The intangible heritage of legends, sayings and stories used in classroom Erasmus Project

Project Title

The intangible heritage of legends, sayings and stories used in classroom

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: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The two schools from Slovakia and Iceland, very distant and yet very close to each other, both seeking to broaden the horizons and awareness of their teachers and students, and raise the quality of the education provided by them cooperate together in the project The Intangible Heritage of Legends, Sayings and Stories used in Classroom. They offer each other their strengths and together they mutually help to reach their goals.
The national heritage of both countries serves as a tool to prove that modern forms of education, modern teaching methods do not weaken or deprive the quality of the lessons and learning process. On contrary, students learn more if they are taught in modern classroom environment, by using modern teaching methods and being given responsibility and space for self- evaluation. Furthermore, the project helps the students to regain the lost or disappearing pride in their national cultural heritage.
The objectives of the project were to increase the satisfaction of the parents with the schools, to raise the interest of the students in their national culture and heritage, to modernize the teaching methods and school curricula and to show the importance of language and IT skills when learning, teaching or living in the 21st century.
There are teachers and students among 42 participants of 4 mobilities that took place twice in Slovakia and twice in Iceland between September 2020 and February 2022. During this period the both schools work on monthly tasks ” appeals ” to study the legends, myths, stories or proverbs in detail and in this way they prepare the programme for the activities (mobilities). When the representatives of the schools meet, they present their work and research, they visit the places studied or described in the presentations in person.
Both schools study legends, proverbs, saying, myths from a scientific or historical point of view and analyze the origin, reliability or the possible future of the stories. They use interdisciplinary relations and combine the knowledge from various subjects, e.g. Biology, Physics, Chemistry, History, Social Studies. They cooperate with museums, castles, experts, universities, teachers to make their research unique. Simultaneously, the teachers of both schools have an opportunity to switch their schools and students and teach the students at the partner schools, then to discuss and compare their experience. The same social or professional experiment is to the students who join the classes at the partner schools and learn in a new environment. The students afterwards share their feelings and impressions with the teachers and students of both schools. They clearly determine positives and negatives of the lessons at their schools and the lessons they experience while
” learning shadowing “.
The project uses modern teaching methods such as CLIL, project learning, IT technologies, interdisciplinary relations, teaching adjusted to the students´needs, the methodology of so called ” classroom of the 21st century ” , modern EU platforms to share the results within and beyond the partnership.
The project brings first of all qualitative changes and improvements in both school´s methodology, curriculum, international cooperation and the credit of the schools. It also deepens or raises the students´awareness of their national heritage. Secondly, the project results in numerous printed or online material for teachers, students, school institutions, tourism institutions, local authorities representatives- brochures, leaflets, maps, lesson plans, methodology brochures, calendars, dramas, videos, trailers.
The partnership changes the schools once and forever- the schools open up to new opportunities to cooperate internationally, they expand their teaching practice and competences, they move into a new higher level. The teachers learn that modern enjoyable forms of the lessons do not hurt the guality of the lessons. The teachers see that students can be given responsibility to manage the learning process and classroom work. The teachers realize that parents are their assistants, not supervisors. IT tools and facilities become teachers´ blessing, not a curse.To sum up, the schools leave the 20th century classroom and move to the 21st century.
Although the project lasts for 18 months, the partnership and new relationships go on even after the project is over. We plan to cooperate on new projects, expand the KA2 partnership with new members and fields of study, e.g. environmental issues, social or international affairs, apply for new KA1 projects by both schools, keep cooperating through eTwinning and other EU platforms to share the lessons and school life. We consider this project just the beginning .

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 49444 Eur

Project Coordinator

Katolícka spojená škola sv. Mikuláša & Country: SK

Project Partners

• Grunnskólinn í Sandgerði