S.O.F.I.A. COURSES

“Be Media Educated!” - Media Education for an active and conscious citizenship

Being able to interact with media and information in a critical and conscious way has now become indispensable in work and in everyday life, as well as in the exercise of one's rights as a citizen. Thanks to a path of Media Education, which crosses the various areas of the media ecosystem, with their specificities, opportunities and risks, can lead to Media and Information Literacy (MIL), that is, that media literacy that supports us in assuming an online presence that is as ethical, healthy and safe as possible. This competence is all the more necessary in the figure of the teacher, who plays a fundamental role in the personal, social and civil development of the citizens of the future. This course therefore aims to approach the MIL, deepening its various aspects with a practical and laboratory approach.

Objectives

The course is aimed at first and second grade secondary school teachers and aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Increase the knowledge and skills of teachers in the field of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and critical thinking to combat stereotypes and hate phenomena and promote social inclusion.
• Experience materials and tools useful for the transfer of skills in the field of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and critical thinking, integrating MIL at a cross-cutting level in the various disciplines.
• Encourage the dissemination and use of new educational tools based on MIL and critical thinking to grow young people who are competent in the use of the media, and capable of combating hate speech and phenomena.
• Strengthen the role of schools and teachers within their communities as promoters of social inclusion initiatives.

Program

The course is divided into 5 modules followed by a final follow-up meeting, for a total of 12 hours in total. The meetings will take place online with a mixed methodology that will see the frontal lesson alternate with activities with a more interactive and laboratory approach, also using breakout rooms for small group sessions and multimedia tools. The modules will offer an overview of various topics related to Media and Information Literacy. After a first introductory appointment, topics such as information and information disorders, stereotypes and hate speech, participation, community and social media and freedom of expression will be covered. Useful information and educational resources created as part of European projects, such as LEAD-online and IN-EDU, will also be presented.

“Citizens of today for the world of tomorrow”

In response to new needs and forms of sociality and youth aggregation, intra and extracurricular, the course aims to create a phased training course of “advanced civic education”, aimed mainly at teachers of first and second grade secondary schools aimed at teaching techniques, good practices and ad hoc tools for the construction of what the scholar B. Peyrot calls inner citizenship, a prerequisite for all legal and political citizenship.

Objectives

The objective of the meetings will be to use non-formal pedagogical-didactic methods and activities, linked to autobiographical narration, the story of experiences, the social game, public speaking, mutual interaction, sharing and listening to self and group, in order to deal with some current issues and general interest, functional to the construction of a civic conscience that, based on innovative practices and alternative visions, can address social commitment and democratic participation, in a historical period of recovery and, if we want, of world reconstruction.

Program

The course will be divided into 3 macro-modules of 10 hours each, which will in turn be divided into 5 micro-modules. Among the topics covered are: crisis, weaknesses and fragility of our time; democracy between places and memories; resistance, resilience, rights and duties; knowledge, abilities and emotions in the public and private spheres; Constitution and presence, etc. The workshops will be structured on the basis of non-formal educational paths, transversal and complementary to the more “institutional” ones, and will refer to: autobiographical narration, the story of experiences and its political repercussions (in the Aristotelian sense of the term), to the game of society, to public speaking, to mutual interaction, to group sharing and to listening to self and the Other. In more detail, moments of reading or watching shorts and videos will be proposed in relation to the social theme covered, open spaces for reflection, for the invitation to write, and then conclude with the return of what has emerged.

Why does orientation need Gender Skills

Starting from the assumption that gender and the differences related to it permeate every area of personal, educational and professional life, it is important to acquire the appropriate skills to combat stereotypes and discrimination and ensure the affirmation of the full potential of girls and boys. The course is structured on three modules that address the topic of gender skills from different perspectives. An introductory part outlines the concept of gender, the political framework of reference and the implications of gender inequalities in the world of work. The central module focuses on the recognition and contrast of gender prejudices and stereotypes, also through a laboratory approach and practical exercises. Finally, the third module, the final one, focuses on school-training-work transition processes, on vocational guidance and on the importance of collecting and analyzing data disaggregated by gender.

Objectives

The course is aimed at teachers with guidance functions who work in first and second grade secondary schools and intends to allow them to acquire the knowledge, skills and behaviors necessary to combat stereotypes and gender discrimination in the field of education and training and, therefore, in professional and career choices.

Specifically, the course aims to strengthen participants' skills to identify and recognize gender stereotypes and prejudices, reduce gender discrimination and promote the enhancement of differences, at school and in the various areas of their professional practice (e.g.: during interviews and orientation interviews, in written and oral communication, etc.).

Mode

The course is delivered asynchronously and synchronously: it therefore involves both the use of part of the online modules, which the student can access freely, and the creation of interactive webinars.

Evaluate yourself among peers: peer review as a methodology for quality

How can we revisit the concept of evaluation with a view to continuous improvement and in a training context, therefore not judgmental or sanctioning? The European Peer Assessment Methodology is the answer, as it is based on the principle of constructive comparison between professionals with the same background but experiences in different contexts. The first module of the course focuses on the introduction of this methodology, starting from the history and the founding principles to arrive at the resources available for its implementation. The second module covers the implementation phases of Peer Assessment, also making use of practical exercises for each step of the way. Finally, the final module analyzes the practice of constructive communication, focused on the collection and analysis of the data that emerged from Peer Assessment, together with the reflective and constructive feedback provided by the latter.

Objectives

The training, through theoretical sessions, contributions and testimonies from experts and group exercises, will aim to introduce teachers to European Peer Assessment, a quality assurance methodology that combines self-assessment and external evaluation by a group of peers, useful both for strengthening cooperation between key actors in the education sector and for promoting mutual learning and professional growth of all parties involved. Training on the Peer Assessment methodology will also help to strengthen the skills of teachers useful for effective self-evaluation, considered by the National Assessment System (SNV) as one of the key actions to improve the quality of the training offer and of the learning of the students.

More information

Sylvia Luti - liuti@azione.com

Giulia Soldati - soldati@azione.com