European CoE Pestalozzi workshop held from September 19th – 23rd 2011 at The Falstad Centre, Norway

Focusing on the theme From Division to Diversity: Educational Challenges related to Past and Present, 19 participants from 16 different European countries, most of them teachers and teacher trainers, shared an intensive cooperative experience during the one week workshop in Norway. The topics of the workshop covered different thematic areas in the field of intercultural learning such as historical and contemporary situations of ethnic minorities and people with special needs, religious diversity, as well as the relation between national identity construction and religion.

Lectures by experts in these fields were followed by group work where participants could share their experiences and try out learning methodologies. Participatory learning methods and didactical tools fostering multiperspectivity were investigated in a hands-on, practical way. Different methods of concept learning, highlighting the changing meaning of concepts in different context and historical periods as well as the method of digital story telling were appreciated by the participants as giving concrete tools to take back home in the class- and seminar rooms.

One highlight of the week was an excursion to Trondheim, where even the sightseeing (the Nidaros Cathedral) engaged the participants in conversations on nation building, religion and the construction of national heritage. All in all, the week was a wonderful example of learning about (= themes and methods), learning through (= open-minded interaction and mutual inspiration) and learning for (= each participant’s professional ambition to prepare students for living together in Europe’s diverse and democratic societies).