Teachers Forums

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ESSARP
Teachers Forums Coordinated by Ms
Elizabeth White Ms Gabriela
Madera Kindergarten Primary
Secondary School
October 2007
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From the Coordinators Forum to theTeachers
Forum

• June-July 2007
• ESSARP conducted a Coordinators Forum which
  provided teacher trainers with a virtual space to
  debate issues related to Distance Education.
• COORDINATORS FORUM

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Coordinators ForumAchievements

• The Forum established academic cooperation
  within the team of
• ESSARP Coordinators.
• Coordinators had the possibility to debate
  issues related to
• Distance Education.
• The Forum triggered off proposals for ESSARP
  2008 Teacher
• Training Programme.
• It made it evident that the first step of the
  programme design
• should be the Identification of Teacher
  Training Needs.

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Teachers Forums

• ESSARP invited Member and Affiliate Schools to
  participate in six Teachers Forums that would
  help to identify Teacher Training Needs.
• The Forums would be the first step towards the
  design of the 2008 Teacher Training Programme.

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INVITATION

• Permanent education is an essential aspect of
  the teaching career. Even though nobody doubts
  about the need for continuing education, a busy
  schedule usually prevents teachers from attending
  face-to-face training courses.
• Aware of such reality, ESSARP aims at offering
  equal opportunities and at breaking the time and
  space barriers. Therefore, we intend to extend
  our Distance Education Programme for 2008.
  Teachers will thus have the possibility to update
  their knowledge making the most of the New
  Information Communication Technologies (NICTs).
• As part of the planning process of the new
  proposals, we intend to identify teachers needs
  - both in terms of content and modality - so that
  the courses are specifically designed to satisfy
  them. We, therefore, take pleasure in inviting
  your school to join ESSARP Teachers Forums,
  which will not only open a communication channel
  within your institution but will also give each
  participant an invaluable opportunity to discuss
  their views with teachers from other educational
  environments.

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Implementing the proposal

• FORUMS
• ESSARP will open a total of six Forums, two per
  level (Kindergarten Primary and Secondary
  School) one for the Spanish Section and the other
  one for the English Section.
• AIM
• The aim of each Forum will be to identify the
  real training needs of the teachers of each level
  in order to offer an Education Programme -
  including Virtual, Face-to-Face or Blended
  Courses - that will suit them best and assist
  them with their daily teaching practice.
• PARTICIPANTS PROFILE
• Each of the Forums will allow for the
  participation of a maximum of three teachers per
  level from the Spanish section and a maximum of
  three from the English section. In the case of
  the Secondary School Forum, we suggest the
  participation of one teacher per department (Art,
  Humanities and Science Technology)
• The teachers who decide to participate will be
  in charge of voicing their own needs as well as
  those of their colleagues and will have the
  opportunity to discuss their views with teachers
  from other schools.
• It is advisable that the participants should be
  familiarized with the use of the Internet and
  have easy access to it. They should communicate
  with their colleagues fluently and should be
  sensitive to their needs.
• It is ESSARPs wish that all the teaching staff
  of the member schools should have the opportunity
  to express their training needs. Therefore, we
  request that the schools that are interested in
  participating in this experience fill in the
  Enrolment Form with the list of teachers who are
  willing to represent each institution. Their
  participation will not imply more than one access
  to the Forum per day at their convenient time, in
  order to read the posts and contribute their own.
  

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• COORDINATION
• Each Forum will be conducted by a coordinator
  who has been especially trained to facilitate
  virtual communication.
• Each Forum will be conducted either in English
  or in Spanish to suit the needs of all the
  teaching staff at your school.
• SCHEDULE
• Each Forum will last for two weeks.
• The Primary and Secondary School Forums will be
  open between October 1 and October 15.
• The Kinder Forum will be open from October 16 to
  October 30.
• In November, all schools will receive a report
  about the development of the Forum and the
  teachers needs which have been identified.
•  

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POSTER
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Letter to the School Head

• Dear Head,
•  
• ESSARP takes pleasure in inviting your school to
  join our forthcoming Teachers Forums, a virtual
  space where educators from our Member and
  Affiliate Schools will have the possibility to
  engage in a mutually enriching exchange with
  their colleagues.
• Needless to say, the New Information
  Communication Technologies are gaining more and
  more importance in the field of education. It is
  therefore one of our main aims to design a wider
  range of Distance Courses, which will enable us
  to use the resources of the NICTs to your
  schools best advantage. One of the first stages
  in our project consists in identifying your
  teachers training needs in order to provide them
  with an education programme that will satisfy
  them both in terms of content and modality.
• Next October, we will be opening six different
  Teachers Forums. Attached, you will find two
  invitations to join them - one in English and the
  other one in Spanish. The invitations provide
  details about the aim and implementation of the
  Forums as well as an Enrolment Form. We would
  appreciate it if you forwarded these files to the
  coordinators of each section.
• We trust our initiative will open an invaluable
  communication channel, which we hope will
  contribute to strengthening your School Mission.
• ESSARP

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Forum Schedule (Primary School Sample)

• October 1 -7
• Opening of the Forum. Welcome message to the
  participants. Forum
• objectives. The participants will introduce
  themselves to the virtual
• community
• October 8 16
• In-depth debate on educational issues. Real
  Training Needs in terms of
• content and modality. Survey to be shared with
  the school staff
• October 15
• Closing of the Forum. Conclusions
• November 2007
• The schools will receive a report on the
  development of the Forum

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SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THE TEACHERS
FORUMSKindergarten - Primary - Secondary
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Welcome to the Teachers Forum

•   On behalf of ESSARP, I am pleased to welcome
  you to our Teachers Forum. We intended to
  provide you with an invaluable opportunity to
  share a virtual environment with your colleagues
  while you let us know what aspects of your own
  teaching practice you would like to explore
  further.
• As you all know, ESSARP has always been
  committed to offering Members and Affiliate
  Schools a wide variety of training courses either
  in the face-to-face or virtual modality. The
  Association is aware of how difficult it is for
  teachers to attend courses or to find the time to
  continue their education. On the other hand, we
  are also conscious of how important it is for
  educators to study on a permanent basis in order
  to improve their practice and keep pace with the
  New Information Communication Technologies
  (NICTs)
• It is therefore our aim to offer a Training
  Programme based on the real needs that you will
  express here. This Forum will be open for two
  weeks during which you are invited to voice your
  own interests as well as those of the teachers
  you represent. By the end of the second week, we
  will have collected relevant information that
  will help us design courses to satisfy your
  needs.
• Attached to this message, you will find a file
  that will help you navigate this platform.
• To begin with, I suggest that you join our
  online community by posting a message to
  introduce yourselves. Please, tell us who you
  are, where you work, what your position is, what
  subject/s you teach and why you have joined this
  Forum. It is important that we all feel free to
  express our views, which will be highly valued at
  all times.
• Our Teachers Forum is now formally open.
  Please, make yourselves at home.
• Gabriela Madera
• ESSARP Teachers Forum Coordinator
•  
•  
•  
•  

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Virtual classroom - Secondary School Forum
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Virtual classroom Kindergarten Forum
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SURVEY
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S U R V E Y
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S U R V E Y
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Survey Results

• We were sent a total of 57 surveys representing
  the views of either one teacher or a number of
  teachers.
• Each question in the survey rendered a different
  number of votes depending on how many teachers
  were consulted. The number of respondents to each
  survey was not specified.
• The votes for each question were added on an
  Excel spreadsheet to generate a visual
  representation of the preferences shown in the
  surveys. After the last graphic, you will see the
  most relevant findings of the survey in terms of
  percentages.

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Factors that determine the quality of a course
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COURSE TIMETABLE
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Course Sessions
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Frequency of the courses
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How interested are you in Distance Education?
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How interested are you in Blended Courses?
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How interested are you in ESSARP Goes to School?
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How interested are you inTeachers Forums?
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Teacher Training Needs Identified in the
ForumsPrimary and Secondary School (in
alphabetical order)

• Analyzing poetry (7th / 8th)
• Applied Linguistics
• Applied multiple intelligences
• Applying correction criteria to written
  productions
• Applying new methodology
• AS Art
• Assessing writing
• Assessment (Assessing different levels in a same
  group)
• Assessment Criteria
• Average evaluation of students considering their
  different skills
• Bilingualism
• Business
• CIE Training Courses
• CIPP Tests techniques
• Classroom Management
• Common error correction
• Constructive teamwork
• Contemporary trends on teaching methods

A-C
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Teacher Training Needs

• Creative and innovative IGCSE activities in the
  classroom
• Creative writing
• Cross Curricular Activities (Literature and
  History for example)
• Curriculum design
• Dealing with different abilities and capacities
  in class 
• Debates/forums in the classroom. Debate
  strategies
• Development of Comprehension skills
• Different ways of planning
• Differentiation
• Discipline
• DRAMA as a teaching resource
• Effective assessment
• Environmental Management contents
• Environmental Management IGCSE content topics 
• Environmental Studies
• French (IGCSE and AS Levels)
• French (IGCSE and AS Levels)
• Games in the Classroom
• Games in the classroom (to teach grammar and
  vocabulary)

C-G
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Teacher Training Needs

• Handling problematic situations
• History Contents
• History courses for Middle School. Source
  Analysis
• How to deal with conflicts between kids and with
  teachers
• How to deal with misbehaviour in class in a
  'creative' way
• How to deal with mixed ability groups
• How to deal with parents meetings
• How to deal with students lack of interest
• How to develop comprehension skills
• How to develop writing skills
• How to exploit the different skills for effective
  language learning
• How to handle ADD students
• How to help children think in English
• How to make a systematic evaluation of how much
  students have acquired after an integration class
• How to make Language classes more interesting
• How to teach grammar in a non-traditional way
• How to teach reading effectively
• How to use computers as a tool in the learning
  process. The importance of computing nowadays
• How to work with movies in class

H
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Teacher Training Needs

• IGCSE Curricula
• IGCSE examinations
• IGCSE History Content topics source analysis
• IG English as a Second Language and IG Spanish as
  First Language
• Institutional and curricular steps to go from
  Second to First Language
• Integration of programmes of study Spanish,
  English Literature and English Language
• Interactive boards.
• International Primary Maths Programme
• Jolly Phonics
• Language as a cross curricular tool in content
  subjects
• Learning difficulties , struggling readers and
  writers
• Learning difficulties in children and how to
  handle them
• Learning how to learn
• Learning through games and songs (when teaching
  young children)
• Literacy
• Literacy skills (Miriam Tehearne)
• Teoría Literaria (Four teachers mentioned having
  attended one some time ago. They were
  fascinated!)
• Literature Contents
• Literature courses for Middle School. Literature
  for young learners

I-L
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Training Needs

• Make the most of an integration activity class
• Marking Schemes/Correction Workshops
• Methodology
• Methodology on IGCSE
• Misbehaviour in the classroom
• Modern History
• Motivation
• Multiple intelligences how to work with each of
  them
• Music for the little ones
• Music in the classroom
• Narrative background, theory and activities
• New approaches to EFL/Effective Teaching
• New games to practice language
• New learning activities
• New teaching strategies and instruction using
  technology in the classroom
• Organizing and timing of a class when students
  are asked to bring information about a certain
  subject
• Phonology
• Physics AS Level
• Planning for the IGCSE class

M-P
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Training Needs

• Polishing/updating our English
• Portfolio
• Preparing younger students on the way to IGCSE
  exams
• Project work and how to integrate the different
  areas (how to connect them to the different
  topics being taught)
• Prose background, theory and activities
• Reading
• Reading and Writing process/instruction in
  bilingual children
• Reading Comprehension,Writing, Literature.
  Dealing with different abilities and capacities
  in class
• Reading Comprehension activities for the higher
  primary forms
• Remedial teaching of sounds in English
• Retelling techniques
• School Management
• Science Working in the Lab
• Special subjects in primary physics-chemistry-his
  tory-Maths
• Spelling mistakes Are they really very
  important? (3rd Form)
• Staff Meetings
• Stories as a springboard to teach grammar
• Stories for young learners (by Peña Lima) no
  vacancies this year 
• Story telling

P-S
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Training Needs

• Strategies to encourage students to become
  successful readers
• Strategies for IGCSE Writing
• Teachers role nowadays
• Teaching Chemistry and Physics in 6th
• Teaching English as a Second Language without
  immersion
• Teaching grammar in an effective way
• Teaching how to speak accurately
• Teaching how to write different text types
• Teaching literature
• Teaching methodology
• Teaching mixed ability groups
• Teaching reading (pronunciation, intonation) to
  Spanish speakers
• Teaching Science Hands on Science
• Teaching Social Studies
• Teaching students how to organize a writing task
• Teaching through Understanding
• Teaching vocabulary at stages 4, 5 and 6
• Technology and ESL

S-T
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Training Needs

• Testing for understanding, how to use tests as a
  teaching tool
• The importance of communication between the staff
• The writing process
• Thematic Units. Vocabulary enlargement through
  literature
• Thinking Skills AS Level
• Update on childrens books, new literature
  winners in USA and UK
• Use of dictionaries
• Use of phonics
• Using English as a First Language in the
  classroom
• Using ICT in the English lesson
• Using your coordinator as a resource
• Web page design
• Working as a Team with the whole school
• Working with my Spanish Literature counterparts
  in Language and Literature
• Writing in First Form
• Writing Assessment
• Writing compositions
• Writing different genres
• Writing Strategies

T-W
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Training Needs - Kindergarten

• A curricular Design in English 
• An agreement between the Spanish and the English
  teaching methodology
• Assessment
• Books for pupils to be used in every day classes 
• Classroom management
• Drama
• How children learn the second language in
  bilingual schools
• How to help bilingual professionals (other than
  teachers, lets say psychologists) teach English
  in kindergarten
• How to help kindergarten teachers teach English
• Importance of Oral Language in early childhood
• Materials for teachers
• Methodological tips/resources on how to teach
  English at Kindergarten level
• Montessori method training
• New evaluation techniques tips
• New teaching methodologies
• Resources available to teach English in
  Kindergarten
• Setting limits effectively
• Storytelling and dramatization for children
• Teacher training college for Kindergarten
  teachers (with official degree)

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Most Relevant Findings I

• 46 teachers participated in the 3 Forums
  conducted in English representing 20 schools.
• All teachers participated actively in the 3
  Forums. They debated issues related to Permanent
  Education such as course quality, modality,
  frequency and content. They showed some concern
  about their lack of time to attend face-to-face
  courses downtown. Most of them were highly
  interested in Distance Education and in the
  ESSARP Goes to School Programme.
• As regards the surveys, there was a quick
  response to them, which showed a high level of
  commitment and great enthusiasm about
  participating in the design of the 2008 Teacher
  Training Programme.
• The surveys rendered the following results
• The quality of a course is mainly determined by
  Content, Methodology Resources and Effective
  Teaching.

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Most Relevant Findings II

• Timetable preferences 40 of respondents prefer
  Morning Courses, 39 of them prefer Evening
  Courses and 21 of respondents would like to
  attend courses in the Afternoon.
• Regarding Number of Sessions and Course
  Frequency, most teachers would like to attend
  courses which take a maximum of 4 sessions with a
  maximun frequency of 4 times a year.
• 54 of the teachers are highly interested in
  Distance Education, 38 of respondents are
  somewhat interested and 8 of them are scarcely
  interested in Distance Courses.
• 32 of respondents are highly interested in
  Blended Courses, whereas 61 of them are somewhat
  interested and 7 of the teachers say they are
  scarcely interested in this kind of courses.

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Most Relevant Findings III

• 77 of respondents show great interest in the
  ESSARP Goes to School Programme.
• 40 of respondents are highly interested in
  participating in Teachers Forums, 36 of them
  are somewhat interested and 24 of them do not
  show much interest.
• We identified 174 Teacher Training Needs in the
  Primary and Secondary School Forums and 21 needs
  in the Kindergarten Forum. In many of the cases,
  the contents of various needs can be grouped in
  one course.
• We have noticed some concern about values,
  discipline, learning difficulties and
  interpersonal relationships within the school.
• Teachers show their gratitude to ESSARP for
  having given them the possibility to express
  their needs and to exchange views with their
  colleagues. They all seem to have enjoyed the
  experience.
• Gabriela Madera
• Teachers Forums
• General Coordinator

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Teachers Opinions about the Forums

• KINDERGARTEN FORUM
• 'I am anxious to share new ideas and experience
  in order to improve our daily activities! I hope
  we can all profit from sharing comments on our
  practice !!'
• 'Thanks to all the rest for sharing their
  experiences, wishes, difficulties, resources,
  time,
• good will.....'
• 'I was highly enriched by all the contributions
  everyone made. On the other hand, I would like to
  thank the people at Essarp for their constant
  effort and support to teachers in their intention
  to become better practitioners.'
• 'Thank you for this opportunity, I hope I can be
  of any help as I positively know it will be of
  great help for me.'
• 'I strongly think itd be a good idea to have
  intensive courses in February and then a blended
  one throughout the year.'
• PRIMARY SCHOOL FORUM
• 'I believe teacher development is most important
  and on-line training becomes a wonderful option
  specially when living far from Buenos Aires.'
• 'Its a great idea to share our viewpoints.'
• 'I believe its a very enriching opportunity to
  learn and to share views and ideas with other
  teachers.'

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Teachers Opinions

• 'I decided to participate in this forum as I have
  never participated in one before and I believe it
  will be very enriching for my every day teaching
  by sharing with other teachers their daily
  experiences.'
• 'Our school is some 100 km from BA which makes it
  very difficult to attend face-to-face courses, so
  virtual rooms are ideal! Blended courses would be
  very suitable! As Cecilia Garrett said we have
  joined the CIPP this year, so this forum can help
  us contact other CIPP teachers and help others
  who would like to know about it or share teaching
  practices!'
• 'Ive never participated in virtual courses or
  forums, but I think that this is a great
  opportunity to share daily experiences with other
  teachers.'
• 'I enjoy courses or workshops dealing with many
  different issues, like the ones that teach you
  new ways to work on the skills or new methods to
  use in the classroom. I like face-to-face courses
  much more than online courses because they seem
  clearer and more profitable to me. It's a
  pleasure to be part of this team'
• 'As I am FULLY convinced I still have SO MUCH to
  learn, here I am, giving a try to this yet new
  challenge! Its a REAL PLEASURE to start sharing
  this new experience with you all.'
• 'I really enjoyed sharing these days with all the
  participants. It has been an active forum and it
  would be great to meet again. Imagine a forum
  with things to debate or to share with the same
  teachers ... it would be wonderful!'
• 'It was my first participation in a forum and I
  have really enjoyed it. Im looking forward to
  participating in another one soon.'
• 'Ill be looking forward to next years offer!'

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More Opinions

• SECONDARY SCHOOL FORUM
• 'I truly believe in teacher development. It is an
  essential aspect of our profession. I also
  believe in change and in the positive aspects it
  poses. It is extremely important to cope with the
  changes that take place everyday and a very
  useful way to do so is by attending meetings,
  courses, giving your opinion. Thats why I wanted
  to be part of this forum.'
• 'Living far from BA, though not as far as
  Eugenia, makes it sometimes difficult to attend
  all the courses one would love to attend. I am
  all for on line training since it gives us the
  chance to up date our knowledge and exchange
  views with other teachers !'
• 'I am delighted to be part of this forum as I am
  sure we will all share valuable experiences and
  opinions.'
• 'I believe it is so very enriching to share our
  experiences, considering our realities are
  different! And it is amazing that the same spirit
  of professionalism is behind us.'

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More Opinions

• 'I enjoy studying and reading about new
  developments and ideas, but I sometimes find it
  difficult to attend courses. Im sure well
  profit from each others contributions as we
  teach similar things but in different contexts.'
• 'The biggest drawback we find when courses are
  delivered at ESSARP is precisely, having to
  travel and, to make matters worse, having to
  drive into TOWN!!!!!'
• 'I believe that permanent education is a key
  factor to teacher development. I am very
  interested in learning about the latest trends as
  well as improving my practices. This is the
  first time I am taking part of a forum and I am
  eager to learn from all of you.'
• 'This forum could also turn into a future
  Internet group/ blog to share experiences, etc
  etc., don't you think?'
•  

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More Opinions

• 'I dont know if it happens to you but I feel I
  cant go to bed without having checked on the
  forum. It feels like we were all having an
  ongoing conversation which I cant miss!! As if
  there were somebody out there 'listening' to me,
  'talking' to me at any time. Its wonderful!!'
• 'It has been a real pleasure to be part of this
  forum. It is amazing to see how many of us share
  the same interests, needs, intentions and
  willingness to work and improve our practice day
  after day.'
• 'Thank you for having created a space in which we
  could express our views, opinions and queries.'
• 'It has been an invaluable experience to be part
  of this forum.'
• 'Thank you for having given us this great and
  extremely useful opportunity.'
• 'I have really enjoyed being part of this forum.
  It has been a most enriching experience to be
  able to share with teachers all over the
  country.'

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CONCLUSIONS

• The Forums opened up a communication channel
  among teachers of different institutions.
• They confirmed the teachers need for permament
  education and the need for a tailor-made
  educational programme.
• They allowed essarp to identify teacher training
  needs.
• They provided participants with a virtual space
  to exchange views and resources with teachers
  who share the same interests.
• They made it possible for some of the teachers to
  have their first contact with an educational
  platform.
• They shortened distances and offered time
  flexibility.
• They contributed to the professional development
  of both coordinators and teachers alike.

Elizabeth White Gabriela Madera Kindergarten
Primary Secondary School Forum Coordinator
Forum Coordinator
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• Many thanks to all the teachers and heads who
  actively participated in the six Teachers' Forums
  which took place last October 2007. Had it not
  been for their constant interaction and for their
  invaluable support, the results of the survey
  would not have been so varied and copious!
•  
• I would also like to thank our Forum coordinators
  Ms Gabriela Madera, Mrs Susana Maquieira, Ms Liz
  White who were always there, at the other end,
  ready to comment on the participants
  contributions and set their minds in motion.
•  
• I particularly appreciate the contribution made
  by the alma mater of the Teachers' Forums, Ms
  Gabriela Madera, who not only designed, monitored
  and evaluated the whole project but also
  conducted four of the six forums !!!
•  
• And last, but not least, I am very grateful to Ms
  Paula DeGennaro, Ms Sabrina Marasco and Ms
  Julieta Barraza, who acted as a very efficient
  support team in catering for the different needs
  and requirements of the almost 150 teachers and
  heads who enrolled in the forums.
•  
• It is one of my greatest hopes that this type of
  interactions continue, grow and flourish, and
  thus reach more and more ESSARP schools.
•  
• Silvia Rettaroli
• Deputy Academic Director  
• ESSARP