GLAD – a programme involving
cooperation with Kenya focusing on the
new teacher training education
PROJECT GLAD ”Global Learning – Advanced professionalism – Dialogue” is a
development project in conjunction with the new teacher training education (LU
13). The main aim of the project is to qualify future teachers’ skills in the sphere of
global learning, communication and information in cooperation with three teacher
training colleges in Kenya. The project is supported by Danida and will be realised
within a four year time frame
(2014-2018).
COME ON GLAD!
The purpose of the GLAD project is to
develop information about developing
countries and intercultural pedagogy /
didactics in connection with the new
teacher training education. This will occur
through, among other things, working
with a developing country, and through a
strengthening of the trainee teachers’
intercultural skills.
The aims of the GLAD programme are:
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Professional development, both
in relation to individual subject (e.g. geography), and in the area of basic professionalism
Pedagogy and didactic theory combined with practice (advanced module)
Conveying and communicating global themes with experience from visiting developing
countries, and communication with students and teachers in developing countries
Topics that have global perspectives such as sustainability, health care, climate, etc.
Work placement and exchange with a global view where both students and teachers visit
a developing country
Cooperation with local state schools (Holluf Pile school and Hunderupskolen) and a
Primary School in Kenya
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Active use of IT, where such media as Skype / blog dialogues will be included in the
process
As well as the above, culture studies and mutual exchanges for example in connection
with work placement, where students will be able to use their experience and knowledge
from the project in the final Bachelor project (BA), and also in connection with profession
projects (1st-3rd year students).
Dep. of Teacher Education, UCL, (LpF), will in conjunction with the GLAD project support the
opportunity to develop a type of teacher who will have professional skills and strengths to work
with and convey global topics in a more authentic manner with dialogue, while the students are
already under education.
Trainee teachers in Kenya look forward to working
together with their Danish counterparts
LpF has chosen to work in Kenya through the
GLAD project for many reasons. Partly because
Kenya is one of the new developing countries
making it possible to work together using
communicative media in a more equal way, in
such ways as innovation in I.T. Another reason
is that Kenya is in a process where through the
new counties more education institutes are
being created. Also in recent years new teacher
training colleges have been established in the private sector, which can make cooperation more
flexible while also providing competition for teacher training colleges in the public sector. As
English is the language of instruction in Kenya it will be fairly easy students from both countries to
communicate with each other. Collaborators in this
project are two State training colleges northwest of
Nairobi, a private college northeast of Nairobi, and
KICD (Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development) in
Nairobi.
The project aims to integrate LU 13’s four areas of
competence: basic professionalism, subject of
instruction, work placement, and B.A. project, with
the aim of strengthening knowledge about a
developing country within the group of developing
countries supported by Denmark.
Cooperation between Kenya and Denmark is an exciting
challenge
Although there already are teacher training materials, and not least school materials, for
developing countries, the project will contribute in new ways to strengthen teaching and
information in both teacher training and schools (through such means as work placement). This
will occur through a more authentic dialogue (co-learning) where students and teachers are in
contact with each other, both off- and online.
Trainee teachers from Denmark will stay at private residences when they arrive in Kenya
The project will thus strengthen direct communication between students and teachers in the
respective educations on essential professional educational topics such as: didactics, globalisation,
sustainability, and innovation. Students will acquire knowledge, strengthen and develop skills
through co-learning where cooperating together on learning outcomes.
Cooperation in relation to the new teacher training education
Cooperation levels
The project offers the possibility for working with global themes in a module. Geography is the
first subject to actively involve the GLAD-project in one of the modules. Other subject will be art,
Christian studies / religious education, mathematics, and music. There will be cooperation
between the teacher and a class attending a teacher training college in Kenya. Professional
cooperation can also be integrated with study trips to Kenya.
Advanced modules
The advanced module creates a possibility for
interdisciplinary work between modules. Here it will
be possible to work with for example, innovation,
entrepreneurship, health care, sustainability, culture
studies, and globalisation. The module also offers
the opportunity to test online possibilities within the
field of cultural studies, teaching materials, and also
explore international and global teaching projects in
schools and voluntary organisations.
Work placement
In connection with the students’ work placement there is also the possibility to visit Kenya for a
period of 4 weeks. Working in close cooperation with the teacher training college both in Kenya
and in Denmark, the student has the opportunity to complete the first part of their two-part work
placement at a Kenyan state school.
BA project
Through their B.A. project it is possible during training for students to further their studies in the
following: educational, academic and didactic awareness with information, conveying and
communication about a developing country, such as Kenya. This can be done in order to develop
learning materials, developing global topics and themes in a subject, or development of an
intercultural pedagogy. The B.A. project
will be a good place to test and collect
knowledge that students have built up
through their four years at the teacher
training college.
Contact:
Gabriella Dahm:
[email protected]