Topic: Why is the lifelong learning worthwhile?

Author: Anna Rabiega

Addressee:

high school / technical school student

Core curriculum:

• old curriculum:

extended level:

10. Education in the 21st century.

The student:

4) explains the manner in which one can improve or change their professional qualifications and why lifelong learning is one of the conditions for success in the professional career.

• new curriculum:

extended level:

XVI. Education and science.

The student:

1) explains the manner in which one can improve or change their professional qualifications and why lifelong learning is one of the conditions for success in the professional career.

The general aim of education:

The student develops his/her interests and plans further education.

Learning outcomes:

The student:

• explains what lifelong learning consists in.

• explains the rules of ERASMUS+ programme.

• explains the principles of recognition of education in the countries of the European Union.

Key competences:

• communicating in a foreign language,

• digital competence,

• learning to learn,

• social and civic competences.

Teaching methods:

• discussion,

• mind map,

• 635 method,

• teaching conversation using interactive scheme, interactive exercises.

Forms of work:

• work in pairs,

• group work,

• whole‑class activity.

Material & equipment needed:

• computers with loudspeakers/headphones and internet access,

• multimedia resources from the e‑textbook,

• interactive whiteboard/blackboard, felt‑tip pen/a piece of chalk.

Lesson plan overview (Process):

Introduction:

1. The teacher presents the goal of the lesson: You will think about the benefits of lifelong learning and the manner in which the European Union supports it.

2. The teacher asks the students to draw up a common mind map of the consequences of premature resignation from further education. The teacher appoints a moderator who writes down the ideas of his/her colleagues on the board. After finishing the work, the teacher asks willing/selected students to summarise it.

Implementation:

1. The teacher divides the students into 6 groups. The teacher informs them that, using the 635 method, they will analyse the benefits of lifelong learning. Each group writes down a question to analyse „Why is the lifelong learning worthwhile?” on a sheet of paper. Within 5 minutes, each group writes 3 arguments in favour of the thesis. Then the groups pass their cards to another group, which adds its (non‑recurring) ideas or modifies and completes the ideas of the predecessors. The passing on of the cards after another 5 minutes is repeated until all the groups write their ideas on each card. Each group then holds a short discussion on the ideas collected on the card. The teacher asks willing/selected students to present the arguments that speak most strongly to them and to justify their answers.

2. The teacher displays “The advantages of lifelong learning” scheme on the whiteboard and asks willing/selected students to comment on its content:

• Does it contain issues that the students have not identified during group work?

• Do students think that these arguments are important? Why?

3. The teacher asks students to do Exercise 1 in pairs. Willing/selected students present their answers and the rest of the students verify their correctness.

Summary:

1. At the end of the lesson, the teacher asks students questions to sum up, e.g.

• What are the dangers of early school leaving?

• What are the benefits of lifelong learning?

• What actions is the European Union taking to promote and facilitate lifelong learning?

2. Homework proposal:

a. Talk to your parents or other adults and ask them if and how they are still learning. Describe three selected cases.

b. Listen to the abstract recording to review the material and new vocabulary. Then do the vocabulary exercise at the end of the chapter.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

We learn throughout our lives

Too many young people drop out of school prematurely. Meanwhile, early school leavers are more exposed to the risk of long‑term unemployment, poverty and becoming involved in criminal activity, and their cost to the European economy, according to the European Statistical Office (Eurostat), is around 1.25% of GDP. That is why we hear so much about the positive effects of continuous education.

What does the lesson in the 21st century mean? Lifelong learning with an orientation towards learning outcomes. This subordination of activities to the interest of learners in different situations (at school and university, internships and courses, at work, various organizations and directly in everyday situations), at different ages - with emphasis on the need for coherence of activities of many institutions, ministries and partners. Lifelong learning is also equal treatment, appreciation and promotion of learning in various forms and at different stages of life, emphasizing the need to develop the less developed forms and stages of learning, including in particular the early education, practical education closely related to the needs of the economy and civil society and adult education, including the education of older people.

Youth mobility programs in the European Union

Education is an important area of activity of the European Union. In the period 2007–2013, the European Commission has integrated its education and training initiatives under the umbrella of Lifelong Learning Programme. This programme enabled citizens at every stage of their lives to search for stimulating educational opportunities across Europe. It included four sub‑programs: Comenius (schools), Erasmus (higher education), Leonardo da Vinci (vocational training and education) and Grundtvig (adult education).

From January 1, 2014, the Lifelong Learning Program, the Jean Monnet action, the Youth in Action programme and five other programs (including Erasmus Mundus and Tempus) have been replaced by the Erasmus + programme. For the first time in the history of the European Union's educational programmes, also initiatives related to sport will be supported. The implementation of the programme is planned for seven years, that is until 2020. In principle, the Erasmus + programme is not fundamentally different from the completed Lifelong Learning Programme. The greatest emphasis in the new programme has been placed on formal and non‑formal education aimed at developing the skills of students, teachers and employees and improving their situation on the labor market. In practice, the Erasmus + programme enables foreign mobility - trips for educational purposes (e.g. undertaking studies, traineeships, training or volunteering) for pupils, students, educational staff and youth workers, and supports the building of partnerships between universities, colleges and technical universities, enterprises and non‑profit organizations for strengthening innovation and knowledge building. Activities in the field of sport serve above all to support initiatives aimed at combating violence, discrimination and doping. International non‑profit sports events can also count on co‑financing.

If you plan to study, look for a job or gain experience abroad, it is important to clearly present your own skills and competences. Europass is designed to provide citizens of all EU countries with equal opportunities in presenting their qualifications and work experience in a way that is understandable not only in their home country but throughout Europe. Europass includes a portfolio of 5 documents operating in the same form throughout Europe (also in the countries of the European Economic Area and candidate countries for the EU).

We already know that education is possible in any EU country. If we change the country of residence, will our diploma obtained in Poland give us the right to take up employment or further education? Well, not always – sometimes you have to ask appropriate institutions, which will confirm your skills in accordance with the regulations of the country in which we are to be.

In order to ensure that every citizen of the European Union can benefit from the principle of free movement of employees and ensure the possibility of pursuing a profession in a country other than the one in which he obtained qualifications, a system facilitating the recognition of professional qualifications was introduced in the European Union (i.e. a system of mutual recognition of education and training qualifications).

Each country has its own regulations governing the recognition of education, often different in the case of academic and professional recognition. However, the rules for the recognition of professional qualifications for work in the so‑called regulated professions in the countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area are included in the EU directives.

The sectoral professions are different from the regulated ones. It is a separate group of eight professions, whose performance is associated with special responsibility: doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, dentists, veterinarians, architects and attorneys (legal counsels). Performing these professions in each of the member countries requires the same conditions to be met. Thanks to this a veterinarian from the Czech Republic can, without any major problems, obtain confirmation of his skills in France if he intends to open his practice there.

Polish language training for people staying abroad

The Centre for the Development of Polish Education Abroad (Ośrodek Rozwoju Polskiej Edukacji za Granicą, ORPEG) is a unit at the Ministry of National Education organizing the education of children of Polish citizens temporarily staying abroad and supporting education provided by Polish organizations abroad. The Centre’s tasks include:

• running schools and school consultation points at diplomatic missions, consular offices and military bases of the Republic of Poland,

• directing teachers for didactic work abroad,

• organizing methodological courses for teachers of the Polish diaspora,

• providing equipment for schools and centers of Polish language teaching like textbooks and other teaching aids.

The Centre runs school consultation points at diplomatic missions of the Republic of Poland located on 6 continents in 37 countries around the world. They provide supplementary education in the field of Polish language and knowledge about Poland. The Centre also supervises European schools and conducts long distance education at schools that are part of the system.