TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Marija Wazi
The project was about enhancing IT Literacy as a tool to develop multiple Literacy, to improve baseline IT Literacy competences and delivery of different subjects through IT Literacy instruments for ECO education focusing also on creating a link between deaf word and hearing word.The goal of this project was to create and publish a Blog completely accessible for all people willing to develop and use IT&C Literacy, both for deaf and hearing people.
There were 10 participants, from various European countries (Estonia, Ireland, Turkey, Italy, Poland, France, Czech Republic and Italy), and 2 Romanian Participants working in Deaf Adult Education Sector, two Italian experts and two volunteers from Synergy Romania. There were selected 7 deaf participants and 5 hearing.
Everyday of Workshop started with an introduction of the topic’s day, presenting instruments and organizing groups which had to use practically the topic’s day to realize a digital or visual work –computers and other instruments were at disposal for each group. At the end of each day the group shared their work with the others. There were individual and group assignments, open guided discussions and brainstormings on topics, team work production, non verbal and verbal communication practice etc.
The project gave participants information on building blog and gave the opportunity to build tight relationship between colleagues of different European countries in a optical of education information sharing without communication borders in multimodal communication. As a result a blog was built: http://ecosignlink.com
In EcoSign as planned upfront we created space for participants to join with their previous experience regarding teaching adults with literacy problems with the help of IT&C. For many of them it was the first time working with hearing and deaf together with translation and sharing knowledge in such environment. In presenting their teaching method they could increase their skills in explaining the topic to diverse audience with specific needs as well as practicing a method within completely new circumstances, this way exploring their capacity of improvisation and adjusting the teaching material to certain group. They had to deal with language barrier and to involve the others into their demonstration, so nobody stays aside without participation. Therefore they also had a chance to improve their skill in making a teaching subject interactive and practical for the adults they teach, including Deaf Learners.
The whole time EcoSign workshop was running in 3 basic languages. It was led in English and then through translation in Italian Sign Language and International Sign simultaneously. There was then a possibility to learn in a foreign language and to increased language skills for all participants, both hearing and deaf. As communication was happening in these and other languages as well, they could experience the learning environment of mixed languages and practice switching from one to another while leading part of the program, as well as a skill to work while being translated to others or present what they want to share in a simple and translatable way. As there were parts where they needed also to read and write in a foreign for them language, these competences were also practiced.
Thanks to the fact that all participants were directly involved in working with deaf adults in their country and therefore were bringing their practice and expertise with them to Eco Sign workshop, and thanks to their willingness to share their experience, everybody increased their knowledge about the literacy problem in the host country and other participants' countries during this program. There was a session when presentations followed by discussion about this topics were happening, and also throughout the workshop while discussing different areas (using media in teaching, using specific methods with deaf) participants were comparing a lot the situations and conditions for communication of deaf and hearing in their communities as well as policies regarding deaf and historical background.
The connections formed during these days are strong and participants started other common projects that followed ECOSIGN. At the Deaf Community and when we organized the workhop there were developed connections that were made during the visit were so strong that the new friends came and also got involved in the Introduction training in Romanian Deaf Language.
As one of the trainers, I had completed the design of the program and I was in charge of an overview during the training. I delivered program, led some sharings and took care of parts of final report as well.