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Description
The project concerns organization of a 3-day job-shadowing study visit for 5 people: 4 teachers and 1 head of the Warsaw Montessori Non-Public Primary School (WMHS) to Giljaskoli - Icelandic primary school. The aim of the project is to strengthen the competence of the WMS staff in the field of inclusive education and management in education. During the visit, our teachers'' participation in the observation of the methods of inclusive education used at the Gilja school was planned for students with special needs: autism, asperger, dysgraphy, dysorthography and ways to adapt the requirements to them so that the assessment corresponds to the effort, not the effect. The principal will become acquainted with a different model of school''s cooperation with external organizations and a culturally different way of organizing the quality of school work. The result will be the implementation of the observed education methods, as well as the involvement of the Icelandic school to exchange students
Summary of project results
The visit took place on October 27-29, 2021. We met the headmaster (Kristín Jóhannesdóttir) and the teachers of Giljaskóli directly. We were shown around the building, acquainted with the equipment of the rooms. We learned how the education system in Iceland works and how the Gilja school works. We told about the Polish education system and our school.
Each day of the visit, we had the opportunity to observe the work of Giljaskóla teachers during lessons, with particular emphasis on the methods of inclusive education in relation to students with special needs and disabilities and the ways of adjusting the requirements to them so that the assessment corresponds to the effort, and not to the effect. We had the opportunity to observe the practical application of the Icelandic evaluation and self-evaluation system. Our teachers individually observed the working methods used by teachers of various subjects.
Particularly interesting was the possibility of observing the practical classes conducted in the Icelandic school: carpentry and kitchen, as well as properly equipped "professional" classrooms. We observed how in practice the participation of children with disabilities in school activities and activities involving students with disabilities in a peer group are organizedand also fully multimedia conducting of the classes.
The headmasters of schools exchanged experiences. We can also observed the day-to-day management of the school, administrative work, procedures, contacts with parents, contacts with school environment organizations. Principal Giljaskóli was keenly interested in the Montessori methods used in our school.
We met with Giljaskóli, a psychologist and school educator, who presented and discussed the methods of inclusive education used. We watched after-school and after-school activities in Giljaskóli.
Our stay ended with a summary meeting during which the directors summed up the visit and the exchange of experiences.
Summary of bilateral results
We achieved the goals of our trip and study visit to the maximum extent possible.Observation and direct contact with the staff of the school in Iceland contributed to the strengthening of the competences of the WMS staff in the field of inclusive education and education management.In the area of inclusive education, we had the opportunity to observe classes and specific methods of work ensuring the inclusion of students with educational deficits and disabilities. The opportunity to watch practical classes in properly equipped workshops (carpentry shop, kitchen) was very inspiring. In our school we also have a kitchen and children cooking as part of the activities of the interest group, so it was very valuable to look at the organization of classes in another school.In the area of school management, self-assessment (self-assessment sheet) of students is particularly interesting and possible to be implemented in our school. The headmaster became acquainted with the different model of cooperation between the school and external organizations and the culturally different way of organizing and ensuring the quality of the school''s work.One of the most important purposes of our visit was to establish direct contact and get acquainted with the headmaster and teachers in Giljaskóli. The exchange of experiences as well as the meetings and conversations we had on site were extremely interesting and inspiring for us. It was also confirmed that the Montessori method used in our school is very interesting for the Icelandic school. We are convinced that direct contact and established relationships will be a springboard for cooperation in further educational projects and international student exchange.