Nov 16, 2023
School moves Saxony project: University School Dresden supports schools in eastern Saxony with innovative educational approaches
At the opening event on November 13, 2023, the heads of the University School Dresden Pilot Project, Prof. Anke Langner, TU Dresden (right), and Maxi Heß, University School Dresden, met with representatives of the participating schools from Löbau and Weißwasser for a discussion with Minister President Michael Kretschmer (left) and Saxony’s Minister of Education Christian Piwarz in the Saxon State Chancellery.
As part of the School moves Saxony project (Schule bewegt Sachsen), the University School Dresden supports school development processes at schools in eastern Saxony. These schools often face particular challenges such as a severe shortage of teachers. With the findings from the living lab on the school of the future, which is unique in Germany, the cooperation project aims to find solutions drawing on new approaches.
School development as a solution to the shortage of teachers in Upper Lusatia
The Education moves Saxony project (Bildung bewegt Sachsen) is supported by the Saxon state government and focuses on school development as a response to the shortage of teachers. In Löbau and Weißwasser, school development is being supported at three secondary schools by transferring and refining pedagogical elements from the University School Dresden. The scientific leader of the school pilot project, Prof. Anke Langner, explains: “The basic concept of the pilot project is to develop elements for modern and innovative learning that can also be used in other schools. During the last four years, we have developed various teaching approaches at University School Dresden which we can now share with others so that they can transfer them to their own schools and maybe even continue to develop them. These include approaches that can reduce teachers’ workloads.”
Contemporary learning in projects, with learning modules and in the Youth School
“We have approaches that focus on the students, such as inter-year and interdisciplinary project learning, where teachers act as learning guides to develop independent learning together with the students,” continues Prof. Anke Langner, Chair of Inclusive Education at TU Dresden,” as well as concepts for self-regulated learning such as learning modules. We can imagine this concept being systematically introduced at the Gymnasium type of secondary schools, for example. Our Youth School (Jugendschule) is another element: Students in grades 7 and 8 leave their school building and work and learn in a location that is highly relevant to life and the world of work. For example, they have to cook for the whole group and also grow food for this, or they have to manufacture their own tools. We will probably be able to implement this Youth School concept at one of the secondary schools in Upper Lusatia.” In this way, stakeholders from science and from the schools are jointly shaping education in eastern Saxony.
Mit Unterstützung der Sächsischen Staatskanzlei startete das Projekt "Bildung bewegt Sachsen" für Innovative Schulentwicklung als Chance in Ostsachsen im Schuljahr 2023/24.
Project start in Löbau and Weißwasser in the 2023/24 school year
The school development processes at Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium Löbau, Heinrich-Pestalozzi-Oberschule Löbau and Bruno-Bürgel-Oberschule Weißwasser have commenced in the current school year. In December, actively designing the project together will start with an inventory. “We will look at the challenges and at the same time at what resources the local schools already have together with the head of the University School, Maxi Heß. Based on this analysis, we will jointly consider suitable approaches for school development,” announces Prof. Anke Langner.
Fascinating concepts from University School Dresden for the education of the future
Saxon Minister President Michael Kretschmer sees great potential in this area at TU Dresden. At the opening event on November 13 at the Saxon State Chancellery, he said: “This is where our future teachers are trained, but this is also where new ideas are born about how education should work in the future. For example, we have a University School where education really is taught in a new way. This University School has an incredible fascination for young people who are studying to become teachers, and I am delighted that we have now managed to go to Upper Lusatia, to Löbau and Weißwasser – and if other locations want to follow suit, we will go there, too – to try out this concept of new education and thus also interest young people who are keen to work in this field to come to Upper Lusatia. This model project is yet another way of making Upper Lusatia more competitive and getting young people interested in working in our region.”
About University School Dresden
TU Dresden and Dresden University School were commended at the German Rectors' Conference award for social commitment. All awarded projects are presented in a portrait video. © logo! Nachrichten
The University School Dresden is a joint project of the City of Dresden and TUD Dresden University of Technology. It is a free, public primary and secondary school funded by the city, where innovative teaching and learning approaches are tested under academic supervision. Furthermore, it serves as a training school for current and future teachers at TU Dresden. The pilot project is being scientifically supervised by the ForUS Research Unit at TU Dresden.
Read more about TU Dresden’s research project: https://tu-dresden.de/gsw/unischule
Read more about the University School Dresden: http://universitaetsschule.org
You can gain a glimpse into daily school life and the research project on social media at @unischuleTUD. Follow the links to see the University School Dresden on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.