Learning communities

Learning
Communities

LEARNING
COMMUNITIES

What do we do?

It is a project based on a set of successful educational actions, oriented to the social and educational transformation of the community. It is a project that begins in the school but integrates everything that surrounds it. Based on Dialogic Learning, on the community’s educational engagement and on inclusive practices we want to develop successful education for all children and youth to achieve efficiency, equity and social cohesion altogether. Combining science and utopia, the project seeks a relevant improvement in school learning for all students, in all grades and, the development of a better coexistence and attitudes of solidarity.

What do we do?

It is a project based on a set of successful educational actions, oriented to the social and educational transformation of the community. It is a project that begins in the school but integrates everything that surrounds it. Based on Dialogic Learning, on the community’s educational engagement and on inclusive practices we want to develop successful education for all children and youth to achieve efficiency, equity and social cohesion altogether. Combining science and utopia, the project seeks a relevant improvement in school learning for all students, in all grades and, the development of a better coexistence and attitudes of solidarity.

For whom?

Primary education (PK-8)
Secondary Education (9-12)
Special Education

For whom?

Primary education (PK-8)
Secondary Education (9-12)
Special Education

Transformation Stages

Awareness

Sensibilización

Everything starts with the science training of the community involved in the educational process –preparation that must occur intensively–. It is time to deeply reflect on those educational actions which provide the best results. It is also time to analyze the current conditions of the school, identify the strengths and weaknesses in order to determine what are the actions needed towards social inclusion and academic success.

Decision making

It is the stage where a definitive decision is made: the school shall transform into a community of learning. A decision that demands agreement through constant dialogue with the whole community involved and everyone’s commitment. The decision-making process itself is a training exercise to act more as a democracy and as a community.

Dream

It is the time when the entire educational community (students, teaching staff, families, management team, social agents) dreams of the school they wish for the future. It is a passionate and creative process that every school performs and represents differently. A milestone moment, because it sets the beginning of the transformation.

Prioritization

It is when the most urgent priorities, the most relevant and community-shared dreams are defined. This phase is accompanied by reflection on the school’s social reality and environment: What are the human and material resources available?

Implementation

It is time to design the journey between the reality and the dream. Also, to form the joint work commissions which will make this journey possible through the implementation of the Successful Educational Actions. Everything starts with an assembly in which people and representatives of the community must participate.

Successful Educational Actions

The European research project INCLUD-ED identified and analyzed a series of Successful Educational Actions – practices that have proven to increase academic performance and improve coexistence and solidarity attitudes in all schools observed. These are: Interactive Groups, Dialogic Gatherings, Tutored Library, Family Education, Community’s Educational Engagement, Dialogic Model for Conflict Prevention and Resolution and Dialogic Pedagogical Training.