10th - 11th - 12th February 2010, Iasi

From February the 10th to the 12th 2010 took place the first workshop regarding the EU project "Youth Educational Systems", under the Programme Lifelong Learning Programme and funded by the DG Education and Culture of the European Commission. The delegation of the Regional Consortium of Emilia-Romagna composed of representatives of: Legislative Assembly of Emilia-Romagna (External and International Relations Department), Regional Educational Department for the Emilia-Romagna, ITC Ginanni from Ravenna, IPSCT Elsa Morante from Sassuolo (Modena), I.T.C. "Rosa Luxemburg" from Bologna, I.T.C. "Bodoni" from Parma and the Intercultural Association Polo Interetnico (AIPI) from Bologna, went to Iasi (Romania) for conducting the first of ten workshops programmed during the two years of the YES Project. This workshop was focused on " Methods of developing critical and creating thinking”.

The activity was centred on methods for increasing the quality of the educational system in the two respective regions and focused on encouraging more effective forms of collaborationbetween schools and educational institutions of the Emilia-Romagna Region with similar European institutions and also between the institutional authorities and third sector organizations involved at different levels in the education of young people.

This Workshop in Iasi, in Romania, represented a moment of exchange and collaboration initiated during the previous months, between the Romanian and Italian partners, characterized by an intens work of analysis.

The articulation of the Workshop implied numerous activities addressed to the project’s partner and they involved the Teacher Training Centre, the NGO RoTalent, the CJAPP (Regional Centre for Psychological and pedagogical Support), the Institute of Excellence " Costache Negruzzi," the High School "Alexandru Vlahuta" and the Technical College of Railways of Iasi. These activities also involved Regional Institutions such as the Prefecture of Iasi and the Regional Education Department of Iasi, which expressed their interest and desire for collaboration for the fulfilment of the project’s objectives.

The main topics of the Workshop in Iasi, that was conducted for its entire duration by experts, were:

• Theoretical concepts related to educational methodologies for increasing the analytical and the creative skills of students by addressing the role of students through cooperation; the structure of a lesson (Assessment, Giving a Sense; Reflection)
• Practical applications for active teaching and critical thinking, brainstorming method, SINLEG method, The Grape method - Emphasizing both partners’ experience in applying certain teaching methods
• Educational activities in the classroom and getting to know the educational system in Romania
• Presentation and exchange of best educational practices resulting from the feedback of their effectiveness in the class group COMENIUS PARTNERSHIPS
• The role of the Prefect’s Institution in Romania in the implementation of the educational reform, in the context of decentralization and in the promotion of cooperation with the EU countries;
• The role of the Regional Educational Department in Romania in human resource training, according to the European quality assurance standards;
• Round table for discussion and analysis of the Italian-Romanian experience in education/training of students with special adjustment needs (with a particular focus on the psychological and social effects of migration)
• Analysis of the contents of the next faze of the project’s implementation
• Defining the electronic platform as a tool for continuous exchanges and contacts on an international basis between the partners.

Providing the framework of the activities in Iasi were the specialized documents on the detailed analysis of the European educational systems provided by European agencies in the field of Education and Training and in particular by the Eurydice European Network (European Network of analysis and evaluation of education systems and policies on education), with which the External and International Relations Department of the Legislative Assembly of Emilia-Romagna works towards achieving a deeper collaboration.

The programme of the workshop