Page 112 - Diversity in Action

Natascha J. Taslimi, Ursula Maurič, and Karin Steiner

2. What does this concept of learning mean for the organisation of your ped-
agogical practice? What does it mean for the learning programmes you
want to offer?
3. Where do you see the potential of learning communities, especially for lan-
guage learning?
4. What experiences have you already had with learning communities?

The voXmi Educational Network As a Model for Effective Learning
Communities

A model of a learning community which promotes language-friendly educa-
tional environments is the voXmi network. Its name is derived from a German
acronym which can be translated into English as ‘learning and experiencing
languages from and with one another.’
One particular focus is on the conscious and versatile use of digital me-
dia for this purpose. The educational network voXmi was initially founded in
2008/09 as an Austria-wide school network in order to contribute to a cul-
ture of peace and social cohesion in a society characterised by linguistic di-
versity and multilingualism through the appreciation and integration of all
languages of children, families and educators (Maurič, 2015). In 2024, voXmi
received the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize for its contribution to peace
in a multilingual world (UNESCO, 2024).
The network pays particular attention to the requirement that educational
institutions work hand in hand, especially in important transition phases,
such as the transition from kindergarten to primary school, because institu-
tional education (and language learning) begins in kindergarten and there-
fore the view of different systems and cooperation between them is of fun-
damental importance. This is why the 2022 school network was opened up to
institutions of pre-school education and thus expanded into an educational
network.
As already mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, complex social and
political developments in super-diverse migration societies mean that edu-
cators often have to deal with difficult situations and even irresolvable dilem-
mas on a daily basis. This is where working in a network and learning from
and with each other becomes particularly valuable. And this is where the
importance of multi-perspectivity becomes evident. Educational networks
bundle competences and resources to jointly achieve goals that individual
educational institutions or educators would be unable to achieve on their
own. While they are generally organised in a more binding manner than co-
operations, the autonomy of the partners is still guaranteed. The focus is on

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