Let me show you my city – Creating digital city guides for children Erasmus Project

Project Title

Let me show you my city – Creating digital city guides for children

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

With the project “Let me show you my city” we wanted to create an awareness of common values in a united Europe. This seemed and still seems very important to us. Through this project, the pupils have taken their first steps towards intercultural competence. They were able to present and compare their living environment, their way of life and their language to the children in the partner school. A survey at the beginning of the project (03/2019) and one after the first actions (06/2019) enabled us to document and elaborate important information (questionnaire and evaluation see appendix). The children identified cultural and linguistic differences and similarities by intensively dealing with their own school and their own town and by participating in the (school) life of the partner school/town through networking. For example, there was a joint St Nicholas and Christmas party between the two schools, which was broadcast live via eTwinning. In addition, the classes of their partner class introduced themselves in different ways: some made short films, others wrote classic letters and others showed their profiles on the TwinSpace page. These activities made a significant contribution to our pupils’ knowledge of their Polish partner school and its environment (+32%), and for the group of exchange pupils this is even more evident with +56%. A clear interest in the Polish language (+19%) was also documented. The increase in language learning was as high as 33% for the children who took part in the exchange. The Polish group at our school has shown even stronger growth and 6% of the children (33% of the exchange children) were able to improve their vocabulary in Polish during the project. The confidence to speak English increased by 11% as the children quickly realised that English is “the” language of communication with people from other countries.
The children improved their skills and abilities in using digital media and technologies (e.g. tablet, PC). They were trained to use of different apps (e.g. the BookCreator). They produced media and presented their city and school to the children in the partner school in a lively way, e.g. via eTwinning. They also experienced an increase in knowledge within the framework of topics they worked on and improved the key competences of reading and writing “on the side”.
A large number of small films, digital books, photos and texts about places and facilities in Dierdorf and Krotoszyn, which are interesting for children, were produced in German and Polish. These are available for all children and teachers on the TwinSpace page (see appendix for a list of topics). In addition, the media were published as a digital city guide for children on the webpages of the schools and the municipalities of Dierdorf and Krotoszyn.
Through the intensive exchange with the partner class/school and the visit of the partner school in June 2019, friendships between school classes and teachers have been formed or strengthened. Some children/classes maintain letter or online friendships with their partner class or privately with their exchange family. This is also to be further cultivated and expanded, as it is perceived as very enriching for the school community. Meanwhile, there are many children who would like to visit their partner school, as it has become more familiar to them through the various activities in recent months and the country and language is less foreign (+6%).
The last, very successful exchange was a great experience and offers a good foundation, also with regard to disadvantaged pupils. Once it is possible to travel abroad with students, there will be a new exchange.
Formally, the project ended with the final event in Krotoszyn in October 2020.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 38723 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gutenberg Schule Dierdorf & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Zespol Szkol nr 1 z Oddzialami Integracyjnymi im. Henryka Jordana w Krotoszynie