Welcome to my Family Erasmus Project

Project Title

Welcome to my Family

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

“Welcome to my Family” is an innovative inter-cultural project that involved participants from Estonia, Turkey, Romania and Italy. The project idea is based on the understanding that the more diverse the society gets the more complex the relationships between different cultures will get. All schools in this project had faced the problems of cultural misunderstanding, stereotypical attitudes, exclusion based on culture, religion or nationality before this project. Therefore, knowing and understanding that cultural differences are an asset rather than an obstacle, and showing how culture influences intercultural communication was a crucial lesson for our children to teach. We chose the cultural phenomena – the wedding – to teach the aforementioned values in cross-curricular and learner-centred way to reach the goals of our primary priorities:
1.acquisition of skills and competencies (reading literacy, critical thinking, ethical reasoning and independent, impartial judgment)
2. social inclusion, cultural awareness and developing intercultural, social and civic competencies among our communities.
According to main priorities, we set the project objectives:
1. promoting intercultural dialogue, social inclusion, equity, respect, care and concern for others and solidarity through increased learning mobilities, international collaboration;
2. developing, implementing and evaluating new approaches to address social, ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity;
3. activities to create unity, sense of belonging and inclusion;
4. using project-based learning (PBL) and teaching to know our wedding traditions for exposing students to a variety of 21st-century skills;
5. increasing reading literacy and critical thinking skills through specifically designed lessons about wedding tradition and family values;
6. exposing diverse learners to teaching strategies;
7. encouraging participation in after lessons activities, cultural events, research;
8. creating a base for communication skills improvement;
9. improving the understanding of cultural variety as an asset for breaking the ethnic, religious and gender stereotypes, discrimination and exclusion by introducing the wedding and family traditions;
10. encouraging use of learner-centred approaches: personalization and differentiation;
11.including families into the learning process;
12.improving teachers’ competencies, increasing their knowledge in intercultural dialogue;
13.develop digital skills and language competence by using innovative tools for cooperation
This project built valuable cultural learning and teaching resource for learners to develop understandings of the interrelated nature of cultural differences and communication. The resource contains activity books for cooking, handicraft, games, myths, wedding customs, comprehensive reading handbook and a book for teaching values through literature and movies. The methodology for creating this resource, was circular project-based learning module (from research to creation and publishing) where the students and teachers implemented and participated in non-formal education activities: project-based learning group works during lessons; variety of topical workshops on music and dance, cooking, games and handicraft; international lessons; public performances; presentations; collaborative item creating sessions; parent-teacher-student events; competitions; exhibitions; staged weddings in every mobility; filming the documentaries. All that to promote learner-centred approaches, innovative ways to address learners’ needs.
Outcomes:
Wedding Fashion Magazine
Wedding Game Brochures
Wedding Cookery Books
Comprehensive Reading Handbook
Values Matter the Most (lesson activity book)
Song and Dance Festival
Project Diary
Books of Myths and Legends
All in all, over 110 students and teachers from 4 countries participated in LTTAs (funded 100, exceeding participants were not funded by EU). The selection was made according to projects’ goals. Concentrating on wedding traditions gave students an opportunity to get close to our own and partner countries’ oldest layer of cultural heritage. The participants with deep motivation will share the projects’ results after its completion.
During the project, students improved their collaborative, problem solving, communication, literacy, ICT and language skills. PBL work helped them to become creative, self-led learners, develop different items and experience international communication and collaboration. They learned about other cultures, their way of life. We managed to create a base for respect, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence. Other languages, religions, traditions became part of students’ everyday life. Learning in the classroom where there are no restrictions, created a feeling of success and belonging. The project activities brought together different generations and lived up the school life. Many activities are now “organic” part of our school life.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 110185 Eur

Project Coordinator

Juhan Liivi nim. Alatskivi Keskkool & Country: EE

Project Partners

• Istituto Comprensivo di Santa Teresa di Riva-Santa Teresa di Riva (ME)a
• Yenikoy Ortaokulu
• Scoala Gimnaziala Curtea