only increase our value at work now, but also improve our long term prospects and increase our self-esteem, confidence and motivation. JPE has been involved in Grundtvig IST, supported a Spanish lady teacher from Ceuta during her Grundtvig Exchange & Visit, supported 3 female, mature, Adult Learners from Madrid University during  a 3 months  Grundtvig Assistantship. JPE Organises free Spanish and English modules for the local multi ethnic community, disabled persons and retired to raise language and cultural awareness . Romanian parents are supporting adult participants in learning Romanian. JPE was involved in a Transversal Study visit in Oslo.  JPE small dynamic staff  and its adult learners want to build on the administrative and creative experience gained from its Grundtvig LLLP “Let’s Do It Creatively ... for the Benefit of Adult Learners” to develop their learning,  learning materials, presentations and case studies in the theme of renewable energy. Older staff and adult learners  wish to diversify, improve their  training of electrical installation  and tutoring of learning of renewable energy. JPE staff are members of the Centre of Alternative Technology and adult learners have been self motivated to visit the centre regularly and enthusiastically discuss and critiscise the European 2020 vision and the renewable energy market.  Staff and learners from diverse backgrounds have voluntarily formed a committee to support and steer this new project to understand renewable energy.
Ideas for the project took 3 years to develop with mentoring by Professor Jonathan Borg of  Malta University. Krzysztof Bahrynowski of JPE met him on a Grundtvig IST: 2009-2-GB2-GRU03-01853 on Sustainable Innovation for an Enlarged EU Malta. Krzysztof attended in June 2009 the LIFE+ UK Workshop and the contact seminar on Social Inclusion Europe ref PV21 No. 2009-1-GB2-GRU07- 01999 This with the Ecorys information day of November 2011 and experience of the Grundtvig project “Let’s Do It Creatively…for the Benefit Adult Learners” helped to develop a strategy for a successful application. However a first application failed in 2010.


Spain: Centro de Educación de Personas Adultas. Cáceres

·         Centro de Educación de Adultos, Cáceres

·         Cáceres on Google maps

This is an Adult Education provider that belongs to the regional Education Authority. It covers a wide range of demand in the area of Caceres. We serve more than 3000 students. Our school provides formal education for illiterate adults, for adult learners that are seeking the Secondary Education Certificate, and vocational training in printing for a group of early school leavers. We prepare people older than 25 who want to take the exam to enter into the University. Finally, we provide non-formal education to different groups of adult people: Spanish for foreigners, mainly migrant workers; Computing, and history of Caceres.
For the Secondary Education Certificate, the Institution offers three different modalities: Face-to-face, distance and E-learning. The distance learning modality covers most villages of the province, with the backing of part time teachers hired locally by local Authorities. Most of the students failed to get the basic certificate in the regular school, and they get a second chance in our school.
Teachers from our school have been, and still are, involved in the process of implementing basic skills into the Adult Education Corpus in our region.
Bearing in mind that in the title: Let's do it creatively … and environmentally with renewable energy, we reflect: cooperative work, creativity, environment, innovation and entrepreneurship)
Tasks we will evolve will be:
1. Focus on the topic of environment and renewable energies on curricula.
2. Developing workshops to learn making actual things:
Paper recycling.
homemade bio-diesel from vegetable oil.
Handcraft with reused materials.
Solar energy.
3. Contact among generations encouraging speeches of our students to other groups such as school children, elderly people centres,etc.
4. Posters to disseminate the centre, the project and environmental topics.
5. Environmental awareness through photography contest.
6. Suggestion of readings. Creation of comprehension exercises in English and Spanish on a moodle platform.
7. Cinema visualization followed by debates.
8. Visits to nearby renewable energy installations.
9. Campaigns in the centre, home, town.
10. Proposals to our students of working fields related to renewable energies in our area in order to raise entrepreneurship through Leonardo.
11. Dissemination of all the activities through a blog linked made by students guided by a teacher.


Italy : Euro Gestione Impresa, Calabria
Euro Gestione Impresa was established in 2006 as cultural non-profit organization located in Reggio di Calabria and is committed to vocational training, upper secondary level degree education and non formal training for adults. The organization provides adult education, general secondary education, and vocational education in sport, business, and computer. It is recognized by the regional education ministry as a T.I.C and D.I.G institution.
As a TIC institution, it works with new technologies in the field of  adult education.
In collaboration with other organizations , it has tested educational programmes actively involving students and participants, applying alternative educational methods such as storytelling, blended mentoring and distance learning.
The Prometeo association will contribute to the partnership through the application of alternative methods to train adult trainers, teachers, and adults usually used in a more informal learning environment, fostering their creativity and encouraging cultural knowledge and skills relate to both appreciation and expression and enjoyment of works of learning.

Romania: Record Radio TV City S.R.L. Ploiesti
Record Radio TV City S.R.L. Ploiesti, is a training center that has people  with over than 10 years of teaching and managing experience of  projects. Our company use new ICT technologies to tutor  to people’s  different competencies like ICT or Project Management, but we also are able to organize trainings and workshops about environment protection.
One of our goals is to stimulate people’s  use  of green energy and to help our local community to adapt to a policy with a green overview in all investments and developments as one way of assuming a sustainable  environmental development. We hope to use our digital radio http://www.citym.ro/  to promote Eco friendly products and learning   more  intensely than  presently for  the economic good of our environment locally, nationally   and widely across the European union.
Using experiences from projects like CIVITAS SUCCES and Grundtvig and Comenius Regio Projects we hope to create a new vision of the role and importance of adult education in a successful eco-innovative and sustainable development in the use of digital radio.
In this project we will organize an international  workshop and local  seminars for adults to create  eco-thinking in their lives for our  community in the European   Union.