Freedom to Learn 2 Erasmus Project

Project Title

Freedom to Learn 2

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Freedom to Learn 2 builds on the success of Freedom to Learn – an E+ project based on the notion that for significant learning to occur, this needs to be based on personal involvement and be meaningful for the learner. The results and impact of this project (completion date November 2020) are exceeding expectations, and the original partners aim to further consolidate and develop the methodology, while strengthening but also widening the network to include new partners. The project will address the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the methodology advocated by Carl Roger’s philosophy, giving students the freedom to explore and truly engage with the SDGs. It also aims to support the development of students’ digital competences through the use of the eTwinning platform, with an emphasis on their responsibility as online content creators rather than mere consumers.

The objectives of the project are ambitious but realistic. The main focus is on developing teachers’ competences and confidence as they shift from a teacher-centred to a truly learner-centred approach. In this scenario teachers become facilitators of learning, giving up some of their power in the classroom while modelling democratic competences in action. The SDGs will be explored in line with the goals and values of the EU, the EU’s role in reaching these goals and how every individual can actively contribute towards a better future. Digital competences will be strengthened across board, with direct reference to DigiComp 2.1 and DigCompEdu.

Spread over 2 years, the projects will support 5 mentors (preferably from the Senior Management team) and at least 10 teachers from 5 different countries and across multiple school levels to provide the freedom and structure for students to engage with the SDGs. Supported by the mentors, and through an online network, teachers will explore ways in which their actions can support this freedom while at the same time providing the structure that learners need for significant learning to actually take place. The different contexts and levels will provide an added value in terms of the common challenges that teachers face. They will also provide for objective reflection and candid support as well as cross-fertilisation of ideas. The original partners will support new partners with the methodology while the new partners can provide a fresh and objective outlook on the methodology. The mentors in the different schools will offer immediate face to face support whereas the online network will provide a context for reflective practice, as teachers make their actions explicit. The project will be divided into 4 phases, each phase lasting for half a scholastic year. A Learning, Teaching and Training (LTT) activity will be held at the beginning of each project phase with a final LTT at the end of the phases. The LTTs will involve mentors and teachers and will help to explore the SDGs and the methodology further, consolidating the network and providing opportunities for participants to experience the different contexts, share good practices and develop their competences further. Each project phase will see the teachers in the different schools addressing different SDGs with their students through the Freedom to Learn methodology to address all the SDGs over the project’s lifespan. Each project phase will start off with an exploration of the SDG being researched. Students will then be supported to identify a focus, to create an action plan, researching the topic, presenting their findings and finally evaluating their own learning and achievement. At the end of each phase, the students will also need to present their work through eTwinning across the partner schools. It is envisaged that a approximately 250 students will have directly experienced the methodology. The work will also be shared with the wider school community through various media in each partner country, promoting the SDGs and a call for active commitment to the SDGs.

The project will directly impact mentors, teachers and students in the 5 schools with concrete plans for dissemination throughout and across board. The mentors will also be responsible for the dissemination of the project’s ideals, methodology and results in the respective schools through the organisation of dissemination sessions targeting teachers not directly involved in the project and the long term sustainability of the project. A final meeting/training activity involving all mentors and teachers will be organised in order to evaluate and disseminate the results of the project and to identify plans for further collaboration and networking among the partner schools.

The potential long term benefits of the project include strengthening the profile of the teaching profession, the development of digital competences and greater awareness of the SDGs and the role educators and individuals play in creating a sustainable future.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 116052 Eur

Project Coordinator

St Margaret College, Zabbar Primary B & Country: MT

Project Partners

• Pozarevacka gimnazija
• Istituto Comprensivo Borgo Solestà- Cantalamessa
• Trito Dimotiko Sxoleio Zografou
• Instytut Gluchoniemych