THE RIECU NETWORK (SCHOOL-TEACHING CENTER-UNIVERSITY): A PRACTICE COMMUNITY FOR EXCELLENCE FOR CREATING SYNERGY BETWEEN INITIAL AND CONTINUING TEACHER TRAINING

Introduction:
The network School- Teaching Center- University (henceforth RIECU), was created in the school year 2007-2008. It acts as a platform for improving relations between initial teacher training and continuing teacher training by bringing the university and preschool centers closer together.

This paper describes the experience of educational innovation set into motion during the school year 2014-2015. The passing of time since its creation allows for the consolidation of a working dynamic similar to a community of practice.
In recent decades communities of practice have become a valuable means for sharing professional experiences. They are formed as social references that enable people to interact, learn, build relationships and, over the time its members remain in contact, a sense of belonging and of mutual commitment is fostered. They are sustained by relationships of respect and trust, reached through a common history which contributes to the creation of a collective identity.

Our community of practice, constituted voluntarily, independent of institutional prescriptions, fosters the collaboration of initial teacher training and continues in a common venture, focused on the dignifying of childhood through the launching of Project Approach (henceforth PA) such as educational processes focused on activity and listening to the potential of young boys and girls.

Aims:
- Set up the network of a community of practice in which relevant professional learning from shared meanings takes place.
- Build relationships of symmetric, dialogic and consensus-based power, reached through professional dialogue amongst all the intervening agents (school teachers, professors, university students and advisors at Teacher Centers).
- Foster the acquisition of professional teaching competence in all participants.

Activities of the community of practice RIECU
(1) We linked our experience of innovation to two subjects that are taught in the 4th year of the Preschool Teacher Training degree – Strategies of Intervention in Preschool Education, and Student Teaching Practicum III.
(2) Joint planning and meetings by the Coordinating Commission, for the development of the project of innovation of RIECU for the school year 2014-15.
(3) Development of a training course on PA for teachers in the Teacher Center and for university students in the Teacher Training classrooms.
(4) Hold an official opening RIECU session for the school year 2014-15.
(5) Hold in-class practice sessions in schools.
(6) Hold seminars for reflection at the School of Educational Sciences.
(7) Hold the Weaving Dreams Conference in the professional horizon of Preschool Education.
(8) Hold a focus group of teachers, advisors and university professors to assess the degree of satisfaction of this experience.
(9) Create awareness of the innovation experience.

Assessment and results:
20 Work Projects have been created for the stage of Preschool Education, 3-6, which are made public through pedagogical documentation on the RIECU website http://www.uco.es/riecu/. A focus group has been created with all the agents in order to assess the strong points, weaknesses and to make suggestions for improving the community practice during the course 2014-15.