1. N°3 – JUNE 2010
P.IN.O.K.I.O.
Pupils for INnOvation
as a Key to Intercultural
and social inclusiOn
Foreword by
Pier Francesco Bernacchi,
Fondazione Nazionale
Carlo Collodi
Focus on Learning and
Training in Madeira
towards the Development
of Intercultural Skills
The Mosaic Art And Sound,
a committed and dynamic
education provider
1HZVOHWWHU 3LQRNLR UHOLIWLQGG

2. N°1 – FEBRUARY 2010
P.IN.O.K.I.O.
newsletter
Pupils for INnOvation
as a Key to Intercultural
and social inclusiOn
FOREWORD “Pier Francesco Bernacchi co-ordinator of P.IN.O.K.I.O. project”
Dear P.IN.O.K.I.O. partners and friends,
With some pride, I would like to present the third edition of our P.IN.O.K.I.O. newsletter and announce that
our project has a new partner - The Mosaic Art And Sound from UK. After the decision of the Brothers Grimm
Association to withdraw from the project, followed by some discussion among the partners and the first face to
face meeting of the Scientific Committee Members in Collodi last April, the Scientific Committee has unanimously
agreed to accept Mosaic Art and Sound as the new project partner.
P.IN.O.K.I.O. project is also pleased to announce a new associate partner from Palermo, Italy: Officina Creativa
Interculturale.
The P.IN.O.K.I.O. project has been displayed during the Anna Lindh Foundation Forum 2010 in Barcelona at the
Intercultural Fair organized at the Forum and the project has been presented at the dedicated session “Children
Literature as an Intercultural Tools’ organised by: Children’s Literature Programme. More than 1500 organisa-
tions from 43 countries were present at the Forum.
The next appointment for displaying the P.IN.O.K.I.O. project is May 20-23 at the European Economic and Social
Committee Biennial Conference in Florence Italy where the National Carlo Collodi Foundation has been offered a
stand to present its activities. This three-day conference addresses the issue of education as a fundamental tool in
combating social exclusion of all kinds. The conference and the debates in Firenze will bring together Italian and
European personalities and the President of the European Commission, Josè Manuel Barroso will participate in
the closing ceremony. The conference addresses the issue of education as a fundamental tool in combating social
exclusion and the results of the debates will be used concretely to feed the EUs institutions’ work in responding to
the European citizens’ expectations in this domain.
Despite some delays in planned activities, all the project partners are totally commited. The implementation of the
project shows that they have all worked extremely well together and the team has been very effective.
The Scientific Committee has decided to create a specific ‘Glossary’ to identify and use a common language concerning the
project topics and children’s literature terms: the Glossary will be an added tool to support teachers’ training.
A special thanks goes to the team of UMa University who has taken part in the training session in Venice despite
the severe problems caused by flooding in their country.
More information about the P.IN.O.K.I.O. project can be found at:
http://www.pinokioproject.eu/
I wish you pleasant reading
Pier Francesco Bernacchi
Co-ordinator of P.IN.O.K.I.O. project
Secretary Fondazione Nazionale Carlo Collodi
www.pinocchio.it
1HZVOHWWHU 3LQRNLR UHOLIWLQGG

3. N°1 – FEBRUARY 2010
P.IN.O.K.I.O.
newsletter
Pupils for INnOvation
as a Key to Intercultural
and social inclusiOn
FOCUS ON LEARNING
AND TRAINING IN
MADEIRA TOWARDS
THE DEVELOPMENT
OF INTERCULTURAL
SKILLS In this sense, it is essential to develop intercultural skills
and strategies in teacher training programmes. These aim
*UNIVERSITY OF MADEIRA (PARTNER 2 - P.IN.O.K.I.O.)
Alcina Sousa, Aline Bazenga, Luísa Paolinelli, Paulo Brazão. at promoting an intercultural dialogue against social exclu-
sion, in the pedagogic context, by involving pre-school and
The agenda of the multidisciplinary project, PINOKIO, ad-
school children and their parents (stemming from diverse
dresses current concerns with intercultural education and
contexts) with fictional characters from children’s books, as
social inclusion in multicultural settings. Actually, mobility
a ‘way’ of communication besides bridging the gap between
has changed patterns of interaction among people, not only
cultural stereotypes. Classrooms are perceived as privileged
in the European context but also on a global level, necessar-
sites in subjects’ identity construction in the line of Gee’s
ily reflected in the pedagogic context. Several studies have
secondary discourses fostered in formal settings.
analysed this complex issue with a focus on cross-cultural
differences, perceived in a multidisciplinary approach across
A literature-based project is meant to develop teachers’/edu-
periods. These aims have also guided the action research un-
cators’, children’s and parents’ intercultural skills and make
derway, run by a set of researchers at the University of Ma-
them aware of various patterns of behaviour, thereby help-
deira (Portugal), who have also invited educationalists and
ing them to understand situations and different backgrounds
teachers, to ground their approach, under the guidance of
towards tolerance, solidarity and mutual cultural respect.
the Secretary of Education in Madeira.
Project
The joint venture fosters the ideal forum to present inno-
vative undertakings having Education (Pedagogy, Language
The contact with literature is essential in children’s upbring-
Policy and Curriculum), Linguistics (Applied Linguistics)
ing, development and education, since it is fundamental in the
and Literature (Children’s Literature) at the core, along
development of their personality, affective, emotional and in-
with Visual Arts and Psychology, towards intercultural and
tellectual growth as well as their understanding of society and
social inclusion (Figure 1).
citizenship. Literature allows children to identify themselves
Multidiscinary Approach with the world and provides them with tools to cope with their
Promoting An Intercultural Dialogue
own feelings and also with the world around them (Figure 2).
Language
Psychology Policy and Pippi
Curriculum Alice
Children’s
Literature
Children’s
Applied Literature Pinocchio
Visual Arts
Linguistics
Emilia
Designing training/learning multimodal and interactive packs to
promote intercultural communication skills.
Sinbad
Figure 1. Action Research Focus – University of Madeira, Figure 2. Promoting an Intercultural Dialogue through
Psychology Characters’ Interaction
1HZVOHWWHU 3LQRNLR UHOLIWLQGG

4. N°1 – FEBRUARY 2010
P.IN.O.K.I.O.
newsletter
Pupils for INnOvation
as a Key to Intercultural
and social inclusiOn
Because of its capacity to communicate and “speak” to chil-
dren at a period of their lives when their values are being
constructed, literature can be seen as a valuable tool to pro-
pose different ways of approaching the ever-changing world
and facilitates children’s contact with people from differ-
ent cultures in the same context: from the school setting to
their close community, or their own neighbourhood.
Furthermore, “because learning occurs in a social con-
text”, to borrow from McCarthey (2001: 126), reiterating Madeira island, UMa has to be a comprehensive university
Vygotsky’s claims ([1938] 1978), “classrooms are cultures which offers degrees in major areas: Arts and Humanities;
that are continually being constructed and reconstructed Social Sciences; Earth and Life Sciences; Physical and Engi-
through day-to-day interactions of the teachers and [learn- neering Sciences.
ers]”, learners are likely to strengthen their identity and
heritage. In the process of providing opportunities for iden- The University of Madeira is situated in the Autonomous
tity construction, “issues of social justice and… stereotypes” Region of Madeira, which is an archipelago of two inhabited
come across, concludes McCarthey drawing on a wide range islands on the North Atlantic Ocean, Madeira and Porto Santo,
of research undertaken within identity construction and and the desert archipelagos of Desertas and Selvagens. Madeira
the role of classroom culture (Harris 1992, Au 1993, Atha- island is 660 Km away from the African coast and 980 Km
neses 1998, Young 1998, among other)1. from the Portuguese mainland. There are daily flight connec-
tions with the mainland. Madeira island has about 250,000
Main focus: inhabitants, half of which living in the capital, Funchal. The
island has one of the highest population densities (300 inhab-
itants/Km2) in the country. In recent years, a growing number
petence by interacting with literary texts. of foreigners (in 2006, 7404 foreigners from 91 countries)
has set residence in the region. These are mainly immigrants
multicultural dialogue. from Eastern European countries and Brazil along with a large
number of families returning from Venezuela (not considered
materials bearing in mind the promotion of multicul- as foreigners since most of them have Portuguese nationality).
tural and multilingual skills.
The University of Madeira is located in the city of Funchal.
national and international children with integration The rectory is situated at the historical College of the Jesu-
problems (bibliotherapy). its. The Campus of Penteada is located 2 Km away from the
centre of Funchal and it is part of a complex named Tech-
nological Complex of Penteada, which includes the Madeira
Context Technological Centre.
(1) BACKGROUND
Setting up the criteria for the selection of children’s stories (3) WHAT DO INCREASINGLY MULTILINGUAL AND
has come in the line of the specificities of the context of MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOMS LOOK LIKE?
the project implementation, i.e. Madeira Island. With a Following Miller et al. (2009: 3) “one of the most critical
long historical connection with the English-speaking world, realities of contemporary education in a globalised world is
Madeira Island has also evidenced the presence of other lan- the growing cultural, racial and linguistic diversity in schools
guages, having played a role in Madeiran Portuguese. and the problems involved in educating large numbers of stu-
dents who do not speak the dominant language as their home
(2) UNIVERSITY OF MADEIRA or heritage language.”2 As such, the design of activities and
The University of Madeira (UMa) is the youngest of the approaches to stories in the pedagogic context, particularly in
Portuguese State Universities, affording both university and the pilot project involving six schools in Madeira, the follow-
polytechnic education. UMa is a small teaching/research ing issues/variables should be taken into account:
university, with approximately 3.500 students. Located in
1 2
Sousa, A., 2005, Developing Reading Strategies Based on Literary Texts. Miller, J., Kostogriz, A. and M. Gearon (Eds), 2009, Culturally and Linguistically
Madeira: University of Madeira [Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation]. Diverse Classrooms: New Dilemmas for Teachers. Bristol: Multilingual Matters, p. 3.
1HZVOHWWHU 3LQRNLR UHOLIWLQGG

5. N°1 – FEBRUARY 2010
P.IN.O.K.I.O.
newsletter
Pupils for INnOvation
as a Key to Intercultural
and social inclusiOn
(I) Nationality Cultural
According to data issued by the Secretary of Education of Awareness
Madeira there are more than 50 nationalities in the school
setting. A great majority of the students come from Venezue-
la (former destiny of emigration), European countries (UK, Interacting
with
Switzerland, Germany, Norway, etc.), the United States of Personal / Ethic
IDEATIONAL
Literary
America and South Africa. Growth Aesthetic Awareness
Involvement
(II) Languages spoken
People speak other languages rather than Portuguese, the
native language, for instance: English, German, French, Speaking / Listening / Reading / Rewriting
Italian, Croatian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Polish, Chinese, and Language Development
Russian, among other.
Motivation
(III) Major foreign communities: the Brazilian community;
people from former Portuguese colonies, such as Cape Verde,
Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe (PALOPS); and people from Figure 3: Ideational Texts and Human Values
Eastern Countries (i.e., Ukraine, Russia, Poland and Roma-
nia). Minorities, such as the gipsy one, are hardly evidenced All in all, the project is intended to trigger children’s emo-
in Madeira and there are but a few Islamic immigrants. tional development, their creativity and imagination, their
adaptation to a world made up of contrasts and different
Relevance of the Approach values. In so doing, story telling / sharing is meant to im-
prove participants’ knowledge and respect for other peoples’
In teacher training sessions, academics /researchers intend cultures / languages as well as interaction in/between cul-
to work collaboratively by resorting to stories from differ- tures and linguistic codes. Along these lines, literature is
ent authors and nationalities which represent quite differ- also meant to enhance the ludic dimension (enjoyment) as
ent worlds/world views from the ones children are used to an artistic object (aesthetic value).
interact with. Differing stories allow children to express
their own feelings and anxieties towards a world displaying
diverse aspects and situations as well as easily identifiable
characters who allow children to use their imagination and
develop both a sense of safety and self assurance (Figure 3).
Hence, it is of utmost importance to involve parents who
share their narratives from their home countries, to be col-
lected by children in their home environment and shared
with their schoolmates, thus fostering the dialogic process.
1HZVOHWWHU 3LQRNLR UHOLIWLQGG

6. N°1 – FEBRUARY 2010
P.IN.O.K.I.O.
newsletter
Pupils for INnOvation
as a Key to Intercultural
and social inclusiOn
A COMMITTED AND
DYNAMIC EDUCATION
PROVIDER
The Mosaic Art And Sound is a private adult education
provider based in London, UK that shares with many other
contemporary institutions the drive to reach new targets in
education and new horizons in the development of social
and personal skills. MULTI-DISCIPLINARY
The Mosaic organizes seminars, conferences, in-service
teacher training courses, performing arts events and special
ACHIEVEMENTS
projects on socio-cultural subjects.
In 2005, The Mosaic coordinated a Grundtvig project look-
ing at the effects of sound and music on human beings and
Since its foundation in 2003, The Mosaic has built a col-
the environment. This experimental research included ele-
laborative network in different geographic contexts and a
ments from a wide range of disciplines including psychology,
variety of activities, undertaking projects with various Euro-
sociology, anthropology, philosophy, music, mathematics,
pean universities and research centres. Contacts and cultur-
physics, cymatics, biology and neurosciences. The project,
al/operative exchanges have naturally evolved that provide
which was carried out in collaboration with several univer-
sources of growth and transformation and facilitate the
sities, produced a 19-session training module for teachers of
development of shared applications.
any subject to enhance listening skills and intuitive ability.
This module is included in the European Union Comenius-
The Mosaic’s research and educational projects are continu-
Grundtvig Catalogue and is in demand across Europe.
ously evolving in both content and delivery, yet it continues
to keep in mind the aspiration it has always held of nurtur-
Another example of a multi-disciplinary project initiated by
ing a society that puts human values first: a society in which
The Mosaic is a study on ecovillages in Europe. Ecovillages
individuals, from childhood, are helped and stimulated to
are perhaps the most comprehensive antidote to depend-
thoroughly fulfil their potential and creativity, are happy to
ence on the global economy. People are building communi-
serve their community, and are able to think in terms of the
ties that offer alternatives to the waste, pollution, competi-
whole and not only of their own personal interest.
tion and violence of contemporary life. There are now many
examples of ecovillages in Europe, and these are a tangible
demonstration of the links between the social, ecological
and economic aspects of life and a synthesis of the most
innovative current thinking on human habitats.
Over the last few years, The Mosaic has focused much of its
attention on children’s education and is currently coordi-
nating a Comenius project to promote children’s literature
and love of books while enhancing their appreciation of
various cultures and languages. The Mosaic works in liaison
with councils and primary schools in the UK and is devel-
oping courses for children that will enhance their listening
skills and empathy.
1HZVOHWWHU 3LQRNLR UHOLIWLQGG

7. N°1 – FEBRUARY 2010
P.IN.O.K.I.O.
newsletter
Pupils for INnOvation
as a Key to Intercultural
and social inclusiOn
and
P.IN.O.K.I.O. AND (d) The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free
society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equal-
SOCIAL INCLUSION ity of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national
and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin.
IN THE UK P.IN.O.K.I.O. is addressing these educational needs and does so
in a way that expands creativity, imagination and the love of lit-
erature. It is promoting contemporary methods, on the cutting
edge of socio-cultural transformation of our European societies.
In the UK, groups of immigrants from all over the world
are continuously being added to the existing society.
In a 2007 report4 the London School of Economics and Po-
litical Sciences noted that London has certainly figured promi-
nently in the upsurge of immigration to the UK over the past
20 years, typically receiving about 40% of the gross inflows
(three times its population share). In net terms the concen-
tration has been even more striking – indeed until the late
1990s London effectively accounted for 85-90% of additions
A society that is able to guarantee for its children harmonious
to the UK’s migrant stock, coming down to 55-60% in the last
and happy development, and in which both respect for diver-
5 years, as migration has started to take off in other regions.
sity and the value of the contribution that each child can give
The impact on London’s own population over the last 20 years
the group are cultivated, is certainly an ideal society to aspire
has been dramatic, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The
to. The reality is that in Europe, even though young people
chronic population decline of the previous quarter century has
may be in privileged positions compared with their contem-
been replaced by net growth (of around 50 thousand p.a.); the
poraries on other continents in respect of their societies’ com-
share of foreign born in the population has almost doubled
mitment to democratic development and policies, this does
over 20 years, reaching about one-third of the total, and the
not reflect the ideal society, but is only a process of growth.
number of nationalities heavily represented among its resi-
dents has grown enormously, with a much larger proportion
Education is the means to change societies.
now coming from non-English speaking countries.
Promoting educational initiatives connected and identifi-
Overall, immigration is expected to play an important role
able with the concepts expressed in the UNCRC (United
in the UK’s future population growth. It is recognised that
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) sections
as well as bringing diversity, entrepreneurs, labour and other
on education, or with the bold vision of the European
resources to local areas, immigrant concentration also plac-
Union concerning multicultural issues, is not only desired
es additional demands on local services and education. It is
by many, but is urgently needed.
a challenge to ensure immigrants’ sustainable growth and
social inclusion. Exploration of the cultural background of
In Article 29 of the UNCRC3, States Parties agree, among other
the new immigrant child and provision of an area to foster
points, that the education of the child shall be directed to:
intercultural dialogue amongst all children are urgent tasks.
(c) The development of respect for the child’s parents, his
Serious consideration also needs to be given to children’s
or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the
psychological and psychosocial well-being, bearing in mind
national values of the country in which the child is living,
that the UK ranks very low in all six dimensions reported in
the country from which he or she may originate, and for
the UNICEF Overview of Child Well-being in Rich Countries5.
civilizations different from his or her own
3 4
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989 The Impact of Recent Immigration on the London Economy, London School of
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm Economics and Political Science, July 2007
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/LSELondon/pdf/
theImpactofRecentImmigrationOnTheLondonEconomy.pdf
5
Report Card 7, Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-
being in Rich Countries, The United Nations Children’s Fund, 2007
http://www.unicef.org/media/files/ChildPovertyReport.pdf
1HZVOHWWHU 3LQRNLR UHOLIWLQGG

8. N°1 – FEBRUARY 2010
P.IN.O.K.I.O.
newsletter
Pupils for INnOvation
as a Key to Intercultural
and social inclusiOn
This comprehensive assessment of the lives and well-being
of children and young people in 21 nations of the industri-
alized world includes the dimension of ‘Educational Well-
being’. Its purpose is to encourage monitoring, permit com-
parison, and stimulate the discussion and development of
policies to improve children’s lives.
In 2007, the BBC held an opinion poll, ‘Is the UK failing its
children?’ The ‘Yes’ response was 79.47%. Although steps
have been taken to address the issue at local, regional and
national level, there is still a long way to go.
Is the UK failing its children?
The Mosaic has just been approaching various pre- and pri-
mary schools in the UK and there is a remarkable interest in
piloting the new training proposed by P.IN.O.K.I.O.
The Mosaic is very pleased to be involved in the P.IN.O.K.I.O.
project and believes that its creative and innovative aspects
are essential elements: we need to turn to the past, so that
we do not repeat our mistakes but are given wings to enable
us to explore new horizons.
Dr Teresa Dello Monaco, Music Consultant/EU Projects Manager,
The Mosaic Art And Sound.
1HZVOHWWHU 3LQRNLR UHOLIWLQGG

9. www.pinokioproject.eu
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission
cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information
contained therein.
Lifelong Learning Programme
1HZVOHWWHU 3LQRNLR UHOLIWLQGG