Artículo publicado en
Internet con motivo de la conmemoración de los 30 años de proyectos europeos.
Adult Education – Slovenia, 2016-18
‘Students
need to learn to effectively communicate, to express themselves, to
process information, to be active citizens, so that their education
transfers into their employability.’
Jose Tomas
Pastor Perez is head of the Science and Technology Department at CFPA
Mercè Rodoreda, a public learning centre for adults located in the small
city of Elche, Spain. In this role, he has positioned himself as an
innovative educator and a teaching enthusiast. Through participation in
different Erasmus initiatives, Jose has come to view the model of adult
education in a new light, one based on asking students ‘How can I assist you in reaching your goals?’
Reflecting
on his experiences, Jose sees his work as complementing and helping
innovate school curricula, with courses that stress practical skills for
the new knowledge society such as online job-searching techniques,
creating online portfolios and social media recruitment. He has also
introduced non-formal teaching methods into the learning process. For
instance, at his centre students learn about science and technology by
creating and overseeing their own science museum.
‘Preparing
objects for the museum not only helps students learn about aerodynamics
or optics but also organise events, conduct guided tours, and interact
with the local community. That is much more beneficial than just sitting
with a book’, he says.
His efforts have translated
into
tangible benefits for the students, securing their entry into the job
market, their future employability and career development. While Jose’s
contribution to quality adult education has been recognised by numerous
awards, such as the ‘Miguel Hernández award’ from the Spanish Ministry
of Education, this is merely a positive ‘side-effect’ of his efforts.
‘My main goal is to introduce new innovative teaching methods into the
training process in order to offer better services for society. The
Erasmus + programme helps with this significantly.’
