Na(e)tGEO – Complex Skill Development Using Experience Based Approaches Erasmus Project

Project Title

Na(e)tGEO – Complex Skill Development Using Experience Based Approaches

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Natural sciences

Project Summary

RATIONALE, SUBJECT AND LEARNING NEEDS ADDRESSED:
The na(e)tGEO project seeks to reflect on the public education problem which all European institutions are struggling with. The curriculum is overcrowded, information-based, there is a lot of demands for lexical knowledge, and there is hardly any time to develop the competencies that can utilize the entered knowledge. Our students are lost, tired and unmotivated in the flow of information, while – finishing schools – the lack of transversal competences hinders knowledge being utilized. The labor market and practical life experience are completely separated from the dry school curriculum, not to mention the fact that the educational process is slow and painful, which the children do not enjoy. Recognizing the problems, many alternative teaching methods have been written, but their
application in the success-oriented educational environment is almost impossible. The motivation of the project is to develop and present a model that can be introduced into public education as an alternative to these problems.
The na(e)tGEO project presents a learning process based on experience pedagogy, which breaks down, opens the closed framework of school education, connects with the outside world, transforms the acquisition of information into a competitive and exploratory adventure for which students have to mobilize all their competences together – This will make the acquired knowledge complex, projectbased, combining the curriculum of a wide range of subjects from lexical natural sciences through language learning to digital competencies, and the mobilization of transversal competences such as communication skills, problem solving skills, conflict management, creativity, innovative thinking or team spirit.

OBJECTIVES:
– Increasing students’ motivation, making learning more attractive with alternative pedagogical approaches. Focusing on awakaning inner motivation.
– Providing methodological examples of a complex, competence-based teaching-learning progress supporting interdisciplinarity, usable and practical knowledge, taking into account individual characteristics and personalities
– Making the social surroundings connected with involving parents and civil society into the learning process
– Developing students’ fundamental and transversal competences

CONCRETE ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS:
4 “adventure tours” are organised during the 4 semesters, designed by each partners, as outdoor nature activities. The process, with its real experimental learning elements, is similar to the worldfamous “geocaching” game: children need to explore treasure boxes on the local hiking trail by studying treasure maps, with on-site or home-based scientific tasks. During the tours and the learning process, pupils actively use digital softwares and Internet in a practical, situational way.
Their map reading can be assisted by modern digital techniques; learn to interpret coordinates, use online map applications, and search the site for online tasks. Some of the tasks are designed with digital pedagogical applications such as learning escaping rooms, QR code reading or word search games, increasing diversity and joy of the learning process. Tasks and descriptions are provided in English, improving participants’ knowledge of foreign language based on content, practice and situations.
The tours and learning process as a sort of educational competition are opened to the whole school society, and also involve parents and civil society members, enlarging and opening the school context into a social capital possibility.

Concrete results of the partnership:
– 4 scientific topics, processed with experience-based methodology. Playful and exciting task sessions, digital applications and pedagogical ideas.
– 4 natGEO adventure tours to test the above-mentioned methods
– natGEO vlog collecting pupils’ experiences (eTwinning, youTube)
– A pedagogical manual (handbook) on method descriptions and experiences
– 2 Joint Staff Events on Alternative Teaching Methods and Digital Learning Applications
– 2 students exchanges, where experience-based methods are deepened in an international environment.

IMPACTS:
Next to pupils’ personal skills development and strenghtened fundamental and transversal competences, the project also increases their lexical knowledge on defined topics of natural sciences. Parallel to pupils’ development teachers also gain knowledge about innovative methods applicable for other subjects, learn teaching applications and best practices making their work more efficient and enjoyable, and build better understanding of their pupils. This methodological aspect
could form a sort of change in the institutional pedagogical manners both for teachers and pupils, and assure longlasting information capture and raised motivation for the institutional learning process. The itinerary is based on intercultural dialogue between participants from 4 countries (Portugal, Hungary, Poland and Italy).

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 89657 Eur

Project Coordinator

EB1/PE Ilhéus & Country: PT

Project Partners

• Szkola Podstawowa im. Wincentego Pola w Stawiszynie
• Istituto Comprensivo Don L. Milani
• Nyitott Ajtó Baptista Szakképző Iskola, Középiskola, Általános Iskola, Óvoda, Szakiskola és Kollégium / Edelényi Nyitott Ajtó Baptista Oktatási Tagintézmény