Sharing and Learning European Cultural Heritage: Be Inspired by The Defensive Lines of Torres Vedras!

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Training Course

The aim of this training is to allow participants to become familiar with the Lines of Torres Vedras. This training session is targeted to all staff involved in cultural heritage projects, identity and sustainable development.
For modern history lovers, The Lines of Torres Vedras are one of the most remarkable places on earth. Monumental buildings such as forts and redoubts scattered throughout our hills, were built in secrecy using rural populations to defend Lisbon from the Napoleonic invasion. These military structures have been considered as one of the most important military lines in the world. Participants should prepare themselves by doing some research on the Lines of Torres Vedras. Prior to participants’ arrival we will provide them with the programme, suggested reading material and websites. We will also ask what participants expect from the course and their stay while visiting 1810-1812 archaeological and military monuments.
Participants will be provided with an English lexicon related to the course themes.
Participants will receive course-related material and will have to read it in order to prepare a presentation of themselves, the institution where they came from and of their regions' cultural heritage related or not to The Napoleonic Wars/Empire.
Participants will be requested to provide some information regarding the historical heritage related to Napoleonic Wars/Empire in their Country/Region. This information and materials should be shared with other participants (5 minute presentation using powerpoint or video) during the course in order to make it more interactive and create some peer-learning opportunities. Participants are invited to bring materials and display them in an European showcase of local cultural heritage.

Objectives
This course will give participants the opportunity to tackle key themes such as the Napoleonic rule of Europe, the importance of this military system. The main objective of the course is to make teachers active players in promoting the knowledge on these defensive lines and their outstanding importance to Europe.
At the end of the course participants are expected to cooperate and share experiences and integrate this knowledge in their work and organizations.

Methodology
The course will consist of a series of lectures with site-visits to complement the topics of the day. Highly qualified lecturers ensure a simple approach of the highest levels of learning. Hand-outs/notes will be given to participants prior to site-visits. There will be ample time for discussion on the topics both in the lecture room and on-site.
The course will also stimulate peer-learning and networking opportunities during practical working groups (WG).

WG1- Raising awareness of European Cultural Heritage among the general public: Communicating with the general public can be a challenging task. This working group aims to discuss the best methodologies to raise awareness of European cultural heritage, through the analysis of different topics.

WG2- Improving teaching, learning and discovering innovative didactic tasks: Teaching is a challenge nowadays. In this working group the main issue is innovation through different educational processes

WG3- Identity, landscape and cultural heritage as resources for education: Cultural Heritage represents memory and identity technologies, essential for the development of social cohesion and a fulfilling citizenship. The discussion will start with the concept of Cultural Heritage as it thrives through objects, buildings and landscapes.

WG4- Learning methodologies, tools and valuable experiences for all: Different teaching and learning styles are discussed through the participants own experiences. From more conventional lecturing to the constructive approach, specific tools relating to the Cultural Heritage are analysed and new concepts are discussed with the scope on the learning audience

WG5- European Cultural Heritage as leverage for sustainable developments: By discussing its Cultural Heritage, each society can open its pre-conceptions and natural boundaries, inviting new players and ideas.

WG6- Designing educational programmes for schoolchildren and adults

Follow-up Please describe the follow up activities, which will allow participants to get maximum benefit from the training (e.g. distance learning activities, e-mail contacts with trainers, self-evaluation of lessons taught after the training event, peer networking, etc). Course evaluation is not a follow-up activity
The Organizers will keep close contact with all the participants either via e-mail or communication in order to be able to answer queries about particular issues raised in the course. We will also be available to help course participants in drawing up further courses/modules about the European Cultural Heritage.
For more information visit www.cm-loures.pt or  www.rhlt.com.pt
Fully developed

Communicating with the general public can be a challenging task. This working group aims to discuss the best methodologies to raise awareness of European cultural heritage, through the analysis of different topics: public pre-conceptions about heritage and culture; talking about History, stories, characters and myths; the role of media and journalists; different communication skills and specific channels. The importance of the Internet and social networks in raising awareness about specific issues will also be discussed.

Teaching is a challenge nowadays. In this working group the main issue is innovation through different educational processes. One of the topics is about different types of learning styles and the role that "discovery" can perform when working with Cultural Heritage in the classroom. Topics such as media and literacy, the relations between heritage and school curricula will be thoroughly discussed, in an effort to outline specific tasks that be contextualized in a broader methodology.

Cultural Heritage represents memory and identity technologies, essential for the development of social cohesion and a fulfilling citizenship. The discussion will start with the concept of Cultural Heritage as it thrives through objects, buildings, but also in landscapes and, ultimately, in narratives. How to work the different levels of meaning through tangible and intangible items that can be educational resources is the main goal.

Different teaching and learning styles are discussed through the participants own experiences. From more conventional lecturing to the constructive approach, specific tools relating to the Cultural Heritage are analysed and new concepts are discussed with the scope on the learning audience. This concept is broader than the natural classroom boundaries, using daily routines, media consumption habits, social networking and Internet as learning tools.

WG 5: European Cultural Heritage as leverage for sustainable developments
Through narratives, identity and memory tools, Cultural Heritage is a main factor in the development of social cohesion. This is not a reflexive phenomena where the "status quo" is always reinforced. Hence, by discussing its Cultural Heritage, each society can open its pre-conceptions and natural boundaries, inviting new players and ideas. This is especially important in the development of projects with immigrant communities, for instance, and, also in cultural tourism. 

WG 6: Designing educational programmes for schoolchildren and adults
Different educational programmes are presented and discussed through different dimensions: whether the programme is conceived for a classroom, a school or several schools that communicate with each other through the project; the relation with school curricula or broader subjects (like European identity, for instance); relations between the different players of the learning community; life-long learning and its different spheres; evaluation grids.  

CÂMARA MUNICIPAL DE LOURES – LOURES MUNICIPALITY
LOURES MUNICIPAL MUSEUMS NETWORK
E-mail: joaquim_jorge@cm-loures.pt
http://www.cm-loures.pt and www.rhlt.com.pt

Tel.: +351 211 150 667
Fax: +351 211 151 702