The Open Classroom Conference 2020 “New challenges for school change” aims to highlight the concept of Open School Culture that imports external ideas that challenge internal views and beliefs and, in turn, exports its students – and their assets – to the community it serves. Such an engaging environment makes a vital contribution to its community: student projects meet real needs in the community outside of school, they are presented publicly, and draw upon local expertise and experience. The school environment fosters learner independence – and interdependence – through collaboration, mentoring, and through providing opportunities for learners to understand and interrogate their place in the world.
The Open Classroom Conference 2020 “New challenges for school change” will focus on the use of self-reflection tools as a vehicle to support innovation and systemic change in schools. It will focus on the use of self-reflection tools as a valid way to support innovation and systemic change in education. School heads, teachers, researchers, experts and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to explore how schools may move from self-reflection to developing a comprehensive plan of action that utilises the results of a self-evaluation exercise. The conference will present the latest developments from the forward looking cooperation projects working on the issue (Reflecting for Change, SELFIE – Digital Schools Awards Pilot Programme, SELFIE HElpeR & Pedagogical innovation Assistant) as well as from the Joint Research Centre.
Additionally, the Open Classroom Conference 2020 “New challenges for school change” will present examples of stakeholder engagement in school innovation. School heads, staff members and students can benefit through participation in activities that enable them to engage with local businesses, research centers and science centers, policymakers and community members. Such stakeholder engagement can help tackle challenges in school through forging links with parents and social services, as well as businesses and other organisations that may help improve the relevance of learning. Stakeholder engagement may also help raise the school’s profile locally, improving teaching and learning by providing opportunities in real world settings.
Furthermore, the conference will also discuss Responsible Research and Innovation. Responsible Research and Innovation is involving society in science and innovation ‘very upstream’ in the processes of Research & Innovation to align its outcomes with the values of society. RRI is a wide umbrella connecting different aspects of the relationship between Research & Innovation and society: public engagement, open access, gender equality, science education, ethics, and governance.
The conference will also offer the occasion to schools to come together and exchange experiences, ideas and practices on innovative projects of open schooling that they have developed through their involvement in the Open School for Open Societies project. The conference will also give the stand to the schools that stood out in the “Build your own seismograph” Greek national school contest.