Diseñando espacios inclusivos en los centros educativos

<< Background >>This project was initiated in response to the specific needs expressed by schools in the area of action of the CFR of Pontevedra, as well as by partners from Italy, Turkey, and Portugal. These partners agree on the need for guidance in the process of transforming educational spaces from a perspective that promotes student inclusion.Our work aims to meet this need by providing a general framework for designing inclusive educational spaces, which can serve as a model and guide for different types of schools to develop their own projects. Our intention was to gather and document experiences of spatial transformation, provide tools for reflection and evaluation to the entire educational community, and identify common strategies across various institutions (special education schools, primary, secondary, and vocational schools in different countries). We also seek to enrich the reflections on diversity and spaces with an international perspective that facilitates the exchange and sharing of strategies, resources, legislation, and organizational approaches specific to each country.<< Objectives >>Our objectives were designed based on the needs identified in the SWOT analysis carried out at each of the participating schools, as well as taking into account the teachers' training needs in the field of education.Main objectives:1. To create a European reference framework for the design of inclusive spaces in EU educational institutions.2. To share best practices implemented in different countries and educational institutions.3. To analyze the impact of creating inclusive spaces in schools.4. To promote the dissemination of best practices seen in the working network.5. To facilitate cascade training on the topic addressed within our area of influence.Secondary objectives:6. To create a network of collaboration with educational institutions from different stages and countries.7. To promote the use of natural and sustainable resources in the design of new inclusive spaces.8. To encourage the use of digital tools to design spaces and reduce the environmental impact of our work.9. To use eTwinning to develop and showcase our project at a European level.10. To improve foreign language competence through collaborative work with institutions from other countries.<< Implementation >>At first, we outlined an initial plan, which was then refined with a work plan, allowing us to adjust the order of the scheduled activities in response to the delays in the project's execution. During this planning phase, the need for an in-person meeting arose to expedite the project launch and provide an opportunity for the different partners to meet each other.The transnational meeting was the activity best suited to these circumstances, so the first one was held in Pontevedra (June 2022), as most of the participating partners were based there. During this first meeting, various observation activities were carried out in the five schools of Pontevedra (analyzing their strengths and areas for improvement), and the remaining actions were scheduled. During this meeting, the coordinators identified the need to improve English language competence to enhance communication and linguistic skills among partners and benefit the development of the project. To address this, language training was prioritized, with an intensive English course held in Malta (October 2022), where we advanced our communicative abilities and established smooth contact with the partners, achieving the expected results.<< Results >>The results of this project have far exceeded all the expectations we had at the beginning.1. Improvement in students' academic performance.2. Improvement in relationships among students and between students and teachers.3. Improvement in the attitude of the educational community towards inclusive classroom methodologies.4. Improvement in students' commitment to carrying out activities that prioritize the use of ecological resources.5. Enhancement of the ability to identify training needs related to inclusion and learning spaces.6. Improvement in linguistic competence in foreign languages.7. Improvement in digital competence among participating teachers and students.8. Improvement in the subcompetence of methodologies.9. Improvement in the subcompetence of managing spaces, resources, and learning materials.10. Progress in problem-solving skills.11. Progress in the ability to interact with various agents within the educational community.12. Progress in teamwork skills and the ability to manage participation and involvement in joint projects.13. Progress in the ability to lead a heterogeneous group.14. Progress in conflict resolution skills.