READY for rollout – A model for 21st century educators

READY is an innovative pedagogical model developed by the European Training Foundation (ETF) to help educators respond to transformations in the world and in education. It was developed as part of the ETF's Creating New Learning initiative. Over the past year it has been tested, and has sparked interest and enthusiasm. Now the user-friendly digital toolkit is being rolled out to educators across ETF partner countries in the EU's neighbouring regions.

“Educators can use the model as a source of inspiration to enhance their teaching and learning practices, and therefore enhance the learning experiences of their students and, hopefully, their learning outcomes,” says Jolien van Uden, a human capital development expert at the ETF and leader of READY.

The model’s main focus is on teachers across the education system, in vocational education and training, in primary and secondary schools and also in post-school education and training, company-based and lifelong learning.

It can be used, for example, to reflect on and improve current teaching and learning practices; to support observations and obtain peer feedback; to gauge strengths and weaknesses; and to help educators identify and meet their professional development needs.

“It is important to emphasise that it is not the sole responsibility of educators to develop professionally in all domains. It is imperative to create an environment in which educators are able to excel,” Van Uden says. “An environment that provides support and guidance, but also career opportunities, recognition and high quality professional development opportunities.”

To support this, READY can also be used as a source of inspiration by school leaders, teacher trainers and policy-makers – anyone working closely with or working to support educators.

The notion of a ‘21st century educator’ emerged from READY research. It is an umbrella term for a large and diverse group of professionals involved in teaching or guiding and facilitating learning.

READY is a ‘living’ model that will adapt and grow in the coming years, as will the educators who use it. It provides a structured way to identify the professional praxes and development needs of modern educators, as well as user-friendly tools to support their work and encourage teaching innovation. It helps educators get up to speed with educational changes.

The model is flexible and customisable, and can be used in different contexts and translated into any language. In the past year READY has also been released in Arabic, Russian and Ukrainian. Some European Union countries have requested translations. As READY operates under a Creative Commons licence, people can use it in any way and change it freely.

Getting READY for wide release

There is confidence in the quality of READY, which is rooted in theory, literature and research. Its approach and pedagogy have been thoroughly reviewed.

How the model works in practice has been tested under a Partnership on Innovation in Teaching and Learning with Israel, conducted through the Amal and Ort education networks. It aimed to develop a ‘New Educator Profile in a Changing World’ for the Israeli education system.

The pilot presented ‘very promising’ findings in July, and concluded that READY is a leading model in many education spheres – pedagogy, curriculum, management, professional development and more – and could provide a positive contribution to the education system.

“The teachers are very enthusiastic, saying that they are really changing some things in their practice,” Van Uden says.

The pilot results will be presented in a webinar on 13 November.

The ETF is also providing more resources for the model, for instance through blogs on its online Open Space platform, each focusing on a different READY domain. One blog explored how to enhance teaching with digital technologies. A second looked at how to create inclusive learning environments and promote sustainability.

It is not easy being a teacher. Educators are under constant performance pressure. 

“And so we hope the READY model will support educators to reflect on their practices, to feel encouraged and to maybe start trying out new things – but also finding confirmation about the things they’re already doing,” Van Uden concludes.

Watch this video to find out more.