STATE (EN)
What is it about?
Both the English word “state” and its Czech equivalent “stát” refer to the basic form of organization of human society. Similarly, the acronym STATE represents something fundamental in the SensiClass project that should not be missing in the educational environment.
It is a methodological support of teachers and an effort to contribute to the development of a tolerant environment in teaching (support teachers and tolerant environment). To be able to voice one´s opinion, to discuss, not to be afraid to express oneself and ask questions. Such a bold goal is a long run. Nevertheless, the STATE authors try to sprint with teachers for at least a while and offer them inspiration for teaching and for themselves.
The didactic transformation of content is influenced by various factors; the teacher´s preferences, interests and experiences are crucial. For the “sensitive topics” found in the project, such as religion, gender, racism or multicultural education in general, this is perhaps doubly true. And that´s why STATE is created in a way to collect and share.
The addressed academics together with primary and secondary school teachers were given a free hand in presenting efficient teaching ideas or theoretical concepts and professional literature from which they draw. The results are diverse, and the same applies to the way the authors think about the topics, what they pay attention to, or what teaching style they follow. Each approach varies considerably depending on the author. However, please do not confuse the presented variety with chaos or sloppy formal editing. It is an open approach to sub-topics “embellished” by the interactive possibilities of the H5P software.
Although STATE spends only a short time with teachers on the track, it is beneficial for them. The experience from teaching practice based on professional literature will not ensure one hundred percent truth and the only possible interpretation. However, it will certainly strengthen the tolerant and safe classroom environment that teachers and students deserve.
Four parts
Theoretical start: Educational text about selected fields and key concepts of multicultural topics (categorization, member and non-member groups, us and them, evaluation, moral exclusion,…). The paper includes references to more literature and small exercises about understanding the text.
Teaching lessons: Author’s teaching activities by teachers and academics for students of primary, secondary and higher education. The activities work with sub-topics of the project (notion of beauty, gender, racism, religion,…) in three levels of difficulty. There is a variety of teaching methods, organizational forms and tools.
Personal stories: Seven authentic stories from different European countries, which present personal experiences with different problems (race, origin, perception of your body,…). Except the stories, the output also contains inspiration how to use the texts in teaching and show students various forms of “difference”.
Feedback: Comments and observations from piloting educational materials. The materials were shared during the project with students, future teachers, and teachers. Some evaluated them on the basis of reading, others tried them in teaching together with students or in university studies directly on their own.
Team of authors
Personal stories, theoretical start, teaching lessons: Adam Cvik, Jekatyerina Dunajeva, Katatzyna Górak-Sosnowska, Tereza Janošová, Heidi Maiberg, Urszula Markowska-Manista, Michal Riegel, Soňa Žaloudková
Translation into foreign languages: Jekatyerina Dunajeva, Heidi Maiberg, Urszula Markowska-Manista, Sean Mark Miller, Denisa Švandová, Eda Tagamets
Feedback: Kateřina Hejkalová, Renata Jiránková, Michaela Maiová, Pavla Šindlerová, participants of workshops Join Training for the Teachers of the Network Universities on Teaching Sensitive Issues
Work in H5P: Adam Cvik
Concept of ideas: Vanda Vaníčková